Santa Puppy

by Lynn Cahoon

  “Of course. The guys love a little homemade now and then. A lot of these guys have either lost their spouse or never remarried after an early divorce.” He leaned into the tote and took out one of the bags of the Russian tea cakes. “I love these. My mom used to make them.”

  “Thank you for taking the cookies.” I glanced around and wondered if I should press my luck. “Can I ask you a question?”

  “Shoot.” He opened the bag and took a big whiff of the vanilla. “These may not make it back to the guys to share.”

  I smiled as he popped a whole cookie into his mouth. “I’ve been doing some research on someone who was a veteran. I wondered if he’d ever come in the center.”

  “You’re talking about Thomas, aren’t you?” When he saw the shock on my face, he laughed. “Don’t think I’m a mind reader or nothing. It’s just a small town. People talk, especially when one of us dies.”

  CHAPTER 7

  “Do you mind?” I nodded to a chair near the desk.

  He stood and moved it toward me. “Sorry, I should have offered you a seat. Anyway, what do you want to know about Thomas?”

  I waited for him to return to his own chair. I was looking farther into the past, but maybe talking to this guy who had known him recently would give me some clues. “How often did he come in here?”

  “When I first came on, about ten years ago—man, I can’t believe I’ve been here ten years.” He shook his head. “Anyway, he was here when I got here. He’d come in most days, scan the paper and make some calls. If he got a day job, he’d miss a few days, then he’d be back. The guy was driven, you know?”

  “Did you ever talk to him about his high school sweetheart?”

  He laughed and took another cookie. “Dude, that’s all Thomas wanted to talk about. It’s a sad story. He went into the army and her folks moved her away. He’s been, I mean, was, looking for Lizzie all his life. Anytime he’d have enough in his pocket for a train ticket, he’d ride up to Oregon and try to find her. Now that’s love.”

  “But lately?” When I saw the confused look, I repeated the man’s words. “You said when you first got here, that is what he was doing. What was his behavior the last few months?”

  “He’d only show up for meals, then take off. He always had that dog with him.” A sad smile creased his face. “He’d talk more to the dog than to anyone here. After a while, we just let him be.”

  This was not what I wanted to hear. Maybe I’d never find out what happened to Thomas and Lizzie. Some stories didn’t end with a bang; instead, they fizzled out. Emma was waiting in the car and I needed to go. I stood and reached into my bag. I scribbled on the back. “Thank you for your time. I’m Jill Gardner. I run the coffeehouse in South Cove. If you’re ever in town, stop by, give that to whoever is the barista and I’ll buy you a drink.”

  “That’s nice of you.” He pocketed the card. “I’m Ben Woodsmen. And I better get back to decorating the tree before Christmas comes and goes.”

  I turned toward his nod. A fresh tree sat in the corner, recently delivered. “Did that come from Beth at Lumberjack Phil’s Christmas Pines?”

  “She’s such a wonderful lady. She donates a tree every year. And she’s in here a lot to help cook, although the last few weeks she’s been too busy with the lot to spend much time here. I noticed you two talking on your way in. Did you buy a tree from her?”

  Nodding, I realized a connection was starting to form in my head. “Ben, did Thomas bond with anyone or did anyone show him any specific interest?”

  “Funny question, but now that I’m thinking about it, Beth was always asking if he’d been in to eat. She worries about some of our older guys since they sometimes think they can drink their calories from a bottle. She always made sure she touched base with Thomas on the days he came in.”

  “Hey Ben, where’s the box with the lights? We have to put those on first.” An older man was looking through a large cardboard box on a table near the tree.

  “Sorry, I have to go. It was nice talking to you, and thanks for the cookies.”

  As I left the building, I saw Emma watching for me. Her head was laying on the dashboard like she’d been waiting forever instead of the ten minutes I’d been in the center. The weather was still cool, but soon, it would be too hot to leave her in the car for even that long. We went through our routine as I let her out and gave her water. This time, she didn’t drink as much. My mind was on Thomas.

