Gem

by Jane B. Mason

  Morgan and Forrest exchanged a long look before Morgan said what they were both thinking: “You know none of the dogs are ours, right?” she asked gently. “They’re here to train so they can go out into the world and help people …”

  Juniper huffed a little and rolled her eyes. “Okay, fine. But I’m still here to take care of Gem.” She started toward the cupboard that held the bins of food.

  “You’re not old enough to handle dog care,” Forrest blurted. It was just like Juniper to jump in and take over. He and Morgan had asked repeatedly and waited and earned the chance to work in the canine pavilion, and she just marched in like she owned the place … or at least one of the dogs … who weren’t even ownable! Juniper could really get under his skin.

  Seeing the hackles rising on both her siblings, Morgan stepped in. She never liked a fight and knew exactly how stubborn both of them could be … especially when dealing with each other. She shot Forrest a heavy sideways glance and hoped he got her unspoken message to keep quiet. She was the one to handle this.

  Forrest shot her a look back that said something a lot ruder.

  “Let me show you how the food works, okay?” Morgan said, and then kept talking so her headstrong sister wouldn’t have a chance to answer. “Every dog has his or her own regimen. Most of them share the same food, but they get different amounts, and some are on supplements or have dietary restrictions …” She pointed to a whiteboard that listed each dog’s name beside the type of food they ate, and his or her portion size. Next to that was another whiteboard with additional notes or special instructions from Roxanne or Dr. Jessica, the ranch’s on-call vet, about supplements and allergies. Every dog had his or her own section.

  “I only care about Gem,” Juniper announced when Morgan was finished.

  “Gem is just one of the dogs,” Forrest said a little hotly. Who did she think she was, flouncing in here and acting like she was in charge? Or thinking that not every dog deserved special care?

  Morgan sighed and rolled her eyes at Forrest behind Juniper’s back.

  Juniper ignored her brother but followed her sister’s instructions and prepared Gem’s morning meal.

  The new dog was licking the bowl clean when Roxanne arrived. The lead trainer did a double take when she spotted Juniper, then smiled to herself. The spell that Gem cast on the cat lover was still working.

  “Roxanne!” Juniper said, running up to her. “Gem and I are ready to get to work!” Roxanne drew in a breath. Juniper’s insistence on being involved posed a very clear dilemma. At nine, Juniper was too young to work as a training assistant. The Sterlings weren’t a rule-crazy family, but the ranch did have a few well-established guidelines when it came to working with the animals. Georgia was a firm believer in clear boundaries for kids and for dogs, and claimed that without them it would be chaos.

  And that wasn’t all. Roxanne also suspected that Juniper was too … she tapped her chin and tried to think of the right word—Exuberant? Impatient? Dramatic?—to work with the dogs. Perhaps it was all of the above.

  “Hell-oooo.” Juniper waved a hand in front of the lost-in-thought trainer. “You in there?”

  Roxanne refocused on Juniper’s expectant face. Juniper, the only Sterling child who had never expressed the slightest interest in dogs. Juniper, now earnestly and enthusiastically taking an interest … and Forrest staring daggers, waiting to see what Roxanne said next.

  “I’m thinking,” Roxanne answered honestly.

  Juniper dropped her hands to her sides in disappointed impatience but didn’t say anything else while Roxanne continued to mull it over.

  It was Sunday, which was generally a rest day on the ranch. The dogs always needed care, but they didn’t do extra work or train on Sundays. Usually. In fact, most Sundays, Roxanne didn’t even make it to the pavilion. Today, though, she had wanted to spend a moment with Gem and see what the new dog was all about … what kind of potential she had … what she was like away from the shelter. She glanced at Juniper, who was clearly struggling to keep her mouth closed as she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet.

  Roxanne knew she’d have to talk to the adult Sterling team—Pedro and Georgia and Martin—about how to involve Juniper. But for now she decided to go with her gut, which was telling her to allow Juniper to come with her and Gem out to the training grounds at least this once. It would give her a chance to see how the kid did out there. They could try some obedience work … nothing big. For all she knew, Juniper would get bored or decide she needed to make some movie-industry calls on behalf of her cats before lunchtime arrived, in which case that would be that.

