24 The Dixie Duke
Dash/Beau
Dash
For the first time in more years than I could remember, I returned to my dark, lonely home before six o’clock in the evening. If I’d made this more of a habit, my love would be here to greet me. As I entered, I switched on the overhead lights and headed straight for the bar to pour myself a vodka tonic with a healthy dose of lime. In the long to-do list I’d made for myself, I needed to work on my alcohol consumption, but that was further down the list. I needed the liquid courage to help get me through the next few weeks.
Glass in hand, I went for the wall intercom system and pushed the button to begin playing the music I craved all over the house, picking up where I left off last night. I was working my way through the Aretha Franklin era. The depth of the lyrics along with the scale of the music had so much more feeling that engaged the senses. Especially from where I found myself today.
I took a hearty gulp of the drink and sat in the seat I’d moved closer to the framed pictures of Beau. The task list I made last night sat on the nearby end table where I left it, pen on top. I picked it up and quickly marked through the first goal of putting in my resignation at the firm. I took a larger drink this time, reliving the afternoon chewing-my-ass-out session that Lon had been intent on giving me. The next few items on the list were going to be challenging but none more difficult than quitting my dream job.
Item number two was to call Carter and catch him up on my changes. He’d sold Beau and I this penthouse. Although Beau had always been reluctant about this place, I’d never been short-sighted. The property was deeded in my name with Beau entitled to half. With the housing market on fire, I could likely sell the place quickly. My half would fund a start-up law firm in Sea Springs as soon as I could get there.
I stuck my finger in the knot of my tie and reached for my phone in the breast pocket of my suit jacket. Carter’s contact information was drilled into my brain, so I dialed the number I knew by heart. Carter had become a father figure to me. We had developed a close bond, and I found I craved his support more than ever.
“Carter,” he said, the king of the fourth-ring answer. Kailey’s giggle had me grinning. She had such an infectious laugh. Linda had to be nearby. They made a dynamic duo, having used their differences to create an even healthier twosome.
“Do you have a minute?” I asked.
“Only a minute. It’s family time. What’s up?” he asked.
I weighed the decision of talking to him with Linda in earshot, but the silence and loneliness of my house were getting the best of me. “I’m planning to sell the penthouse. I’ve contacted a couple of realtors but wanted to talk to you and get your approval first.”
“Why’re you selling?” he asked. I heard movement and Kailey’s voice fading.
“Have you heard from Beau?” I asked. Beau and Linda were quite close.
“Not since his visit,” Carter said, his tone edging toward concerned. “What’s going on?” Well hell, what did I say now? When I took too long to answer, Carter pushed. “What’s going on, Dash?”
Backed into the corner I’d put myself in, I let go of a pent-up sigh and stared at the picture of Beau’s rugged body scaling the side of the mountain. “Beau and I are on a break.” The confession tasted like acid on my tongue. “We’ve broken up.”
“I sensed something was really off between you two, but I couldn’t get Beau to talk to me.” Wherever Carter had gone, he returned to Linda and Kailey, because he asked someone other than me, “Have you talked to Beau?”
“No,” Linda answered, concerned. “Why?”
“He and Dash are on a break.”
“What?” she asked, moving closer to the phone. “What happened?” I heard the panicked pitch in her voice, knowing I’d put it there. Damn.
“I’m putting you on speaker, Dash,” Carter said. “Tell us what’s happened.”
What did I actually say? How much did I expose? “I’m not a hundred percent certain what happened. No, that’s not right. It was all on me. But Beau arrived home from his vacation earlier than I realized. I’d been drinking all day. It gets fuzzy after that, but I came home to a note that he’d chosen to leave me. I tracked him to Sea Springs—”
Linda cut me off. “Sea Springs?” she asked, confusion in her tone. “Why?”
“I was just as surprised as you. I went to bring him back home, but he refused. He’s on the other side of town from the resort and your parents’ old place. But, I don’t understand why he chose Sea Springs either.” I took a longer drink of the vodka, needing something strong to finish this conversation. Rehashing the bad decisions that caused me such severe pain was hard to do.
“You went to bring him home and he didn’t go with you?” she asked.
“Yes.” The heavy weight of my heartache was stated in a single word.
“I’m going to call him,” she said.
“She’s gone. What’s your plan?” Carter asked.
“That’s why I’m reaching out. I resigned today and plan to put both my homes on the market unless you want this property back. Beau has sound reasons for leaving. He’s not wrong. Ultimately, he’s unhappy living in Chicago and even less happy with who I’ve become. Both are fair points. He needs a year on his own. So I’ll take this time to relocate and do my best to win him back.”
“Huh,” he said. “That’s unfortunate, Dash. I’m sorry.”
“Me too. What do you want to happen with this place?”
“It’s yours now. I handed it over to you two,” Carter said.
Good. Finally something was going my way.
