At the sound of his name, Harvey goes over to Mary Rose. She crouches down. “Can’t we?” she says in a high-pitched singsong voice. “Yes, we can.” Harvey stays still, enjoying the under-the-collar scratches Mary Rose does so well.
“Rough morning?” Austin asks.
Mary Rose sighs and stands up, back in work mode. “To say the least.” She turns to Maggie. “Would you mind going to Mrs. Fradette’s room? I was in there yesterday and she’s still got boxes all over.”
“Sure,” Maggie says, and hands Austin the leash. “He probably needs to go out.” Harvey bristles at his Maggie’s voice. She’s not scared, or sick; he’d smell those things on her, but something is wrong. So, despite the fact that Austin has his leash, when Maggie walks away, Harvey goes with her.
Maggie stops and shakes her head at him. “No, Harvey. You’re staying with Austin.”
Harvey blinks at her, not understanding. “I’m okay,” she says. Her voice is brighter than before. Harvey gives a quick yip. Are you sure?
Maggie rubs under his chin. When Austin calls him back, Harvey hesitates for a second, but then obeys.
Chapter 21
Harvey
Smells are organized in Harvey’s brain according to frequency. He has an infinite amount of room for them, which is what makes Westies like Harvey excellent ratters. As soon as he and Austin set foot and paw on the sidewalk in front of Brayside, he catches a few familiar scents. There is car exhaust and soggy leaves, and the odor of gritty concrete. But the air is laced with unfamiliar scents too that Harvey does his best to capture.
Austin is patient. He lets Harvey sniff for as long as he wants at lampposts and fire hydrants. The corners of buildings are also rife with odors, as are a few sticky spots on the cement. Whenever they pass someone, Harvey veers in their direction.Most times, Austin pulls him away before he can say hello.
At each corner, Austin makes Harvey wait until he is sure it is safe to cross. Harvey pokes his nose out, his eyes and ears alert. A new smell, something not cataloged in his brain, catches his attention at an alley entrance. Harvey is desperate to investigate and yanks hard on the leash. “No, Harvey,” Austin says.
But Harvey is insistent. He lurches forward, dragging Austin behind him.
“Whoa, Harvey!” Austin says, laughing. “What is it?”
Harvey is so intent on tracking down this new odor that he forgets there is anyone on the other end of the leash.
The alley is dark and narrow. Tall brick buildings block almost all the natural light. Dumpsters overflowing with bags sit on either side. Normally, the dumpster odors would be enough to distract Harvey, but not today. He is drawn to a different smell. His nose hovers just above the pavement. It zigs and zags following the scent.
But dark alleys aren’t known for their safety. Austin plants his feet. “Come on, Harvey. That’s far enough.” Harvey strains and whines. Just a little farther, he begs Austin.
Austin sighs and goes one more step and then he hears something. A whimper.
Chapter 22
Maggie
“Margaret!” Mrs. Fradette exclaims when she opens the door. “What a lovely surprise!”
The warm welcome pushes all thoughts of Maggie’s friends out of her head. She’s surprised how happy she is to be back helping Mrs. Fradette. Her suite, despite its unpacked boxes, feels safe and familiar.
Even though Mary Rose sent Maggie hoping she’d get some work done, Mrs. Fradette is in no rush. She brings Maggie over to the kitchen table where an array of photos is spread out. “I’m trying to choose my favorite,” Mrs. Fradette says. She’s got about twenty pictures of her car lined up in a row. Sometimes the car is parked on the street, and sometimes it’s in a driveway with a house behind it. There are a couple at the beach and one with mountains in the distance. Mrs. Fradette is in most of them and if Maggie knew more about fashion, she’d know that the beehive hairdo in one is from 1968 and the long denim skirt in another is from 1975.
“I like this one,” Maggie says. Mrs. Fradette is leaning against the car and looking off to the side. She’s got a patterned scarf tied around her head and is wearing huge sunglasses. “You look like a movie star.”
Mrs. Fradette beams at Maggie. “I like that one too. That would have been taken in 1963. I stole that look from Jackie Kennedy. People said I looked like her with my dark hair.”
