Chapter 1 #2
Seth frowned and started to respond that Hollister wasn’t his permanent home and never would be, but she’d walked out of the room. He glanced down at Gomer. “Did you get the woo-woo vibe?” Gomer rolled over on his side and groaned. Seth nodded. “Yeah, me, too.”
After wrapping the leash around his leg, he leaned back in the chair and stroked Gomer’s fur, letting the act soothe away the worry that had been constant since he’d seen his father.
Alzheimer’s was a bitch of a disease. His father’s short-term memory was crap, and he was even more gruff and argumentative than the deputy who’d called his sister had led them to believe.
About thirty minutes later, Blessing was back. “Seth, this is Tyler Marconi, recently retired from the Army. He’ll be on a flight north to Montana.”
“If it ever leaves,” Tyler said as he extended his hand toward Seth, putting Gomer immediately on alert.
“It’s okay, bud,” Seth said reassuringly to his dog as he took Tyler’s hand and shook it.
“He’s wearing an MWD harness,” Tyler said, pointing out the obvious.
Seth chuckled. “Yep. He’s going to South Dakota with me. He’s retired, too.”
Tyler smiled briefly and glanced at his phone.
“I’ll let you two settle and be back shortly,” Blessing said before leaving with a smile.
“Montana home for you?” Seth asked as Tyler sat down on the couch. Gomer sat up and stared at Tyler.
“Yeah. Is it okay to pet him?” He nodded toward Gomer.
“Sure. His name is Gomer,” Seth said, watching the interaction between the two of them. Tyler extended his hand for Gomer to smell, which he did. Then Tyler stroked his head, and Gomer’s mouth opened, his tongue lolling out.
Tyler smiled. “He’s beautiful.”
“And getting up there in age. He has some hip issues, but we’ll get him on some preventive supplements and maybe some meds to keep him healthy and comfortable.” He was going to look up Tegan’s wife as soon as he could.
Tyler glanced at his phone and dropped it on his lap, still petting Gomer.
“Everything okay?” Seth asked.
Tyler glanced at him and then focused on Gomer, petting him as he spoke. “My gramps … the last of my family … he's in the hospital, and they say he doesn't have long. I was in the middle of out-processing from Fort Moore when I got the call.”
“Shit, dude, I'm sorry. They'll get the flights going soon. If we’re on the same flight, I’ll make sure you get a seat even if I have to give up mine.” He wouldn’t be able to pull Gomer out of his checked status, but there were a few things he’d make that sacrifice for, and one of them was saying goodbye to your family.
It was why he was returning to Hollister to help with his dad.
Family was important, even if it was dysfunctional.
“She said I'd make it.” Tyler looked at him for a split second before adding, “Blessing. I didn't say anything to her, but she seemed to know and said I'd make it in time.”
Seth nodded. “She seems to know a lot that no one tells her. Trust that feeling in your gut. I plan on it.” He would take his dad for a checkup, even if he had to hogtie him and tumble him in the bed of his truck to get him there.
Tyler’s phone rang, and the man jumped up like his ass was on fire, then walked out while answering the phone. Seth reached down and stroked Gomer. “It’s okay, bud. He’s just worried. I know that feeling.”
He watched Tyler pacing back and forth as he talked on the phone before finally disconnecting and heading back into the room.
“Everything okay?”
Tyler nodded and sat back down. “Still good. I have some time. Not much, but some.” His hand went to Gomer’s back, and he started petting the dog again.
Seth watched as Gomer moved a bit closer and looked up at Tyler.
The dog sensed the man’s worry better than Seth ever could.
Gomer was exactly what the man needed. Seth had been there and done that.
When his mom had taken ill and he was deployed, his dog at the time, Bronx, was the thing that had kept him sane.
Dogs knew shit humans would never understand.
Seth wished like hell he had some magic words to say to help the guy out.
But dealing with death and older parents sucked more than just about anything.
He was finding that out with a crash course in dementia and Alzheimer's. He’d read just about every article he could.
Some new medicines delayed the process, but it was a slow and deadly killer.
He hated that for his old man. Chester had never needed anything from anyone.
He was fiercely independent, and that was a point of pride for his father.
Blessing walked in with her arm linked through that of another man. “Seth and Tyler, this is Codwell Drakos, he goes by Code. He’s a retired Army Colonel.”