  When we got on the road, I called Amy using my car’s Bluetooth. When she answered, I asked for a favor. “Could you call your counterpart in Bakerstown and find out who is the owner on record for Lumberjack Phil’s Christmas Pines?”

  “Something wrong with your tree? I love the ones Greg bought for the station and the conference room. Something about pine screams Christmas.”

  “No. I just have a theory.” I turned into a local drive-in, Buster’s Burgers, and Emma leaned her head out of the window, catching all the smells. I needed to delay my exit from Bakerstown until I got the information. “Can you call me right back?”

  “Sure. Be back in a few.”

  Both Emma and I had finished our burgers by the time Amy called back. The dog was eyeing my fries, but she’d had an unfortunate stomach incident the last time I’d fed her fries and I didn’t need her messing up my carpet.

  “Sorry that took so long. Terri wasn’t in the office so I called her cell. She’s out Christmas shopping this afternoon, but she’ll call me first thing in the morning with the info. Will that work?”

  “It will have to.” I batted down Emma’s paw as she tried to move the fries closer to her seat. “Thanks for doing this. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Want to grab lunch?”

  I glanced at the clock; it was past one. “Sorry, Emma and I just got hamburgers. Should I go back through the drive-up and get you something?”

  “No. I have a salad in the fridge. I just wanted to get out of here for a while. The place is dead. The mayor and Tina took off for two weeks on a cruise of the Caribbean on Monday. So I’m almost caught up on filing. I guess I’ll have to read to pass the time.”

  “Nice work if you can get it,” I teased.

  “Hey, you shouldn’t talk. You read at the shop all the time.” We made plans for brunch on Sunday and hung up. I glanced over at Emma, who was still plotting a way to get the rest of the fries. Instead, I bagged them up with the trash and threw it in a trash can near the parking lot. Returning to the car, I could see the question in her eyes. Why did you throw away such yummy goodness?

  “It’s for your own good.” I started the engine and headed toward the coastal highway. By the time we got there, Emma had forgotten her disappointment and was hanging her head out the window to grab all the ocean smells.

  My investigation was at a dead end until tomorrow. So this afternoon, Emma and I would run the beach.

  * * * *

  Friday morning the shop was, if possible, even slower than it had been the prior day. I finished off all of Aunt Jackie’s party prep list, cleaned the entire front of the shop, and still had time to sit with a mocha and a new book before Sasha came in to replace me.

  Just before ten, Amy called. “Did you know, the owner of Lumberjack Phil’s Christmas Pines is not a guy named Phil. Funny how that happens.”

  “So who owns it?”

  “A woman named Elizabeth Ann Ries. She’s owned it from the beginning. And before you ask, she also owns a house near Big Rock Point off the highway between here and Bakerstown.” She read off the address and paused for me to write down the information. “Does this have to do with the secret of Baby’s collar?”

  “Yes. And before you say it, Greg already knows I’m investigating this. For once, I have his permission.”

  I glanced at the clock. I could call Sasha in early. But with Olivia to get ready and Sasha probably studying for s
ome class, I didn’t want to bother her. Toby was working for Greg this weekend. Aunt Jackie would ask too many questions. And Nick, our summer part-time barista, was on a two-week skiing vacation in Aspen.

  Briefly, I entertained the idea of closing until Sasha arrived, but then discarded that as well. I’d just have to wait until my relief showed up before heading out to see if my theory was right. So I went back to reading and ignored the what-ifs running through my brain.

  Just before noon, Ellen from the shelter called. “Just checking in to see if we need to do anything before tomorrow.”

  “I think we’re good. We’ll set up the dogs that get along in an open pen in the children’s section. Santa will be in the dining room. And we’ll have a table in front of the bookshelves for the cats.”

  “Sounds great. Is there a place we can walk the dogs? I know the party is only six hours, but we’ll have to rotate them in and out at least a few times.”

