Chapter Nine #2
He nodded at the tech who had escorted her from the front.
The girl took off down a side hallway. The doctor indicated she should follow him.
The room was nice and spacious with a full-length window that looked out on a wide expanse of fenced yard where there were trees for shade and benches for sitting.
A couple of larger dogs were visible outside with one of the techs enjoying some exercise.
“I was feeling bad for Teddy being locked up, so to speak, but this is a very nice place. And I thank you for all you did for him. I don’t know what I would have done if he had been seriously hurt or worse.
He and I are what’s left of our family.”
The man nodded. “I totally understand that. But once we get that pin removed from his ankle area, he should be good as new. Maybe a little limp in colder weather…but then I do that with my old bones too,” he said and laughed.
She did the same. The door opened about that time and the tech came in carrying the furry animal.
When he caught sight of Ally, he couldn’t wait to get from the arms that held him to Ally’s.
“Settle down, my sweetheart. I’m here now. Everything is good,” she crooned in a soft voice to the bouncing ball of fur. She was trying to be mindful of the pin that she had been told was visible and it was anchored in the bones. She looked up at the vet.
“It is sturdier than it looks but we do try to keep him calmer than this. However, this is a special occasion. He will calm down in a couple of minutes. Just let him lie on the table and you can talk to him. If all progresses as it should, I think he can go with you tomorrow afternoon, if he is kept reasonably quiet, no jumping off things or chasing rabbits or rough play. Couch time is good. Being even more spoilt than I think he already is. We’ll have instructions for you, and we have an on-call rotation twenty-four/seven so we can help whenever needed. ”
There was a light tap on the door, and then Jillie stuck her head around it. Her face lit up when she saw both Teddy and Ally together. She joined them beside the table. Teddy had to smother her in licks a few times.
“He’s so happy you’re here now,” Jillie said to Ally. “I told him you were coming soon.”
“And I’m so glad you kept him company and kept him from being sad. You helped him heal by doing that…you helped both of us.”
“Well, isn’t this a great sight? You two are united once more.” Tori had slipped into the room after Jillie. She joined them and added a pat for Teddy, also.
“He is the center of attention and eating it up,” the vet said. “But I think we can let him settle down a bit before his dinner does get served. He will need to rest up for his trip out of here tomorrow.”
“He’s going tomorrow?” Jillie seemed a bit sad but happy for him, too.
Ally smiled. “Yes and remember you’ll see a lot of him still when you’re at Primrose in the afternoons. You guys will still be best buddies.”
“That’s true! I’m so glad you and Teddy came to Destiny’s River. And I hope you two will stay forever.”
“That makes three of us,” Tori spoke up. “Now let’s go, Miss Jillie. You have homework to get done so you won’t have to waste your weekend time with it. Your dad will drop you at Tiffany’s. And don’t let us forget your bag is in my car and he needs to take it and you to Tiffany’s.”
“I’m going to a sleepover tonight. But I’ll be home after lunch tomorrow. In case you need help bringing Teddy home or anything.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. It sounds like you’ll be having a fun evening.
Good for you.” Ally was touched when Jillie gave Teddy a hug and then she turned and wrapped her arms around Ally’s waist, giving her a quick hug too.
Then she was gone. Tori gave her a quick wink and told her and Doc bye before she left at a slower pace for an expectant mom.
“You met some good people there in the Lockwoods and Parkers. The ones you haven’t yet met are just as fine, too. Now, don’t you worry. Teddy will be ready tomorrow afternoon.”
“I can’t thank you enough, Dr. Adams, I hope you know how much this little dog means to me. I couldn’t lose him now.”
“I have a pretty good idea of what you two mean to each other. And you might as well call me Doc—everyone in town does.”
Ally gave Teddy a goodbye hug and he seemed to have found his lopsided grin again. He shared it with her as he was carried away by the vet tech. Ally stopped at the front desk before leaving.
“Yes, ma’am, Miss Jones.” She was greeted with the same friendliness as earlier. “How can we help?”
“If you would tell me what the bill amount is for Teddy? I get to take him home tomorrow and I just want to check on it now?”
The receptionist pulled up the screen on her computer and studied it. “Well, it seems the bill has been taken care of already.”
Ally shook her head. “You must have me confused with someone else in your accounts. I haven’t paid yet.”
The young lady shook her head. “No, it’s a zero balance. It looks to have been billed and paid yesterday.”
“By whom?”
“I’m sorry but I don’t have permission to give out that information. The person chose to not have it released. I’m sorry. But it must be nice to have such a surprise.”
Ally could only nod and smile a thank you to the receptionist. And as soon as her brain got over the shock of the news, it came up with a likely Good Samaritan. She would find out and pay that person back. Her next stop was D and J Garage.
As soon as she pulled up and parked, she saw a familiar sight.
Her little car was hoisted up on a lift inside one of the bays.
Surely, they weren’t working on it. They might still be checking it out for an estimate.
That is what she asked for when she was able to give them a call after her phone had been delivered to the hospital after the accident.
She walked inside the office part of the building, and a woman came out of another smaller office to greet her.
“How may we help you?”
“I’m Ally Jones and…” She got no further.
“Yes, ma’am…nice to meet you.” The woman smiled and held out her hand and they shook.
“I’m Dee…the D in D and J,” she said with a laugh.
“I’m the one who did the estimate, and we just got the parts in we needed so your little car is being started today.
I had to tell you because of its age, we had to send a distance for one or two things we needed. But we got them.”
“It’s nice to meet you. You’ve already started? I never received an estimate.”
“Well, we were given a green light, and the bill has been taken care of already. So, you don’t have to worry on that score. And we will guarantee our work. No need to worry about that, either.”
“Let me guess,” Ally responded, already having an idea of the answer, “the person who paid wants to remain anonymous?”
Dee winked at her. “Yes, indeed. You are one lucky lady. Although, I’m not surprised. I heard you were a very pretty lady from up north.”
Ally had to admire the woman’s forthright speech and attitude. “Up north?”
“I don’t mean to be politically incorrect or nothing, but up north generally refers to those people from the East Coast… Yankees for want of a better term.”
Ally could not help herself. She had to laugh.
She shook her head trying to tame it down to a grin.
“I’m not laughing at you. I just haven’t heard that term in ages.
Someone I knew once, a dear friend, said that and I laughed then also.
I take no offense. I am learning that Texas is a lot like its own country. ”
“Well, we were indeed our own country a couple hundred years or so ago. But just so you know we aren’t being snobs or such.”
“I don’t take it that way. Let’s just pretend that I came in here with a car in pretty much the same shape as my car is in…what would be a ballpark figure do you think?”
“Smart lady. Brains and pretty. And if I came across a car in that shape…well, let’s see.” Dee scribbled on a piece of paper and turned it around for her to see. Ally took a silent but deep breath in. “I see. Thanks for that ballpark idea.”
“No problem,” the woman said and tossed the paper into the trash. “We’ll give you a call when it can be picked up, but it might take a week or more. Just depends on if there is something else we can’t see yet.”
“I will leave it in your mechanic’s expert hands.”
“Well, I do like having my hands called expert.”
Ally smiled. “You’re my mechanic?”
Dee beamed back at her. “Yes, indeed. My daughter Jaimie and I are the D and J in the sign. My dad taught us both and his dad taught him and so forth.”
“I do love that fact. I know my car is in excellent hands. Thank you.”
“You have a good day and welcome to Destiny’s River. Hope you do stay a while.”
Ally nodded and smiled her thanks.
She pulled the car out of the parking lot. And she knew of one direction she needed to head…to the heart of the town.