by A. C. Wilson
“Oh. I didn’t realize you were bringing someone with you.” Andy tried her best to hide her confusion, but she wasn’t very good at it. He could read her well, even though they had only seen each other a handful of times. “That’s wonderful, of course. Harper will be happy to meet your friend.”
“Well, I’m sure she will be. My guest wasn’t planned. I found him outside the hotel tonight.” He caught himself looking for the pup again. Nails sounded on the bathroom tile where he had left the door open and the light on. A cup of water was sitting on the floor.
“You know you really shouldn’t pick up hitchhikers. It isn’t safe, Lance.” She barely took a breath as she continued. “I’ve heard of so many horror stories. Some of them are dangerous and rob people.”
“This particular hitchhiker didn’t really want to be picked up and he’s harmless. In fact, I may need to figure out how to take him out to the bathroom without losing him.”
“Lance Harper! You are such a story teller. Your niece has that in common with you.” Andy blasted, her voice rising in pitch and Lance couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Oh come on! You enjoyed that just a little bit.” He teased, spotting two dark eyes watching from the bathroom doorway at his outburst. He lowered his voice. “I found a puppy in a trash can.”
“How terrible! Is it alright?” Andy asked, instantly concerned for an animal she hadn’t met yet.
“Skinny. Timid. Seems to be afraid of loud noises, but otherwise he looks fine. I should probably take him to a vet to make sure.”
“Rayne can do that for you. If you’re bringing the dog with you, that is.” Lance could hear her talking to someone else in the background. “Matt says to tell you hello.” She added quickly.
“Rayne? As in your sister-in-law?”
“Exactly. She’s a gem and she’ll fix the dog up.”
“Well if I am going to bring this guy all the way there, he will need a bath. Would Harper like a puppy?” Lance slipped that in there and pulled the phone away from his ear as she screeched at him.
“No more critters. Your niece has plenty of living and non-living things here. You can keep the puppy and she can visit you.” Lance gave a mock salute, even though she couldn’t see him. Andy was a bit wired tonight. Maybe it had been a long day.
“Noted.” He grinned to himself. “Well I am going to tackle a scared puppy that smells like wet garbage. I will see you all tomorrow.”
“Call me if you need something before then. I’ve made sure your house is clean and ready for move in.”
“Wonderful. I will see you soon.” With that, Lance hung up the phone and sighed. His eyes slid back to the bathroom doorway where Chief had been. Surprisingly, the pup was still there. “Bath time, buddy.”
The next morning, Lance felt like his eyes had been rinsed with sand. They were scratchy and they burned with every blink. The pup hadn’t slept at all. High pitched whining had come from that small thing as soon as the lights went out. It was a miracle no one complained. Wracking his brain to end the whining or at least to curb it, Lance had left the television on. It was a mistake.
At three in the morning a police siren came wailing from the picture box and Lance had opened his eyes to watch a huge fire engulfing an apartment building. Firemen were rushing everywhere with hoses and other gear. The images alone sent him into fits and then his own horror had taken over so that his muscles grew rigid and his skin felt like it was melting to his body. A cold shower usually did the trick to snap him out of that moment, but this time, it didn’t have the desired effect. Sadly, he had paced the room and flopped on the bed until sheer exhaustion had knocked him out. From the look on the clock this morning, he had only been asleep for a couple of hours.
Groaning, Lance rolled over and wished he could go back to sleep. He was so tired. Still the little abandoned pup kept whining beside the door.
“Fine. I’m up.” He growled, easing to a sitting position at the edge of the bed and then gingerly getting to his feet. Lance picked up his discarded t-shirt from last night and slipped it on. The mass of interlocking scars at his side made him move more slowly. They were stiff and definitely angry looking. Brown eyes looked up at him from about ten inches off the floor.
“I know. I’m ok.” Lance flipped the bolt and unlocked the door so that Chief could go outside. Surprisingly, the pup didn’t try to run away and hide. He sniffed a couple of bushes, turned around in a circle and did his business. With expectant eyes, Chief wiggled his little behind as he stared up at Lance.