“Beau’s unhappy here. I’d like to put it up for sale so he knows how serious I am about winning him back. The money will be split down the middle,” I explained.
“We have time to sort out the specifics, but do what you think’s best. Will my account with the firm go with you? We added that requirement to the contract, correct?” he asked.
“Yes.” More relief assailed me. While our contract did stipulate his account would go with me, actually knowing Carter would stay in my corner made life suddenly more bearable. “Please don’t hesitate to say that you’d like to stay with the firm. I can take it.” Except I lied. I couldn’t take it, not at all.
“No,” Carter said with a small chuckle. “I’ve only signed with your firm for you.”
“Good. I’ll work hard for you. One last thing. I planted some erroneous information on the properties you’ve bid on. Richmond’s responsible for the breech of the data,” I explained. That looked like the only right decision I’d made in a long time.
“We encountered your father at the conference. Linda talked you and Beau up to everyone. She has such a talent at getting under their skin. It was a great moment for us both.” The smallest of smiles curled at the corner of my lips while I tried to visualize my father’s anger at hearing good things about me. I was surprised he hadn’t had a heart attack right on the spot. “I then clutched his shoulder and told him that you were like a son to me.”
All right, that was funny. “How did he respond?”
“Well, the best way to describe the interaction would be to say that he’ll be avoiding me in the future, I’m sure,” Carter said, clearly proud of himself. “A flush crept up his neck. He doesn’t appear to be a healthy guy.”
“Very good. Thank you for sharing. I wish Beau was here. He’d love to hear all the details,” I said. Sadness crashed over me again, back in full force. “Listen, I’m going to go. I’ll keep you updated. If you remember any other details about my father, call me. When I transition your account out of the firm, I’ll make contact.”
“Dash, take care of yourself. You and Beau showed me what love looks like. You’re the reason I have a family today,” Carter said, his tone reassuring.
“Thanks, Carter. I’ll reach out soon.” I disconnected the call to place another to Beau. He still wasn’t answering, but that didn’t seem to matter to me. I had a routine of calling my love every morning and then again in the evening. I texted him throughout the day. Of course, he didn’t respond, but I just couldn’t let it go. Yes, we were different people, we always had been, but that was our strength. Beau just needed to remember.
Beau
The sorrow reflected in all the dogs’ eyes tore me up. If I had my way, I’d take them all out of this no-kill shelter and find new homes for them to live out their days happily. I walked the aisle lined with cages, keeping my focus on a German shepherd mix.
“Here they are,” an attendant said, entering the room a few moments after me. I noticed a top cage behind the door that I’d missed when I’d walked in. Four pint-size puppies were inside.
“What happened to bring them here?” I asked. The best I could tell, they looked very much like purebred shepherds.
“Their mom had to move across country with her owners,” she explained. “They’re new here. Six weeks old and have had their shots.”
I stood in front of the cage, peering inside. Two of the little ones caught my attention. They roughhoused together, jumping and rolling around each other. They were cute. I hadn’t considered adopting two, but they seemed to fit really well together.
“These two,” I said, pointing to the playful duo. “What’s it like to raise two German shepherds?”
“They’re generally intelligent dogs. They’re playful, loyal, and full of energy. With proper training, they can be great companions. I think taking two will help with separation anxiety. The number one downfall of German shepherds is the shedding. It’s a daily battle to keep up with the hair.”
Hmm. Given the smallish townhouse I’d just rented across the street from the ocean, I didn’t imagine it’d be too much trouble to sweep up the hair.
A wave of melancholy rolled over my heart. If Dash were here, he’d have researched all the facts about all dogs, knowing the advantages and disadvantages of each breed. But I needed something to occupy my mind and fill my time. Without giving it much more thought, I pointed again to the two puppies that had caught my attention. “How about those two?”
“They’re cute. Always rambunctious,” she said, not too concerned to open the cage to reach in for their collars, then verified the information on the clipboard in hand. “One’s a male, the other’s a female. They’ve been given the name Dixie and Duke, but you can change them if you want. Of course, you can, they’d be your animals.”
Her questioning gaze lifted to mine.
“Is it a problem to have a boy and a girl?” I asked.
“No, it’s actually better for the family dynamic.”
Okay. My head swiveled back to the pups. I got momentarily lost in the coincidence of all the D names in my life. Suddenly, the one on top, lifted its head and stared at me intently. My heart connected in a big way. The other, the one pinned down, followed the look from its upside down position. The three of us bonded in that moment. So I was doing this, and they’d keep their names.
“Can you help with training? I need to get them potty trained, then trained trained. If that makes sense.”
“Absolutely. We’ll provide you with several resources to look into. We have a potty-training pamphlet. It’s not difficult to train. Consistency’s the key,” she said, nodding in encouragement. I nodded too. Why? I didn’t know.