Code made a face. “Lieutenant Colonel, and that’s just a rank, not who I am.” He reached out a hand to both Seth and Tyler.
Seth shook his hand, and Gomer sneezed, drawing attention to where he was lying between the chair and the couch.
Code looked at Gomer and asked, “What do we have here?”
Tyler chuckled and replied, “A dog, sir.” Seth couldn’t help the laugh that fell from him at Tyler’s comeback.
Code belted out a laugh, too. “Okay, I deserved that.”
Blessing patted Code on the arm. “I’ll be back shortly. I have two more for this room. They’re running a bit late.”
Code sat down and asked, “Where are you two heading?”
Seth and Tyler replied, and they visited for about a half an hour before Blessing came back into the room with the last two men.
“Gentlemen, may I introduce Dean Sinclair and Noah Ziegler?” She turned to the newcomers and introduced the others.
“This isTyler Marconi, retired Army, heading to Montana. Seth Hansen, who’s heading to South Dakota with his newly adopted and retired MWD Gomer.
And this is Code Drakos, who’s heading to Tennessee.
So, now that you’re all acquainted, can I get you anything? ”
“No, ma’am.” Seth smiled at her. Damn, she was a live wire, that one.
“No, thank you,” Tyler said, his voice tight.
“We’re good,” Code added.
“Okay. Then off I go. I’ve got three more coming to check in.
They’ll be here any second now.” Everyone turned toward the registration desk as if they expected to see people, but there was no one at the desk …
until there was. Three people, just as Blessing had said.
Yeah, woo-woo. She had to have the gift.
His mom had talked about it as if it were a real thing.
His father had told her she was insane, but his mom had had insights that normal people didn’t. Blessing? She was freakishly gifted.
He shifted his attention to Dean, who was gripping his phone just as tight as Tyler was. “Everything all right?” Seth asked, tipping his chin toward the cell gripped in Dean’s fist.
Dean grabbed his duffel and groaned aloud at the dog handler’s question.
“Yeah. All good. Just my mother checking on when I’m getting in. Funny, though. That lady at the desk was dead on when she guessed it was Mom.”
Noah’s brow rose. “You know what’s really funny? She just dumped a whole bunch of personal shit on me that was dead on, too.” Seth didn’t hear much more than that, but he knew exactly who they were talking about.
“You talking about Blessing?” Tyler asked.
Dean nodded, and Tyler sighed.“Yeah … she told me … well, just quoted some author and thought it would mean something to me. I have no clue what the hell she was referring to. Although she seemed to know why I needed to get on my flight.”
Seth let out a short laugh. Man, he was right. The woman was a psychic or something. “No kidding. She told me the name of the vet in the town I’m going to. There are maybe three hundred people in that town, and she knows two of them. What are the chances of that?”
Dean widened his eyes. “So, she’s like …”
“Psychic?” Code asked.
Seth nodded. “Woo-woo.” That was his word for it. Call it what you want, but that woman had it in spades.
Tyler looked at his phone. “A witch?”
They all laughed at that. Granted, it was a nervous laugh because … yeah. Seth looked at his watch. “Gomer and I are going to take a walk so he can find some grass. We’ll be back unless I get a text telling me he has to be loaded.”
He stood, and Gomer was immediately at his heel. Tyler rubbed his head. “Thanks for the therapy, Gomer.”
Seth smiled and grabbed his backpack just in case that text came in. “Come on, bud,” he said to Gomer, and they headed out to the fresh air .
“Don’t forget to say hi to my friend Kate for me,” Blessing said as he walked out of the USO.
He stopped and smiled at her. “I’ll be back. I’m just taking him for a comfort break.”
Blessing just smiled. “Sure.” She leaned down and stroked Gomer’s fur. “Goodbye, Gomer. You’ve got a good home now,” Blessing said to the dog and then winked at him before spinning around and picking up the phone. “Hello?”
He looked at Gomer. “Did that phone ring?”
The dog’s head cocked as he looked at the woman. Seth shook his head. “Yeah, I didn’t think so either.”
Twenty minutes later, as he and Gomer reentered the terminal, his phone buzzed. It was a text from the service counter. His plane was loading for departure. He shook his head. Woo-woo didn’t even scratch the surface of that woman’s ability.