“Quick learner.” Lance tipped his head to the inside of the room. “Let’s go inside.” Chief hesitated, let out a deep breath and trotted back inside. Lance chuckled as he closed the door.
Lance took another shower, this time one that wasn’t out of the arctic. Dressing and packing in a leisurely manner, his stomach made its demands known. Chief barked once to punctuate the note.
“Hungry, huh?” Zipping his suitcase and taking another look around the room, Lance concluded that he was ready to hit the road. He would get to Hot Springs tonight if they didn’t have to stop too many times. With a puppy on board, he wasn’t sure how often that would be. “Let’s go get some grub.”
Unlocking his car door, Lance looked at the flag in the front seat. He felt unsure. Did he move it to the back to let the pup sit up front or did he relegate the pup to the back where he might whine the whole time? His eyes caught the dark, worried ones looking up at him. Taking a minute to get a grip on himself, Lance popped the trunk and stuck his suitcase back inside. When he moved around the car, the pup was gone from his spot. Doing a sweep of the immediate area, Lance found Chief curled up in the front seat next to the case with the flag. His chest ached and he sniffed quickly.
“Alright then.”
Lance moved his car to the front of the little restaurant he had visited last night for dinner. As it had been last night, the parking lot was nearly empty and so was the diner.
“I’ll be right back. Don’t tear anything up.” He warned Chief and closed the door. The pup didn’t move from his position on the seat. Entering into the diner, Lance walked up to the front counter to place his breakfast order. He figured he had better get it to go or he would be further behind than he already was.
“Good morning.” A middle aged man walked up, his front covered by a white apron. Lance figured he was the cook. “Order to go?”
“Yes, please.” Lance picked out his breakfast with an order of scrambled eggs and sausage for Chief. The pup was already growing on him!
“Alright. I’ll have it out in just a bit. Would you like some coffee while you wait?” The man asked, indicating an open seat at the counter.
“Can’t hurt.” Lance smothered a yawn. He looked around the front of the diner, but didn’t see the elderly woman from last night. “Hey, uh, when does Doris work? I’d like to leave her a tip for last night. She was so nice.”
The man placed a white mug in front of Lance and began to pour the steaming coffee. Blue eyes looked surprised at Lance’s question. “Doris?” The man appeared confused and Lance thought maybe he was new.
“Yes. The elderly woman with smiling blue eyes and rather intrusive advice. She brought my order last night and then sat with me while I ate. She was very fond of small towns.” Lance smiled, recalling the woman’s unsolicited advice.
The cook’s eyes misted and his voice was soft as he asked. “You saw her?”
“Last evening. She was right over there.” Lance indicated his booth. He was starting to feel like this quest had taken a weird turn. “Is something wrong?”
The man shook his head. “The woman’s name is actually Doreen, but when she first started working here, her boss couldn’t remember her name. So her name tag was printed with ‘Doris’ instead of Doreen. She wore it as a joke and then it stuck.” He wiped his eyes with a rag from his hip. Lance couldn’t look away although he felt cold chills running down his spine. “Doris has been gone for two years. You couldn’
t have seen her last night.”
“But I did. She was here working last night.” Lance lifted his hands up defensively. Why was this so strange?
“No, she wasn’t working.” Shaking his head, the man lifted his shoulders. “I’m not saying you are wrong, but it’s impossible, isn’t it?”
“I don’t understand. Why is it impossible?”
“She died two years ago. That makes it impossible, doesn’t it?” The man shrugged and went back behind the swinging door to check on the order. Lance felt like he had been slapped silly. He looked back over at the booth where he had sat last night, talking with Doris. Their conversation replayed in his head. Is that how she had known so much? Was his trauma scrambling his brain? If so, how had he known her name? None of it made sense.
“Here’s your order.” Lance accepted the brown paper bag and paid for it. “For what it’s worth, she had a habit of being nosey, but she was rarely wrong.”