  “Okay, you can come out with me and Gem to the training grounds,” Roxanne agreed.

  Juniper lunged forward and threw her arms around Roxanne. “Oh, thank you, thank you, THANK you!”

  Morgan shook her head lightly in surprise. Of all the people on the ranch, Roxanne was the least likely to be manipulated by Juniper. Forrest looked like he’d swallowed a bee, but held his tongue.

  Roxanne pulled a lead off a hook on the wall, and the threesome departed, leaving Morgan and Forrest to gape and grumble.

  When they arrived at the training grounds, Roxanne asked Gem to sit before turning to Juniper. “Okay, I’m going to do some basic obedience stuff, and I’d like you to stand over by the grass and watch. Sound okay?”

  Juniper nodded. She was disappointed and walked slowly (for Juniper) to the edge of the official training area. Roxanne already had Gem in a sit, which she had demonstrated at the shelter, so they quickly moved on to the next command: stay.

  “Stay,” Roxanne said in her command voice—clear and firm. Then she started to walk.

  Gem wagged and wagged as Roxanne moved farther away. Her hindquarters wiggled a little on the ground, and her eyes stayed fixed on Roxanne. Juniper stifled a giggle as she watched. Despite her little wriggles, Gem stayed put until she was called, and even managed, by the sixth try, to actually hold still.

  “Good stay,” Roxanne called. “Come!” Gem rose to her feet and scampered over to the trainer, receiving her treat and, eventually, a good tug game with the dingy but beloved toy Edna had given them before they left the shelter. Roxanne repeated the three skills more than she usually did. It was a trick she used sometimes to determine how easily a dog got bored. Today, though, she was assessing Juniper.

  Juniper was focused. She watched the session in silence, making mental notes the whole time. She’d seen dog training before, of course … Her family owned a dog-training ranch! She couldn’t miss it if she’d wanted to. She’d even tried to glean training tips from Roxanne in the hopes of using them on her beloved kitties. But somehow this felt different. It felt more important. More exciting. And a lot more fun.

  Gem was definitely having a good time. Training was like a big game. It didn’t take her long to understand what the tall, freckled lady wanted her to do—or to learn that when she did the right thing, she got to eat a treat and play tug! She was so busy having fun she almost didn’t notice that the ranch was covered in dirt she could dig.

  Almost.

  “I’m starved,” Juniper said as she and Morgan headed toward their house. The colder fall weather made her extra hungry. “I hope dinner is something good!” She pushed open the back door and the smell of baking lasagna—her mother’s specialty—hit her nose. If she were a dog she would have drooled. She took off her sneakers and was about to shout out that they were home when something made her clamp her mouth closed instead. There was a conversation going on in the dining room … one that sounded grown-up and serious.

  Putting a finger to her lips and opening her eyes wide to make sure Morgan got the message, Juniper stepped into the kitchen in her stocking feet and made her way on tiptoes to the far wall. Morgan followed silently, and they stood together near the door to the dining room, eavesdropping.

  “She did remarkably well, really. Much better than I expected,” Roxanne said. The adults around the table all chuckled, and
the spying girls listened carefully to try and figure out who was in the next room. Roxanne … their parents … maybe Pedro …

  “It makes sense on many levels.” Their dad’s voice was unmistakable. “She has a determined spirit. It wouldn’t be like her to do things halfway.”

  “I am honestly surprised by her focus. It’s not like she’s experienced a lot of training,” Roxanne responded.

  Juniper heard a tapping noise—drumming her finger was something her mom did when she was thinking. Then she heard her mom’s voice. “It is an unexpected twist,” she said. “And there will have to be some adjustments—we hadn’t planned on starting any new training right now. But my gut says we should go with it.”

  “Okay, so are we saying we will get started training, with Morgan helping out?” Martin asked.

  On the other side of the wall, Juniper’s face fell. Her mouth dropped open in dismay. Hadn’t she made clear to Roxanne that she wanted to help train Gem?

  “I think so,” Roxanne said. “Morgan is the right choice to offer guidance and assistance. She’s very knowledgeable and patient. Maybe she can translate some of that to the, uh, new recruit.”