  “We’ve blocked off the back parking lot so it will be available for your use. You can use the back door for easy access.” We had tomorrow’s party planned to a tee. Thanks to my aunt and Sasha. They just let me know what’s going on and I sign the checks.

  “I made up a handout of the joys of adopting, especially senior pets, from the shelter. Hopefully some of our older guys will find homes.” She sighed. “Everyone wants puppies.”

  “I think we’ll find a lot of homes tomorrow. And we’ve already raised a lot of cash for your operating expenses. It’s going to be a great day.”

  Ellen didn’t quite share my enthusiasm, but she did seem happy about the money influx. It must be hard to keep a shelter financially solvent. I decided I’d write a check tomorrow from the Miss Emily fund. My friend had left me money when she died, and other than using some of it for a scholarship here and there, I’d been looking for a charity to support. I made a note on tomorrow’s schedule to bring in a check.

  “I can’t believe we’re still so slow. Do you think anyone’s coming to the party tomorrow?” Sasha arranged a few chairs as she strolled through the dining room.

  “I think everyone’s coming to the party tomorrow, which is probably why we’re so slow.” I packed my laptop and the book I’d been reading into my tote. “I hate to run out of here, but I need to talk to someone.”

  “Is this about the mystery of the homeless man and the money?” She slipped off her jacket and pulled back her curly hair into a loose ponytail at her neck. Then she slipped on her CBM apron and washed her hands.

  “Maybe. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, if it pans out. Otherwise, I got nothing.” I walked home, and after letting Emma out for a quick second, I grabbed my purse and notebook and jumped into my Jeep.

  My first stop was Lumberjack Phil’s Christmas Pines. When I finally found a young man who was working, I broke up their wood-chopping contest. “Where’s Beth?”

  “She called in today. I’m in charge. Can I help you?” He looked to be maybe eighteen and probably still in school.

  “No, that’s okay. But maybe you should hang out at the shed where customers can find you.” As I walked away I heard the mumblings that my suggestion had brought on. Not my circus, not my monkeys, I reminded myself.

  I drove to the other address Amy had given me. A small cottage sat just off the road. The yard was dormant for the season but she still had flowers blooming in pots near the door. You could see the ocean from the side of the house and I bet the back had a porch or a deck that had at least one chair aimed that way for watching the sun set.

  I knocked on the door. Beth opened it and peered out at me with red, swollen eyes. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can I come in? I need to ask you a few things.”

  Beth narrowed her eyes, then her shoulders drooped. “Why the hell not. Do you want coffee?”

  “That would be nice.” Although I’d probably drank more than my daily allotment at the shop while I was waiting for Sasha. I walked into the small, clean living room and saw a picture of a young black man standing behind a young Beth, holding her tightly and grinning into the camera. I heard her come back behind me.

  “You didn’t know Tommy was black, did you? Don’t worry, I can see it on your face.” She motioned to the chair by where she’d set the coffee down. “It’s kind of amazing; you’re investigating what happened to Thomas and you never even considered he wasn’t white.”

  “No one said anything. And, I guess, this is the first picture I’ve seen of him.” I sat down and sipped the coffee. “That’s why your parents were so upset. You are Lizzie, right?”

  “I am. And yeah, my folks were worried about what would happen. How hard it would be on both of us if we got married. It was a different time then. I’m not excusing them, but I can understand now.” She walked over and picked up the picture. “It was why he went into the service. To prove to them he was dependable and he’d take good care of me. I was just sixteen when he left, but he was the love of my life.”

  “So you didn’t know he lived here.” I didn’t want to confront her about his being homeless.

  “The first time I saw him after that was probably twenty years ago. I’d moved back, bought our dream house, and had started volunteering at the Vet Center. I was trying to find him. To see if he’d come home. I figured he was married and raising a passel of young ones by then.” She walked over and picked up the picture, carrying it back to the sofa and setting it on the coffee table. “So when I saw him, I was overcome with emotion. But he didn’t recognize me.”

