CHAPTER 30
J ustin’s SUV was parked outside the Skydovia Animal Hospital.
Inside, Ava frantically paced back and forth in the waiting room, while Justin looked numb, staring out the window.
Ava froze when the head veterinarian, Rick, entered the room looking sympathetic.
Justin joined her, taking her hand in his. She could feel him shaking.
“What can you tell us?” Justin asked, his voice was thick with emotion.
“He’s in critical condition,” Rick answered.
“No…” A small gasp escaped Ava’s lips.
Rick continued. “We’re prepping him for surgery right now. The driver said he tried to stop, but didn’t see him until it was too late, and the roads were icy…”
Ava’s eyes filled with tears.
Justin put his arm around her and pulled her close.
“He didn’t have any identification when he was brought in,” Rick continued. “But, Justin, I called you because I knew you were here and work with dogs and the shelter, and I thought maybe you might know who he belongs to.”
Justin nodded.
“We’ll do everything we can, but I need to prepare you,” Rick said. “He’s been through a lot. He’s experienced significant trauma.”
Ava’s knees buckled as she buried her face against Justin’s chest. As she heard his heart beating, her own heart was breaking.
She knew this was all her fault. She had driven Stormy away. She was the reason he was hurt. She could feel her body shake as Justin’s arm tightened around her.
“Do you want to wait outside?” Justin asked her in a soft voice.
She shook her head. She was shaky but determined. “No. Stormy’s my dog. I need to be here. I need to see him before you take him into surgery.”
“Okay,” Rick said. “If you’re sure—”
Ava nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Then please, come with me,” Rick said as he started walking down the hallway.
With each step she took, Ava felt a growing sense of dread. The last thing she wanted to do was to see Stormy in any kind of pain, but she wanted to make sure he knew he wasn’t alone.
She owned him at least that.
? ? ?
Ava sat in Justin’s SUV staring blindly out the window.
She was still in shock.
When she glanced over at Justin, he looked as numb as she felt.
She anxiously twisted her watch around on her wrist, searching for the right words to say.
She didn’t know how long they’d been sitting there in silence, but it felt like forever.
When another tear slid down her cheek, she didn’t move.
It was not the first tear she’d cried, and she knew it wouldn’t be her last.
She jumped, startled, when Justin gently wiped her tear away. “Are you okay?”
“No. You?”
Justin shook his head.
They both went back to staring out the front window.
“I feel so guilty,” Ava finally whispered.
“Because you’re relieved it wasn’t Stormy?” Justin asked.
Miserable, she nodded her head. “It looked just like him.”
“But it wasn’t him,” Justin assured her. “I told Rick to do whatever it took to save this other dog’s life. I’ll take care of all the bills. Rick is a great vet. If anyone can save him, he can, and we’ll find out who he belongs to—”
“That’s the worst part,” Ava said, interrupting. “He belongs to someone who is probably worried sick like we’ve been. Someone is looking for him, just like we’re looking for Stormy. Maybe he’s a Christmas present like Stormy is and now he could be—”
Justin stopped her. “Don’t even go there.”
Ava turned her tear-streaked face to him. “I can’t stop thinking that could have been Stormy.”
Justin took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “But it wasn’t.”
“When I thought that was Stormy, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My heart literally hurt, and I’m not supposed to even like him…” Ava said. “I keep thinking about how this would have impacted my mother. She’s already been through so much, losing my father.”
“So have you,” Justin added.
Ava stared at the floor as she twisted her father’s watch on her wrist. “I’m fine.”
“From what you’ve told me, you loved your father very much,” Justin said. “You said you were a team. I can’t imagine this loss for you. You know it’s okay, not to be okay—”
“Not as a royal,” Ava corrected him. “We’re expected to soldier on no matter what happens. It’s our duty. It’s who we are.”
“You’re also human.”
“People forget that,” Ava said in a hollow voice.
“Because you only show them this perfect persona,” Justin added. “When you let people see who you really are, with all your flaws and vulnerabilities, that’s when people will really start connecting with you.”
Ava shook her head, doubtful.
“I think you’d be surprised by how many people would want to help you if you just asked them,” Justin said.
“But that’s just it,” Ava said. “We don’t ask for help. We’re the ones who help people.”
Justin inhaled a deep breath. “Will you let me help you?”
Ava glanced up at him.
“Stormy is still out there somewhere. The longer he’s out there, especially in this weather, the more he’s at risk. I know this is upsetting. I’m upset, too, but we have to pull ourselves together and focus on finding your dog, okay? Are you with me?”
When Ava looked into his eyes, she felt a renewed sense of strength and determination. “I’m with you,” she said softly. She sat up straighter and impatiently brushed the tears off her cheeks. “You’re right. We have to find Stormy before something like this happens to him.”
“Okay,” Justin said. “I agree. First, I need to take you home so your doctor can check you out. I can keep looking, and when you’re given the all clear, we’ll continue looking together—”
“No,” Ava said, stopping him. “I don’t want to go home yet. Not without Stormy. I don’t need to see a doctor. You said we’d do this together.”
