Pamela Tracy - Holiday Homecoming

“Two old friends in one day,” Agatha said. “Jimmy still emails me. You I have to keep track of on YouTube. I liked what your zoo did with Crisco the bear. That was quite a story.”

“It was,” Meredith agreed. “We suspect someone wanted to harvest his organs and that’s why Crisco was taken from his mother. A dried gallbladder can sell for five figures overseas. The paws are worth money, too.”

The young girl looked interested. “Really, why?”

“Mostly medicinal reasons. Some people believe the paw will make you healthy, while the gallbladder...” Meredith paused. The gallbladder was especially tempting to males in some cultures. But Meredith wasn’t sure she needed to share that.

“What do you mean?” the young girl queried, obviously of a different mind-set.

“Jessica,” Agatha said quietly, “since we’re only open for a few more minutes, and since I have Meredith here to help, you can leave early.”

“But this lady doesn’t know what to do.” Aghast at the prospect of leaving her job to someone ill-qualified, the girl forgot about the bear’s gallbladder.

“Oh, trust me, she knows,” Agatha said. “Meredith was you fifteen years ago.”

“Has it been that long?” Meredith whispered.

“Yup. One day you were my helper. The next day you’d discovered Jimmy Murphy and suddenly the library was a distant memory.”

“The man who was just here,” the girl said.

“Yes, now scoot. Meredith and I have some catching up to do.”

The girl wasn’t happy, but she knew to mind Agatha. With a quick hug to Agatha, she was out the door and stomping up the stairs.

“Did you come by to see me or do you have the same question as Jimmy?” Agatha nodded toward the cart, and as if she’d never been away, Meredith took a stack of books and headed for the shelves. Though she used to recognize by title where they belonged. Now she had to use their call numbers.

“Originally, I just wanted an answer to the same question, but now I realize seeing you is more important.”

“Glad you’re finally starting to put your priorities straight.” Agatha didn’t sound convinced, not completely. Changing the subject, she added, “I’m also glad you’re here to stay with Ray. He needs you. Something’s been bothering him these last few years and it’s not because he’s missing his wife or his absent son.”

“Yes, I’m seeing that.”

“You take care of him. He’s precious, you know.”

Meredith did know. Her grandparents had sacrificed to help raise their grandchild, help pay their way through college, and more.

All without complaint. If they’d not been willing to help, her life would have been very different. She’d have married Danny and stayed in town, the dreams of her siblings more important than her own.

Grandpa had paid her tuition, every dime. She was paying him back but knew that he put her money right into Zack’s and Susan’s college fund.

It probably only helped a little.

“Ray actually got a library card right after you went to college. Did you know that?”

“I didn’t realize he liked to read,” Meredith confessed.

“It was only on the one topic,” Agatha shared. “He went through all my books on Native Americans, especially those dealing with the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham tribes.”

“That’s strange.”

“I figured he must have watched a documentary on them or something and become interested. I enjoyed researching the subject for him. I’ll miss that.”

“What?”

“I’m retiring next year.”

Meredith’s hands stilled. The book she’d been shelving was stranded in midair. Too many things were changing in her life and too quickly.

“You’ll hate it.”

Agatha chuckled. “I’m sure I will, but it’s time.”

Meredith finally shelved the book and then quickly worked through the ones still on the cart. Finished, she started to move the cart but stopped when she noticed Agatha was using it to hold herself up.

“Let’s sit for a minute,” Meredith suggested.

“No, it feels better to stand. I sit and my butt starts to hurt. If I’m standing, it’s my back, but I can handle that. Here, put this away too.”

It was an aged copy of Black Beauty .

“You checked it out five times,” Agatha said. “Remember?”

“I want to read it again. Maybe this time the fox will get away. Can I get a new library card today?”

“Just take it and make sure you return it. We won’t tell Jessica.”

Meredith’s cell phone beeped. After checking the screen, she tapped the answer key and said, “Grandpa, can I come get you now?”

“Better hurry before Doc decides to do any more prodding.” Something distracted Grandpa, and he hung up before Meredith could ask anything else.

“Ray’s gonna be okay?” Agatha asked when Meredith put her phone away.

“For now, he’s okay. Just forgetful.”

“Aren’t we all,” Agatha shared.

“Agatha, you never forget anything, so I do want to ask. Has anyone been looking for a dog, really a wolf dog?”

“No. Jimmy says he’s called the sheriff, talked to the newspaper editor over in Adobe Hills, plus his cousin who publishes the tabloid here. He had to promise to be interviewed for an article. Then, he even went driving around to see if there were posters up anywhere. Together we did an online search for wolf pups for sale. We did find some nearby, but no one answered the phone when we called. And no one’s reported a missing dog. I called a couple of librarians I know from Adobe Hills and Scorpion Ridge, but outside of a runaway Chihuahua, nothing.”

Recognizing she was at a dead end for now, Meredith helped Agatha close up the library, turning off lights, locking up, just the way she had more than a decade ago. Agatha lived just three houses down from the courthouse, so Meredith waved goodbye as Agatha walked home.

Meredith fought the wind as she got back into her brown SUV. There was a storm brewing, and not just in the air. Just what did Jimmy think he was doing, researching the wolf dog? He was going to make this a mission. That’s what he was going to do. Televise the plight of the wolf dog and the injustices it suffered. Get his stupid byline and then take off again.

Well, she wasn’t going to be his star of the month, and neither were Yoda or the wild wolf dog.

Grandpa and Doc Thomas were sitting on the porch when Meredith drove up. While Doc helped Grandpa down the ramp, Meredith opened the passenger-side door and took and stored the walker in the back. When Grandpa found his seat, she said, “Doc, I’d like just a moment.”

Doc Thomas met her at the end of the car. She shut the hatchback and whispered, “He’s not eating. Maybe four bites at breakfast and not even that at lunch.”

“You hear that, Ray. Your granddaughter says you’re not eating.”

“I eat when I’m hungry, and she hasn’t made me pancakes.”

“You’re going to need your strength during the next few months if you want to get better, Ray.”

To Meredith, Doc Thomas said, “His ankle’s fine. I took an X-ray of his spine, though, and I didn’t like what I saw. You watch him close. If he slows down anymore—” both of them looked at Grandpa, who was still settling himself into a comfortable position “—I want you to get him into Adobe Hills and to a specialist. I know he has an appointment in January, but it would be good if you can get him in earlier. If he’s to keep living on the farm in the middle of nowhere, he has to be able to walk—no matter how slowly.”

Doc Thomas said a few more things, mentioned rehabilitation and even surgery.

“I can walk,” Grandpa groused.

“At the moment,” Doc Thomas said so softly that only Meredith heard. His expression told Meredith a diagnosis she wasn’t ready to hear.