By the time we talked it all out and I paid the fees, and signed the paperwork, the puppies were brought to me. They were so stinking cute in their shared carrying case. Except, for the first time since entering this kennel, I became intimidated.
What did I know about taking care of anything? I didn’t even have a job yet, but I did have a fat bank account from ten years of working while barely spending a dime. I was still anxious as hell as I took the handle of the case and lifted it to stare at the two beings inside. Man, I was an emotional mess. Forget the intimidation. A burst of joy ran over me, and it was a beautiful feeling I hadn’t experienced in years.
“We’ll help you carry everything out,” she said, not waiting for my reply. She scooped up a small box she prepared, filling it with food and other essentials they said I’d need.
“Nah, I hadn’t gotten that far. I wasn’t completely sure I was adopting today,” I said, putting the puppies’ crate in the back seat, placing the box in beside them.
“All right, enjoy your pups. I packed instructions for neutering and spaying so you can educate yourself. They’ll need special care post-op,” she said as I got into the cab and started the engine. My phone connected to the truck and then simultaneously rang. I barely glanced at the caller’s name, feeling like it was one of Dash’s many calls a day, but this time, my mom’s name appeared on the screen.
“I have to take this,” I said, reaching for the armrest to shut the truck’s door. “We’ll see you next week.”
“Thank you,” she said, stepping away from the truck, lifting a hand to wave. I answered the call while shutting the door.
“What’s going on?” I asked. She rarely made contact outside of our regularly scheduled Sunday evening calls, choosing to text me throughout the week.
“Where are you? What happened, son?” Her voice mirrored the sadness I’ve been dealing with for weeks.
“So you know?” I asked and left the truck running in the parking lot of the kennel.
“Carter’s speaking to Dash right now,” she said. “I heard that you two are on a break. What’s going on, Beau? Where are you?”
“The what happened answer is that he and I grew apart. I’ve been battling with it for a while. The evening I got home from being with you guys, Dash wasn’t there, which was normal, but when he arrived, he was so drunk. Another guy jumped out of the car and took him back inside. I watched it all. Arms around each other, holding each other close. I took off that night, and that’s the whole story. He showed up here. If he wasn’t so damned cocky, I probably would’ve gone back with him, but I didn’t. We’re done.”
“Oh, Beau, I’m sorry. I knew things were off, but I didn’t understand how far it had gone,” she said. “Come here. We have plenty of room for you. It’ll give you time to build a plan.”
“I’m in Sea Springs. I rented a place close to the beach. It’s small but enough for me. I never felt comfortable living in those big homes. There’s a lot of space in them to feel lonely.” My new puppies gave a baby bark, drawing my attention to the rearview mirror. Both dogs were side by side, staring out the front of the cage. I lifted a finger to my lips, glancing back at them. “Shh.”
“What was that?” she asked.
“I adopted two puppies today. They’re in the back seat.” My mom fell silent for so long that I had to check if she was still on the call.
“You there?” I asked.
“Beau, sweetheart, you went to Sea Springs and adopted two dogs? Are you okay? Should you be making so many life-changing decisions right now?”
Her worry caused me to chuckle. “I’m on the opposite side of the city from where everything went down. I always liked coming here to see nana and paw. Sea Spring’s feels like my home. As for the dogs… I planned to adopt one, but his cellmate was funny and cute. They felt like a package deal. I don’t know how to care for a pet, but I’m gonna try.”
“What can I do to help you?” she asked.
“Nothing. I’m taking things day by day. I miss Dash, but I miss the old Dash, not the person he’s become.”
“I can’t believe he was with another guy. He never struck me as that type of person,” she said.
“I’m okay, Mom. Better now that I’m out of Chicago. I gotta get us back to the motel and read all the stuff the kennel sent home with me. Tomorrow I’m taking possession of the townhouse I rented. I gotta get furniture and stuff.” As I spoke, Dash’s name popped up on the screen. The man never gave me a break. Of course I let it go to voicemail.
“I’m sorry for what’s happened. I want the best for you,” she said.
“Tell Carter I have no issue with him working with Dash. I know they’re close. I don’t know if he’d even consider not working with him, but I don’t want to know about it,” I said.
“I’ll tell him. Beau, I love you. I’m so proud of the person you’ve become. Don’t discount Dash just yet. See if he makes the changes that put you two together again. Remember when times were good…” Her sad voice bothered me, but I wasn’t in a place to relieve her just yet.
“I’m okay, Mom. Trying to keep busy to distract myself. I’ll call you once I settle into my new place,” I said. “But I’m hanging up now. I gotta get on the road.”
“Bye, sweetheart. I’ll call you Sunday night.”
“Bye, Mom.” I hung up, pushing her worry away. It was tough to end any relationship, but mine and Dash’s love story was unique and genuine, taking us from childhood into adulthood. When the bond started to break, I should have left. I gave a quick glance over my shoulder, realizing that my energy was now focused on these two dogs. We were going to be just fine.