“You’ve had your car for a long time,” Maggie says.
“Since 1958.”
Maggie does the math. “Sixty-two years!” she blurts. She’s never heard of anyone owning the same car for that long.
Mrs. Fradette nods. “It’s going to be hard to let her go.”
“You’re selling it?”
“My son thinks I should. I don’t drive her much anymore and now that I’m here…” Her voice drifts off. “I don’t really need it.”
As she talks, Maggie can hear the tug in Mrs. Fradette’s voice. “You shouldn’t sell it until you’re ready,” Maggie says. She doesn’t know if she’s allowed to offer advice like that to the old people, but she can’t help herself.
Mrs. Fradette raises her eyebrows at Maggie. “Thank you for saying that, Margaret. It’s nice to meet a young person with some sense.”
Maggie feels her cheeks warm at the compliment. She likes the grateful look Mrs. Fradette gives her, and the way the old lady’s lips turn up at the corners.
Chapter 23
Harvey
Harvey sticks his nose behind the pile of garbage bags.They’re full of rotten odors, and normally he’d love to rip them open and burrow his snout in all the stink, but at this moment, he barely notices them. There is something alive buried in the trash.
Austin helps, carefully lifting the bags up and away. He can hear a faint sound, almost drowned out by traffic from the street. Harvey pushes in with his nose until he finds a cardboard box. There! Inside is the source of the scent. Beside him, Austin gasps.
Harvey puts his paws on the edge of the box and peers in. Even though it isn’t moving, Harvey knows it is alive. But for how much longer? “Poor thing,” Austin whispers, crouching beside Harvey. Gently, Harvey nudges it with his nose. The puppy takes a breath.
Harvey’s excitement grows. He would like to yip, but something tells him no. A fragile thing like this needs something Harvey can’t give.
“We can’t leave it here,” Austin says, glancing up and down the alley. He drops Harvey’s leash and takes off his hoodie. Harvey watches as Austin moves slowly, picking up the pup and wrapping it. The wee thing is so small, only its tiny pink nose pokes out. Austin makes sure it can breathe and shows Harvey. Harvey presses his nose against the newborn and inhales. Under the filth of the alley, he can smell its newness. It’s quivering with hunger and fear. Harvey gives it a lick. You are safe now. This boy will care for you.
Austin bundles the puppy against him and picks up Harvey’s leash. “Let’s go, Harvey. We have to bring it back to Brayside.”
Harvey walks with quick, efficient steps. He’s not interested in sniffing fire hydrants or lampposts. Out of my way, people, he says with his trot and his tail. We have important business. New puppy here! No one gets in their way. In fact, with Austin following closely, they make it back to Brayside in record time.
As soon as Harvey is inside the sliding doors, Austin drops the leash. “Artie, look!” he says. “Look what Harvey found.” Austin kneels on the carpet and puts down the hoodie. Harvey stands beside him, watching. The tiny dog’s eyes are closed. A white strip stretches from a pink-nosed snout to the nape of its neck, and its legs are white too. Splotches of light brown surround both eyes and floppy ears, and there’s another brown spot on its side.
Artie comes around the front desk and bends down beside Austin. “Harvey found it?”
“In a box in the alley. Right beside a dumpster.”
Artie’s
mouth tightens. “Who would do that?”
Austin sits back on his heels. “What do we do? It’s so little. I can’t even tell if it’s a boy or a girl.”
Up until now, Harvey has stayed back, watching. But the pup is shivering. Instinctively, Harvey steps onto the sweatshirt and circles. Austin gasps. “Harvey! No! You’ll hurt it!”
Harvey ignores Austin. Carefully, he positions himself so the puppy’s body will be parallel to his and lies down. The puppy nestles closer, seeking Harvey’s warmth. This is how Maggie finds him a few minutes later when she comes out of the suite at the end of the hall.