“Thank you.” Lance answered and walked out into the morning sunshine. He took a deep breath before getting back into his car to continue his drive. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around what had happened to him, so he figured it was best not to try. Some things happen for a reason. Perhaps this was one of those things.
CHAPTER THREE
Lance Harper could tell when he had turned south and entered Black Hills country. Long grass prairies stretched right up to rocky hills covered by sky scraping pine trees. The brilliant blue sky delicately touched the tips of the trees, resting like a butterfly on the edge of a flower. Every so often a fluffy ivory cloud would float across the horizon, only adding to the unique aesthetic. The landscape already held him in awe and he felt like he was already breathing easier. The worry and ache had been removed from his chest. He was just an observer looking for the next gem. A few buff and white antelope rested near the road, looking unperturbed by the traffic passing by them.
“What do you think, Chief? Will you like it here?” Lance scratched the ears of the pup, who was totally absorbed with looking out the side window. His little tail beat rapidly as if he were home. Lance wondered about the area. Maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to make this place his home. It certainly felt familiar on an emotional level. Chief growled at the horses piled up along a fence, stretching their long necks over to nibble on sweeter, greener grass.
“Breaking the rules, aren’t they?” Lance chuckled, focusing back on the road and taking in a green sign along the highway. As they neared it, he smiled.
Welcome to Hot Springs, South Dakota.
“Happy to be here.” Lance mused, taking the right turn onto the road that brought him into town. He wasn’t sure if he was to head out to Andy’s home or meet her at the rental he was to be moving into today. Pressing the button on his phone connected to his dash, Lance waited for the call to connect.
“Lance? Are you here?” He chuckled at her immediate questions. She never did beat around the bush, unless she was afraid of hurting someone’s feelings.
“Just pulled into town. What are the plans?”
Andy cheered into the phone. “I’m getting ready to start the grill. How about you come out here for dinner and then we will come help you settle in afterward?” Chief took the opportunity to bark, but he was looking out the window at a couple walking on the sidewalk. “Of course, your friend is welcome too.”
“Chief says hello. He would like some play time, I’m sure. We will be out your way soon.”
“The more the merrier.” Andy disconnected the call after that and Lance made the necessary turns to get to Andy and Matt’s home in the country.
Andy was a freelance photographer. Since moving to town, she had bought into the local art gallery and now co-owned it with a woman from North Carolina. Matt Johnson, Andy’s husband and Harper’s adopted father, owned an equine therapy center for wounded soldiers. Suffering from PTSD himself, Lance wondered if it might help to consider joining the center. He wasn’t a soldier though, so maybe he shouldn’t.
Finding the lengthy driveway, Lance slowed his car down as they bumped across some rough patches. He also made a mental note to look at an SUV or a pickup. It would take the wear and tear better than his tiny car. Chief even had to take a wider stance on the seat as he refused to miss anything outside of his window. The pup became his own welcoming party as he yipped and growled as they parked in front of the green yard. Lance looked at the house and the white picket fence around it. It was every girl’s fantasy and Matt had made that come true for his girls. They had recently added one more to their family and Lance was excited to meet little Regan.
“Shush, boy! You behave.” Lance opened the door to let Chief scramble out. As soon as his paws touched the dirt, he froze in an awkward stance. Lance had to step around the pup in order to get his car door closed.
“Don’t worry. Peanut and Bubble Gum are inside their kennel. Chief can run around and get a feel for things.” Matt’s voice came to Lance before he could see Andy’s husband. Lance hoped that Peanut and Bubble Gum were dogs with odd names.
“That’s a relief.” Lance chuckled, extending his hand. Matt took it and looked down at the awkward ball of fur. “I’m not sure how he is going to react to anything. I found him in a trash can at the hotel I stayed in last night.”
“He looks harmless enough. He can’t be more than a couple months old.” Matt squatted down to look at the pup more closely. Chief’s eyes widened as he stared at Matt, wondering if this was a good human or like the one that tossed him aside. “I’m thinking he was only just ready to ween from his mother. Does he eat?”