  Juniper couldn’t believe what she was hearing. It was so unfair! Her sister always got to participate in training! It took just a few seconds for her sadness to turn to anger. Her gaping mouth slammed shut, and she set her jaw. Gem was her dog! She’d found her! She’d helped bring her to the ranch. Before she knew what was happening, she barged into the dining room, hands on her hips and ready for battle.

  “It’s always Morgan!” she shouted. “Morgan the dog queen! Gem is my dog! I found her, and I want to help train her!”

  Georgia sat back in her chair, directing a look of dismay at her youngest. “Would you like to take a seat and join the conversation, Juniper?” she asked pointedly. “After a couple of deep breaths, perhaps?” She crossed her arms to clarify that she was not merely making a suggestion. This was an order.

  Juniper took a breath in, let it out in a noisy huff, and slid into a seat at the table. She hated deep breaths and also hated that they actually worked. Parents knew too much … especially hers.

  Martin smiled across the table at his firecracker daughter, then turned toward the door she’d just come through. “Anyone else in the kitchen?” he called.

  Morgan’s flowered sock appeared around the corner, followed slowly by the rest of her. She glanced at the adults apologetically and crept in to take her own seat at the table.

  Georgia hid her knowing smile and cleared her throat lightly. “Perfect, you’re both here. I’m not sure how long you ladies were”—she cleared her throat again—“listening, but we’ve decided that you, Juniper, have demonstrated both the necessary interest and the determination needed to work with Gem.”

  Juniper’s head shot up, and she did an excited butt wiggle in her chair. “Really?” she asked, swallowing the mad that had gotten stuck in her throat.

  Roxanne nodded. “We’d like you to be Gem’s training assistant.”

  Juniper wriggled some more. “Really? Really?! But you said …”

  “Yes, really.” Roxanne turned to Morgan. “But since you are still very young we were thinking that Morgan could work alongside you. If she’s willing?” Roxanne looked at the older girl. “As a sort of training coach?”

  Morgan hesitated. She was relieved to be included and also a little nervous. She was an avid dog person and read a ton about dogs and training, but had always been the student … never the teacher. She glanced over at Juniper, who was squirming like the warty toads Forrest used to catch. Juniper—who usually dismissed dogs to the same degree that Morgan adored them—was the last person she expected to have as a dog-training student! Still, it was an interesting opportunity, and any time with the dogs was time well spent.

  “Of course,” she finally replied, smiling and trying not to show her nervousness. The table grew quiet with anticipation. It had been decided, but everyone was thinking the same thing. No matter how it all turned out, it was going to be an adventure for all of them!

  Juniper hopped out of bed on Friday morning more quickly than she had since Gem arrived. It was a school day, and she had a lot to do before she caught the bus!

  “Reow!” Twig complained. He still didn’t appreciate being shoved off the bed at five thirty in the morning … not one bit. Luckily, Bud was a little more accepting, and neither was upset enough to scratch about it. Bud landed on the floor with a soft thump and proceeded with his brief grooming routine while Juniper got dressed. Juniper felt the usual twinge of kitty-abandoning guilt as she hurried down the stairs, but thinking about her time with Gem quickly eclipsed any negative feelings.

  “Morning!” she chirped to her mom, who was already at the stove stirring a pot of oatmeal. She fed the kitties, splitting an entire can of cat food between them on top of their kibble. Once the bowls had been placed on the floor, she started for the door. Georgia held her back with four words … one of them in her second language, German.

  “Breakfast, Schatz. Before Gem.”

  Juniper was tempted to argue but knew better. Her mama didn’t sway easily, and when she spoke German she was usually serious, even when she was calling her “Sweetheart.” Juniper climbed onto a stool at the counter and added brown sugar, milk, and raisins to her oatmeal. The warm cereal was gone in three minutes, and so was Juniper. “Bye!” she shouted over her shoulder. She was in such a hurry she didn’t even notice that Bud was following her.