  “Why?” I looked at the love pouring out of the picture and couldn’t understand what she was telling me. These two people were desperately in love.

  “I’m not sure. I heard from someone that he was injured in combat. Head trauma. I thought, maybe, if I kept showing up, he’d recognize me. But he just knew me as Beth, the nice woman who let him ramble about his Lizzie. Near the end, I don’t think he even knew me as Beth. All he cared about was that dog. And a sixteen-year-old girl he’d left behind and lost.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I sipped my coffee, thinking about how hard that must have been. “My, I mean, Greg King is looking for you. Thomas left you some money and an engagement ring. There’s a letter and a journal too. Maybe that might help.”

  “I could use the money. I wasn’t kidding when I said the trees don’t keep me in money for the year. But the ring isn’t mine. It’s for a girl who no longer exists. He made that perfectly clear every time we talked.” She leaned back on the couch and let her gaze focus on the ceiling. “Is it crazy that I’m jealous of her? Of the younger me? I held on to the idea of us for so long that when I realized it was never going to happen, it crushed me.”

  “His dog is at the shelter. Maybe you could take him in?” I’d like to get Baby settled before tomorrow’s party. Living here with Beth, they could help each other heal.

  “I know, and I can’t take that dog in. All it would do is bring back memories of a life we never got to live.” She looked around the cottage. “I’ve been living here for too long. This is our dream that never came to be. I need to find my own dreams.”

  “Well, if you change your mind, call me.” I left my card on the coffee table by my cup. “Baby’s really sweet.”

  She followed me to the door. “Thank you for coming by. I’ll give Mr. King a call this afternoon. But I won’t be adopting Baby.”

  I was depressed as I drove home, so I called Amy and related everything that had happened. “I can’t believe she’s not taking in the dog.”

  “I can’t believe he didn’t recognize her. You hear the stories about people finding each other all the time. After twenty years, they’ll be at the same shopping mall and run into each other. Love is supposed to work that way.” Amy sniffed into the phone.

  “Now I have you depressed too.” I focused on driving back to South Cove. “I guess his brain got rewired after the accid
ent. He knew he’d loved Lizzie. But Beth wasn’t Lizzie, not anymore. Anyway, I’ll see you in the morning. Let’s hope we get all the dogs and cats new homes. I need a mark in the win category this week.”

  When I got home, I grabbed a blanket, turned on the sappiest love story I could find, and cried into Emma’s fur.

  CHAPTER 8

  Early Saturday afternoon, the party was in full swing. Santa had a good-size line of kids waiting to talk to him. The dogs and cats were getting along without much barking or hissing. And Ellen was ecstatic, as she’d had five placements in the first hour. Greg came by and stood next to me. He kissed me on the cheek. He’d come over last night after Beth had called him and told him the story.

  “This is a good thing you’re doing here.” He nodded to Doc Ames, who was talking to Ellen while holding Rex, a large gray cat. Apparently, the prior family had named him after a dinosaur. When they moved, they couldn’t take the aging feline. Rex leaned into Doc Ames’s hand and I could swear I heard the purr all the way over where I stood.

  “I know. I’m just sad about Baby.” I squared my shoulders. “I tried to talk Aunt Jackie into taking him but she blew me off. I guess if he’s still up at the end of the party, he’s mine. Emma will just have to deal.”

  “I think she has room in her heart for another dog. Just don’t expect her to share her toys. She can be a little protective of them, even with me.” Greg nodded when Ellen waved him over. “It’s my turn to take a dog outside. I swear, I’m not this busy at work.”

  I smiled as he walked away, and felt a hand on my arm. I turned to greet the newcomer, but my smile faded as I recognized her. “Beth, what are you doing here?”

  “Thank you for coming by yesterday. I’m afraid I was having a small pity party.” She smiled and patted my cheek. “I’m here to do I should have done weeks ago. I’m claiming Thomas’s dog. At least we’ll have each other.”