Lance shrugged. “He ate my breakfast burrito fine this morning.” The men chuckled as Chief began to drool a little at the mention of food. “He was great in the car.”
“Well let’s get him some food and we can take him in to see Rayne tomorrow morning. Harper is bouncing around the house. She can’t wait to see you.” Matt got up and led them into the yard. Lance took his chance to look around a bit more. There was a huge rose garden to the side with a swing set and slide. The porch sported a couple of rocking chairs and a suspended swing in the corner. It really was picture perfect.
“Uncle!” Harper’s bouncing body came barreling at him from the kitchen. Lance stooped to catch her up against him.
“How’s my baby girl?” Lance gave her a tight squeeze and a kiss on the cheek. Her blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
“I’m not a baby!” She chastised, her little lips pulling into a frown. “Regan is a baby.” That was her mother’s cue to bring Regan into the group.
Regan was nine months old and already it was evident that she would be a beauty. Short, downy blonde hair and wide sky blue eyes tracked him from her mother’s arms.
“Lance.” Andy smiled, “So glad you made it. Come meet your newest niece.” She held Regan out to him and he stiffly took the baby into his arms. He had missed this with Harper. He hadn’t been able to be around when she was really small.
“I’m not really…” Lance’s voice trailed off as his thoughts became hard to speak. His worries were eating him up. Matt took mercy on him.
“You are her family, just as you are Harper’s.” The men’s eyes met cementing an understanding between them. “Now, who is hungry? We have steak, burgers and hot dogs. I think Uncle Lance has a famished guest.” Matt winked as Harper began to dance around.
“You brought a friend?” The three-year-old was tickled pink at thought. Lance laughed and it startled poor Regan who started to whimper.
“You take Harper to see your friend and I’ll take Miss Regan back to the kitchen.” Andy smiled, taking her daughter from his arms and Harper instantly tugged on his hand.
Harper was all in raptures as the little pup licked her hands at hyper speed. She giggled and flopped down to the ground, which Chief loved immensely.
“Hello, puppy!” Harper giggled, closing her eyes as the pup licked her face. “What’s his name?” She asked her uncle, still unable to look away.
“Chief.” Lance supplied, unable to keep his heart from smiling as well as his lips. This little girl made his heart happy.
“Like an Indian?” Harper asked, making Lance shrug his shoulders. He hadn’t thought of it like that, but of course, Harper would think of Native American tribes. This was the country for it.
“Yes, I guess so. He is the leader.” Lance answered.
“Let’s play Follow the Leader, Chief.” Harper scrambled to her feet and together they ran off into the yard. He watched them as they ran around the rose garden, over the slide where Chief ran underneath it, and together they began rolling in the grass. Lance leaned up against the porch, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched the two fast friends.
“They make a good pair.” Andy observed from the front door. She walked closer when Lance nodded, smiling at her.
“You know what they say about puppies and children.”
“They go together like peanut butter and jelly?” She chuckled, her green eyes twinkling.
“You mean like peanut butter and bananas.” He laughed when she pulled a face. “Ok, so it’s not everyone’s favorite.”
“We are glad you’re here.” Andy offered after a couple of minutes watching Harper try to teach Chief to sit.
“I’m glad to be here too.” He answered, his chest feeling tight and heavy again. He wished he knew what to do with all the emotions roiling inside of him.
“Matt meant what he said. You are our girls’ uncle. You are family and nothing will change that.” Andy forced a smile, but he knew she was remembering Terrell too.
“I’m not sure where I belong anymore, Andy. It took the accident to remind me that I have nothing worth fighting to keep. My brother is gone and my parents might as well be. I’m alone.”
“You’re not alone, never alone. You will always have us and Harper will be piece of Terrell that will never be gone.” She sniffed and then took on a fierce mother stance with her hands crossed over her chest. “You have family here, whether you like it or not. You belong with us.” She dared him to defy her. He wasn’t about to try. It was the most passion he had provoked in one person in a very long time.