  Gem smelled Juniper before the door to the canine pavilion even opened, and happily thumped her tail on her bed. Juniper reminded the pup of Lexa, her first girl, the one who used to let her sneak onto the big bed at night … even though it was against the rules. But this new girl was different. Juniper didn’t sneak Gem into bed, so that was one difference. Another was their smell. Lexa had smelled like hand lotion and strawberry lip gloss. Gem preferred Juniper’s smell: gummy bears and cat. She also liked that Juniper came to see her every day, even early in the mornings when she had school. She snuggled with Gem on Gem’s bed. And Juniper read her stories.

  Gem sniffed the air as her tail continued thumping. The scent of cat was stronger than ever today! It didn’t take long to figure out why … a fluffy gray kitty was trotting right behind Juniper, trying to keep up.

  “Good morning, my love!” Juniper singsonged as she stopped in front of her kennel. Gem looked at Juniper and then down at the cat by her feet. Following the dog’s gaze, Juniper saw—and then felt—Bud weaving around her ankles. Her hand went to her mouth with embarrassment. She bent to scoop the cat into her arms. “I guess you were bound to find out about my dog love sometime, Buddy-boy!”

  Juniper carried the cat into the kennel and set him down. “Bud, meet Gem. Gem, this is Bud.” Gem thumped and thumped as she sniffed Bud’s fuzzy gray ear. Bud pretended to be indifferent, then raised his tail and turned his backside toward the dog’s curious nose.

  “Are you ready for this morning’s story?” Juniper settled herself onto Gem’s bed, and though Bud didn’t join them, he did sit against the kennel wall and listen to Harry the Dirty Dog—Juniper always chose the stories from a stack of old favorite picture books. She hadn’t heard this one in years! They were on the last page when the door swung open and Morgan and Forrest came in for chores.

  Gem rose and stretched, ready for breakfast and fresh water. Bud skittered out of the kennel while Juniper went to fill Gem’s bowl with kibble. She was topping it off with a third scoop when Forrest looked her way.

  “Hey, that’s too much!” He pointed at the whiteboard. “Gem is supposed to get two scoops. The bowl should only be half-full. If you’re going to do our job, you’d better do it right!”

  Morgan saw Juniper’s shoulders tense in frustration. “I know it’s tempting to give extra food, but we need to keep the dogs in top working condition,” she added gently, shooting Forrest a “be nice” look. “It’s not really a treat, because it makes it harder for t
hem to train and be their best.”

  “These dogs are fit!” Forrest chided. “Not like your overstuffed cats.”

  Juniper scowled as she scooped some of the kibble back out of the bowl. “Fine, but my cats are plenty fit!” She stuck her tongue out at Forrest and gave the remeasured bowl of food to Gem, comforting herself with how happy the pup seemed as she crunched her kibble. Forrest could say whatever he wanted. He wasn’t the one who got to help train Gem. She was.

  Pedro hit send on the email he’d finished, closed his laptop, and looked out the window of his trailer. Even in November, when the grassy hills were brown and the live oaks and evergreens were wearing their muted fall colors, the ranch was a beautiful place. From his perch on the hill at the back of the multi-acre property Pedro could see almost all of it—the cluster of buildings, the wide training grounds, the reconstructed “disaster areas”—and it was one of his favorite sights. He took a last swig of sweetened coffee and grabbed his work jacket from the hook by the door. He was a little late to meet Roxanne. They were getting together so he could observe the new dog, Gem, a pup who had the whole ranch talking. If she was as smart as everyone said, it wouldn’t be long before he’d need to get her the perfect handler and SAR partner.

  Though Pedro’s role on the ranch was to train the humans who worked with the dogs, one of the biggest parts of the job, in his mind, was matchmaking. Pedro liked to create ideal dog-and-human duos. Although he ultimately had no say about whether a dog hit it off with the people he found or trained, he liked to think he had a sixth sense about these things and hated leaving either partner hanging. But every dog and every person had specific skills and quirks that made putting them together like locking in the right pieces of a puzzle.

  This morning he’d been corresponding with a woman who wasn’t going to require much in the way of training. Laurel Leon had been a SAR dog handler before, and according to her email, she was ready to be one again. She was a ranger and emergency medical technician who worked for the state parks near Carpinteria, California, on the coast. She was also a former lifeguard, and from the sound of it, she moved from land to water as easily as a Labrador retriever!