Chapter Eight – Weren’t For the Wind #2
The sweetness of it tore a little laugh from me.
“It was stupid of me to overreact. But having you here tonight has helped. Maybe I need to get a dog. They could come with me to the ranch every day. Fallon wouldn’t care if I brought one to work. My dog could hang out with her son’s dog or Teddy’s pile of Chinooks during the day.”
Vader woofed in agreement.
I dragged myself up off the ground, shut the pantry door, grabbed a glass of water, and then made my way back to my bedroom to change out of my bridesmaid’s dress.
As I hung the gown, my gaze caught on the ceiling access to the attic.
Hidden in the recesses was a tackle box I’d taken from the old fisherman’s shack down by the river at the edge of my property.
Inside it were a few remnants of my past. Dawson wouldn’t be happy if he knew I had them.
But the phone had been off for nearly a decade.
I’d only turned it on twice in all that time.
I’d kept it as a reminder of what happened when you fell for charming, when you let good looks and a false sense of caring con you.
I’d never fall for a movie-star smile again.
In the bathroom, my hand still trembled a bit when I picked the towel up and hung it on the rack.
I promised myself it would be the last time I’d let myself get worked up over nothing.
It wouldn’t hurt to call Dawson and make sure he hadn’t heard anything new.
But then, I’d put the entire incident, the entire drama of the last few weeks, behind me.
And I’d keep Cooper Wylee far away so he couldn’t ruffle my feathers again.
I’d let go of the preposterous worry that buying the house had led someone to me.
I’d go back to living the simple, peaceful life I’d been living for eight years in Rivers.
? ? ?
Nearly three weeks later, while walking barefoot out onto my back porch with a cup of coffee in one hand and a Pop-Tart in the other, my vision of keeping Cooper far, far away vanished as a loud thump drew my eyes to the fence I shared with the man.
I watched in shock as Luca hopped over it with ease, bent to pick up a large bag he’d clearly tossed over, and then hurried down the hill toward the river.
The famous pet food company logo on the bag had my stomach falling.
I went inside, left my unhealthy breakfast on the counter, and slid into a pair of sneakers before pulling a thin rain jacket from the hook by the back door.
The cool mist that swirled through the trees had me pulling the hood up as I headed down the hill.
Rain had picked up over the last few days, promising to linger through the next week and make Halloween miserable for everyone.
But I was still holding out hope it would be gone before the next wedding at the ranch—an elaborate safari-themed affair for a famous actress and her musician fiancé that would take place in the newly assembled marquee.
The ground was slippery, and as the slope at the back of my property grew steeper, I had to cling to a couple of trees and bushes to keep my feet beneath me. Skid marks ahead of me proved Luca had struggled too. I was sure the oversized bag of food he’d been carrying hadn’t helped.
At the bottom of the hill, near the edge of the river, sat the old fishing shack the previous owner had built.
It had been well maintained, the shake siding perfectly stained and the plank floors waxed.
When I’d first moved here, antique fishing rods had hung on the walls, and a smattering of old supplies had remained on the shelves.
I’d cleaned it out but had been at a loss as to what to do with the shed after that.
It was clear Luca had found a use for it that I’d never imagined.
From the open door, I heard him talking to the dog, his voice soothing.
The sound of kibble being added to a bowl wafted out to me.
I peeked in and saw him kneeling on the floor, petting the furball that had supposedly destroyed his father’s couch.
I was afraid of startling him, but I had to let him know I was here, so I kept my voice soft.
“Hey.”
Luca jerked around, eyes wide. The dog, however, didn’t even look up from the food he was scarfing. Instead of white, the dog was now a mix of gray and mud, the same color as the pile of blankets at the back of the shed.
The boy put a hand to his chest. “Shit. You scared me. I thought you were Dad.”
“Have you been keeping the dog out here all along?” I asked, stepping inside.
Luca’s shoulders went back in defense. “I told Dad I wanted to take him to the shelter myself, but I couldn’t do it, Andie.
I just couldn’t. Akela shouldn’t be punished because I was a jerk.
I saved him from a bunch of bullies, so he’s my responsibility.
I know I fuc—screwed up. I know it. But I won’t let him down again. ”
The boy was close to tears. I could hear the remorse in his tone as much as the determination and sorrow.
“You can’t keep him here, Luca. It’s not fair or responsible.”
The boy’s entire being deflated. “I know. But it’s just until I can prove to Dad that I can take care of him. I’ll earn my board back and Akela. I’ve already gone three weeks without getting in trouble. I can go another week.”
“Did he agree to let you have the dog after the month was up?” I somehow doubted Cooper had agreed to let the couch-destroying animal back into his house.
Luca’s eyes filled. “Not exactly.”
What would it have been like if I’d had a dog growing up? A friend. A companion. Someone to tell all my troubles to? Luca was struggling—I could see that clear as day—and somehow, he’d tied this dog’s well-being to his.
I couldn’t let him lose the dog, but I also couldn’t let it stay out in a shed. And if I allowed Akela into my house, I certainly couldn’t afford to have him destroy what little furniture I’d scraped together.
Akela was still a puppy. He needed training and structure. Did I have that kind of time to give? Did I have the skills needed to give the dog what he deserved any more than this teenager did? Even if it was only a temporary solution until Luca could convince his dad to take the dog back?
“Please don’t tell my dad. I just need a few more days, maybe a couple of weeks, to convince him I can do this. I’ll tell him the lady at the shelter still has Akela. That we can get him back. I just need time to fix the mess I made.”
His pleas were my undoing. The desire to undo even a single one of my mistakes would always haunt me.
I sighed. “Bring him up to the house. We’ll get him cleaned up, and he can stay with me for a while.”
“Really?” Luca’s face lit up.
“But I’m going to need help, Luca. I can’t be the only one responsible for him.”
“I can do whatever you need. We don’t have to tell Dad about the dog.
I can tell Dad I’m working off payment for the window I broke by doing chores…
” He looked down and away. “That’s sort of what I’ve already told him I was doing anyway when he asked where I was…
I’m real sorry, because I should have been doing just that.
And I still will, because taking care of Akela isn’t really paying you back. You’re doing more for me, and—”
“Breathe, Luca.” I said, trying to hide my smile. “We’ll figure it all out. Step one, get everyone out of the rain.”
It was a good thing I didn’t have to be at the ranch at any particular time today.
I’d just text Misty and ask her to place a few of the calls I’d planned to make.
I needed to get better at handing more off to her anyway.
The entire point of hiring an event coordinator was to lessen my load so I had more time to myself.
More time to work on my house and build a life outside of the ranch.
I helped Luca gather up the mud-crusted blankets and bowls. He put the dog on a leash and shouldered the heavy bag of food. Then, the three of us made our way back up the slippery slope, the dog taking it with much more grace and ease than the humans.