Chapter 24
Maggie
At first, Maggie thinks something has happened to Harvey. Why is he lying down in the middle of the entrance with Austin and Artie crowded around him? Her heart jumps to her throat and she breaks into a run. As she gets closer, she sees he’s sitting like a Sphinx guarding an ancient Egyptian tomb. Her steps slow and she exhales with relief. “What’s going on?”
“Harvey found a puppy,” Austin says. And then Maggie sees it, tucked against Harvey’s side. It looks impossibly small.
“What do you mean? Where?”
“In an alley, a few blocks away. He smelled it, I guess. He dragged me in there and then started sniffing through the trash. It was in a box under a bag of garbage.”
Maggie leans in. “Is it okay?”
Austin nods. “I think so.”
“Awww,” Maggie coos. “How old do you think it is?”
“Can’t be more than a couple of days,” Artie says.
Maggie wilts at the thought of someone tossing out a newborn puppy like a piece of garbage. “What are you going to do? Is there a vet nearby?”
“They’ll tell you to take it to the Humane Society or a shelter,” Artie says.
As they talk, Harvey puts his head down and curls his body around the puppy. Maggie feels a rush of love for him and reaches out to stroke his back.
In the end, Artie makes some calls and the shelter a few blocks away agrees to take it. “I’ll go,” Austin says. He knows Artie can’t leave work and Maggie’s mom will be here any minute to pick her up.
“Do you know where it is?” Maggie asks.
Austin nods. It’s where I should have brought Harvey last year, he thinks, but doesn’t say. He looks at the puppy and wonders if he’ll be able to do it, just leave it there. But it’s so helpless and small; he has no idea how to care for it.
“My mom could drive you,” Maggie offers.
Austin shakes his head. Walking with the puppy cuddled against his chest will give him a few more minutes with it. “I wish I could keep it.” He sighs.
“Why can’t you?” Maggie asks, although she suspects what the answer will be.
“There’s no way my mom will let me.”
Maggie feels a twinge in her chest. If anyone deserves to have a dog, it is Austin. She can practically taste how hard giving up the puppy will be for him. “It’s really little,” Maggie says, trying to make him feel better. She can’t imagine what her mom would do if she came home with a stray newborn. Maggie runs a finger along the puppy’s snout. The pink nose wiggles and it looks like the puppy is trying to open its eyes but doesn’t have the energy.
Outside, Maggie sees her mom pull up to the curb. She sighs and wishes she didn’t have to go. “Come on, Harvey.” Maggie stands up, expecting Harvey to do the same, but he stays where he is. “Har-vey,” Maggie says. “We have to go.”
Harvey doesn’t budge.
Maggie knows how he feels; she doesn’t want to leave the puppy either. She and Austin exchange a look. Austin reaches down and gently scoops up the puppy. It fits comfortably in his hand and when he holds it against his chest, he can feel its heart beating. Little claws poke out of pink paws, the pads still velvety soft.
Finally, with the puppy safe in Austin’s arms, Harvey stands up. “Are you sure you don’t want a ride to the shelter?” Maggie asks.
“I think I’ll just spend a bit more time with it,” Austin says looking down at her. “Make sure it’s okay.”
Artie shakes his head. He’s got the Animal Shelter website open on his phone. “Says here newborns should be brought in right away.”
Austin’s face falls.
Maggie knows how easy it is to fall in love with a puppy. She felt the same the moment she laid eyes on Harvey. The difference was, she knew she was bringing Harvey to his forever home and not leaving him in a shelter.
Chapter 25
Austin
The shelter is just like I remember it from last year when I tried to bring Harvey. There’s a lot of excited barking as soon as I walk in. Dogs in small rooms sleep pressed against the walls. Some of the smaller ones are in cages. They all have food and water and I know the shelter is doing the best it can to look after them, but I still want to get out of there as fast as I can and take the puppy with me. It’s just too sad to know all those abandoned dogs need a home.
A woman with a name tag that reads joanne takes the puppy away and disappears to the back with it. When she comes back, she asks me where and when I found her. I explain how Harvey sniffed it out in the alley a few blocks away. “Is Harvey your dog?” she asks.