“We are,” Justin said. “But your health comes first.”
“How many times have I told you I’m fine?” Ava insisted. “If I’ve survived all this stress so far, I can last a few more hours before another doctor checks me out.”
When Justin didn’t look so sure, she rushed to continue.
“I promise I’ll have my doctor do a full checkup, whatever you want, but right now, please, I need to find Stormy. I have to. I was thinking we need to go back to the Christmas market, because that’s the last place anyone saw him.”
“It’s getting dark. We’re not going to be able to see much,” Justin started, but he stopped when he saw the disappointment on Ava’s face.
“Okay, I’ll make you a deal. We’ll go to the Christmas market, but if we don’t find him there after an hour, you’ll let me take you home so you can see your doctor. ”
“Do I have a choice?” Ava asked.
Justin shook his head. “No.”
“Fine,” Ava said, finally giving in.
“You promise?” Justin asked.
“I promise. Now, can we please go and find Stormy?”
“Since you called him Stormy, yes,” Justin said.
Ava looked confused.
“This is the first time you’ve called him Stormy all day. You usually just call him the dog. That’s a good sign. There may be hope for you yet,” Justin said with a teasing smile.
“You’re saying that as an expert dog trainer?” Ava asked.
“No, I’m saying that as a dog lover,” Justin answered. “Let’s go find Stormy.”
? ? ?
Even though all the holiday vendors were closed up for the night, Skydovia’s Christmas market was still sparkling under all the Christmas lights that were strung overhead.
Ava and Justin entered the market looking around for Stormy.
“I think we should split up. We can cover more ground, faster,” Ava said.
“Uh, no, I’m not losing you, too,” Justin said. “We stick together. We’re a team, remember?”
In the distance, a flash of light caught their attention.
Ava turned toward it. “Did you see that?”
“It looked like a camera flash,” Justin said.
“Over by the Christmas wreath display. If someone’s still here, maybe they’ve seen Stormy,” Ava added, excited. “Let’s go—” Ava started to take off toward the wreaths.
“Wait,” Justin grabbed her arm. “Someone could recognize you.”
Ava kept walking. “I don’t care anymore. We need to find Stormy before something happens to him. That’s all that matters right now.”
When they saw another flash of light, they both picked up their pace.
As they got closer to the wreath display, Ava gasped.
Sitting in the middle of all the wreaths was…Stormy!
Ava ran toward him. “Stormy! Oh my God! It is you! You’re okay!”
Stormy barked, excited, as Ava knelt down, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a heartfelt hug, like she never wanted to let go.
He snuggled closer to her and licked her face.
“I can’t believe it’s you,” Ava said as her eyes filled with tears of joy and relief. She buried her face in his fur. “I’m so sorry I said I didn’t want you. I was wrong. We all want you. We love you. I’m so glad you’re okay…”
Stormy barked at something behind Ava, making her turn around.
That’s when she saw Lydia.
“Lydia, what are you doing here?” Ava asked, confused.
Justin joined them, laughing, ecstatic. “She found Stormy!”
Lydia fumbled around with her phone, trying to cram it in her pocket, but she ended up accidentally dropping it instead.
When it landed near Ava, she picked it up for Lydia and saw a picture of Stormy with the wreaths. She looked closer and she saw Lydia’s camera roll was filled with pictures of Stormy—and not just from that night.
There were dozens of pictures of Stormy on different days. There were pictures of him at the candy cane booth and the bakery, different versions of the pictures Lydia had sent her saying Stormy had been found. Ava froze when she also saw there were selfies with Lydia and Stormy.
When Ava’s eyes flew to her, Lydia winced.
“What is this?” Ava demanded as she walked toward Lydia, holding out her phone.
Lydia shrunk, her shoulders slumped as she stared down at the ground, looking guilty.
Justin looked up from petting Stormy. “What’s wrong?”
Ava gave Justin an incredulous look. “Lydia’s phone is filled with pictures of Stormy! The pictures she sent us saying people saw Stormy at the bakery and candy cane booth—Lydia took those pictures. She even has selfies with him.”
“What? How?” Justin asked as he looked at Lydia.
When Lydia didn’t answer, Ava answered for her.
“Because Stormy was never really missing at all, was he, Lydia?” Ava asked, fuming. “Lydia took Stormy. These pictures show she’s had him all along!”
“No…” Justin said.
Ava marched over to him and showed him Lydia’s phone. “Yes. Look!” As Ava rapidly scrolled through all the Stormy photos, Justin’s eyes grew huge.
He turned to Lydia. “Lydia, what is this? What’s going on?”
“I…uh…” Lydia started, but couldn’t finish. She looked scared to death.
“Lydia, how could you do this?!” Ava demanded.
A figure emerged from the shadows.
It was the queen!
“Don’t blame Lydia,” her mother said. “She didn’t do this…I did.”
Ava stared at her mother in disbelief.