CHAPTER 90
DAKOTA
If I’m judging people off the cleverness of their homes, Jonah and his absent dad get a pass from me.
The shipping container with its fitted sunroof is clever.
The interior feels weighty and solid, and it’s clean and tidy inside, if a bit stuffy.
There’s an old rug on the floor and the bunkbeds are made.
It all looks cozy and homey, probably even more so than the bookstore.
Jonah sits down in a chair at the small, square table, and waits patiently.
He’s a handsome boy with golden skin and dark hair, tall for his age, and has the rounded cheeks of someone who hasn’t grown into their facial structure yet.
His eyes are beautiful and dark, set under thick brows that furrow as he turns towards our direction and waits for someone to say something.
“You must be Jonah,” I say, breaking the silence. “My name is Dakota, and Thess told us all about you. I’ve brought my daughter, Rabbit, with me.”
“Hi,” Rabbit says, sounding youthful and shy, and Jonah’s head immediately turns in her direction, a smile creasing his face.
“And my husband, Murr,” I continue. I rest my hands on Rabbit’s shoulders, holding her close because it’s a tight fit inside the shipping container and I don’t want to touch someone else’s stuff without permission. “Murr is drakoni, like Thess. And two friends of mine, Dottie and Aggie.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Dottie says.
“Nice digs,” Aggie adds.
Jonah continues to frown at all of us. “…Hi?”
Thess winds her way forward, moving through the group of us squeezed in amidst the furniture. “These are friends of mine that live outside the fort,” she says. “They wanted to meet you.”
His expression remains suspicious. “Why?”
Why indeed? Do we bring up the dog if Aggie decides that she wants to keep all the puppies after all?
It’d get his hopes up over nothing. We focused so much on what to tell Dottie about this visit that I forgot to plan on what we’d say to Jonah.
I tense, and Murr slides his arm around my waist, reminding me that he’s right next to me, and that everything is fine.
“Well,” Aggie says, speaking up to fill the silence. She shoots all of us a look that says not to interrupt as she steps forward, moving slowly toward Jonah. “I got me a dog that needs some serious training. Thess here says you’re the dog expert, so I wanted to get some advice from you.”
Jonah’s face lights up. He turns from my daughter to focus entirely on Aggie. “You have a dog? Is it here?”
“No, she’s a bad traveler,” Aggie explains hastily. She leans on her cane, taking another step forward, closer to Jonah at the table. “You mind if I sit down, young man? I’m old as fuck and my back ain’t what it used to be.”
He gestures at his home. “Of course. Everyone please make yourselves comfortable.”
Dottie moves to sit next to Aggie, and that leaves one more chair at the small table. Jonah pulls it out, and Rabbit sits down next to him, my daughter looking bashful. She can’t stop smiling, though. Of course she can’t—Jonah is about her age and cute as could be. I find it adorable.
I remain where I am, leaning against Murr as Jonah moves around in his tiny “kitchen,” setting an old percolating coffee pot on a burner.
He throws a small log into the belly of the stove, which looks like something out of Little House on the Prairie.
It’s like a cross between a cooking stove and a wood-burning stove and I’m fascinated by it. Hell, I want one.
“Tell me about your dog,” Jonah says, using a long-handled stick to stoke the coals in the belly of the oven. He holds his palm to the warmth to test it, then shuts the tiny door to the stove.
Aggie clears her throat and adjusts her wig. “Well, her name is Stella and I love her, but she’s kinda stupid.”
Jonah grins. “What breed?”
“Doodle.”
“No, no,” Dottie says with a groan. “Not again with this doodle nonsense. That dog is a monster, and if it’s not a Saint Bernard, I’ll eat my knitting.”
“I think it’s a Great Dane,” I add.
“Let’s assume it’s a very large mutt,” Rabbit chimes in. “And she’s not dumb. Stella’s sweet, but she likes to chew on everything.”
Jonah turns towards the sound of Rabbit’s voice, his smile growing larger as she speaks. Oh, a double crush. I hope this visit to the fort goes well, because I suspect this isn’t going to be the last time my daughter wants to come here.
“What was your dog?” Aggie asks.
“Mine was a GSD,” he says. “German shepherd. Maximus was trained to be a service dog and so I didn’t have to do a ton of additional training with him, but I do know a fair amount about dog commands. How’d you manage to keep a dog in the After?”
“Wasn’t easy,” Aggie says dryly.
He laughs. “It’s not, but I’m glad you did. I’d love to meet her. Did you say her name was Stella? What does she specifically need training with?”
“She eats a lot of socks,” Aggie comments. “We could start with that.”
“You can’t let her do that.”
“You ever tried to stop a big slobbery dog that does what she wants?”
Jonah’s brows draw together, and he laughs despite his expression. “Yes, you do. You teach them commands. Do you have a clicker for training?”
“No,” Aggie says. “Whuzzat?”
Jonah rubs his face, amused. “Okay, let me think.”
I glance over at Thess, who’s remaining in the background near Murr and me.
Her hands are clasped under her chin and she watches Jonah’s smiles like a mother would, her own smile breaking out each time he laughs.
Thess might have maneuvered things a little to get us to meet Jonah and talk dogs with him… but can I really blame her?
I know I’d do anything for Rabbit. A mother’s love is a fierce thing.