I shake my head. “I was just walking him.”
“He’s a hero,” she says with a smile. “And so are you for bringing this little one in. We’ll make sure she’s fed and cleaned, and a vet will take a look at her.”
“Her?” I ask. “It’s a girl?”
Joanne nods. “If she makes it, she’ll be ready for adoption in about six weeks.”
If?
“We’re always looking for good families to adopt or foster our animals. Take a brochure,” she says, handing me one from a stack on the counter. I want to tell her I’d adopt every dog in there if I could. If my mom would let me. If we had more money. If we had a bigger apartment. That’s a lot of ifs.
I say goodbye to Joanne and leave the shelter, but now instead of a one-pound puppy, I’m walking away with a hundred pounds of guilt. I assumed Mom would say no to the puppy, but what if I was wrong? What if she saw the puppy and had a change of heart?
Losing Harvey, who was never mine to begin with, was hard. But finding a puppy all alone like that? What if she’s my second chance?
Chapter 26
Harvey
That night Harvey jumps onto Maggie’s bed. He circles until he finds just the right spot in the crook of her knees. He catches a whiff of the puppy’s scent on himself. He gives a loud sigh. “Oh, Harvs,” Maggie says, and scoops him up. She wraps one arm around his body and pulls him close to her. With his Maggie’s breath warm against the top of his head, and her hand on his belly, Harvey drifts to sleep.
The scent of the puppy is cataloged in his memory. It will get buried deep under other smells, though, because Harvey has no reason to pull it up. After all, he will most likely never see the puppy again.
Chapter 27
Maggie
When Maggie wakes up on Monday morning, her first thought is the puppy Austin found. She thinks about her as she gets her breakfast and as she checks the St. Ambrose online calendar. With a groan, she sees there is a Student Leadership meeting after school today. Maggie signed up for Student Leadership but isn’t really interested in it; she only signed up because Lexi had wanted to. After everything that’s happened recently with Lexi and Brianne, the thought of spending time with her friends after school turns her stomach into a pretzel.
The problem is Mrs. Weston, who runs the Student Leadership Committee. She was overjoyed that three girls in her homeroom had signed up. Maggie knows that if she bails without a good reason, Mrs. Weston will convince her it’s too early in the school year to quit and will drag her back.
Maggie stares at the cereal box, thinking. If she had a good reason not to go to Student Leadership, Mrs
. Weston wouldn’t push the issue. It occurs to Maggie that squeezing in more volunteer hours at Brayside might be the answer. There’s no reason her visits need to be limited to weekends. Brayside is close enough to St. Ambrose that she could easily walk there after school. “Mom, can I go to Brayside today? I’ll walk over and Dad can pick me up on his way home from work.”
Maggie’s mom is in the middle of packing lunches for the twins. The two girls are eating Cheerios in front of the TV and Harvey is sitting beside them hoping for handouts. Her mom shrugs. “Fine with me. I won’t be able to drop Harvey off though.”
“I know. He’s not as integral to the volunteer hours as I thought he’d be. I’m mainly helping Mrs. Fradette unpack.” Or trying to, Maggie thinks with a grin.
Maggie’s mom turns at Maggie’s use of the word integral. Between her daughter’s desire to volunteer and her growing vocabulary, she thinks the St. Ambrose tuition is already proving its worth.
Maggie goes to brush her teeth, relieved that she got out of a committee she didn’t want to be on in the first place and surprisingly happy to be going back to Brayside. Old people, at least the ones at Brayside, aren’t what she expected.
* * *
When her dad drops her off at school, Maggie steels herself for the walk into the building. Usually, Lexi and Brianne wait at their lockers for her to arrive so they can walk into class together. Maggie prepares herself for the possibility that today they won’t be there.
It is a huge relief when she turns the corner and sees the girls leaning against their lockers like usual. The three of them have the normal conversation about how much homework they had and how long they studied for the upcoming math test. The knot in Maggie’s stomach loosens. Maybe she was making something out of nothing. It was just a movie, after all.
Harvey Holds His Own Page 5
