Roxanne Rustand - Almost A Family

Death was a given in a hospital setting. Healthy people weren’t admitted, and despite the very best of care and technology, not everyone made it. Most doctors and nurses eventually developed a level of professional distance, trying to protect themselves from the pain of losing a patient, and Connor’s reaction was unusual.

She recalled the man she’d known during her college days. His cool, sophisticated manner. His bored indifference.

So who would’ve guessed he actually did have a heart?

DREW KICKED A ROCK into the ditch as the big yellow school bus pulled away. “This sucks. Two whole days until the weekend!”

“At least we get to ride a real school bus home now. That’s cool.” Tyler hurried to catch up, tugging on his sleeve as a reminder that Lily was lagging behind. They both turned to see her bent over something in the ditch.

“Come on,” Drew shouted impatiently. “You can pick some stupid flowers at home.”

“Isn’t flowers. Come here, quick!”

Drew rolled his eyes at Tyler. “Like I’m gonna care about this.” But he headed back anyway, through the chest-high weeds in the ditch, with Tyler at his heels.

His heart flopped like a fish on a hook when he saw what she was looking at.

A black-and-white-spotted dog.

More of a half-grown puppy, really, with huge dark eyes, silky ears and soft wavy hair. Its ribs and hip bones stuck out and its long pink tongue lolled from its panting mouth. Clumps of dried mud covered its legs.

“Ooh,” he breathed as he sank to his knees next to the cowering animal. “How’d it get here?”

Tyler hovered over his shoulder. “Is he hurt? Maybe he got hit by a car.”

Lily shook her head. “I touched him and he didn’t whimper. I think he’s just lost and scared. I think we should take him home.”

The three looked at each other.

“Erin did say we could get a dog,” Tyler murmured.

Drew fought a smile. “And that man said it was okay.”

“Maybe he belongs to someone, though. Someone who misses him a lot,” Lily said sadly. “Wouldn’t be fair.”

“What if we put up a notice?” Imagining a very small notice, maybe just one of them, tacked to that telephone pole across the street, Drew stroked the dog. He felt knots of brambles tangled in its coat. “But I don’t think the owner cares much—just look at how bad his fur is. No one has brushed this poor guy in a long time.”

Lily sighed with joy. “We could name him… Buttercup!”

Drew shuddered. “Or Bruno.”

“Or Scout, because he was looking for a new home,” Tyler ventured.

“C’mon—maybe he’ll follow us.”

They scrambled out of the ditch, all calling to him, but the puppy hung back, whimpering, then crept farther into the weeds.

“He’s too scared,” Lily whispered. “We need a leash.”

Drew surveyed all three of their backpacks for any straps that could be detached, then scanned the ground. “Maybe we can take turns carrying him. If he’ll let us.”

Drew struggled back through the tall weeds and knelt by the shivering pup. “Come on, Bruno.”

The puppy had such fear in his eyes that a lump grew in Drew’s throat and hot tears prickled beneath his eyelids.

“I know, buddy,” he said softly, remembering his mother’s belt and explosive temper. He never let anyone see the scars on his back from the lash of that belt buckle, but even now he could feel the pain and the terror. Her boyfriend’s fists had been worse. “I’ve been real scared sometimes, too.”

He held out a hand, palm up, until the puppy belly-crawled forward a few inches. “Would you rather be Scout?” He laughed a little as the pup nuzzled his fingers. “That must be a yes.”

Gathering the puppy in his arms, he scrambled back to his feet and made his way up onto the road through the treacherous underbrush, stumbling under the weight of the dog.

Breathless, he grinned at Tyler and Lily. “He’s happy, I think. Let’s go.”

After a few hundred feet, Drew handed him over to Tyler, then Lily took a turn. By the time they reached the turnoff for their cabin, Drew’s feet hurt and his throat felt dry as sandpaper. He’d ended up carrying the dog most of the way, and now it felt twice as heavy as it had at first. At the sound of a car coming up the road, he turned eagerly to flag Erin down.

It wasn’t her minivan, darn it—it was Dr. Reynolds’s black Tahoe. Disappointed, Drew turned back toward home, but the vehicle pulled up beside them, and Reynolds rolled down his window. “I see you three got your dog.”

“Sorta,” Tyler said. “We kinda found h—”

“Yeah, we got a dog,” Drew interrupted, elbowing Tyler in the ribs. “Come on, Ty. Let’s go.”

But Lily was too far away to silence.

“We found him in the ditch by the highway,” she piped up. “We named him Scout.”

Reynolds frowned. “He’s probably just lost. Does he have tags?”

“He doesn’t have no collar,” Drew said quickly. “And he’s skinny, like he’s been starving. He doesn’t have a home.”

“And he’s full of brambles,” Lily added.

“Just don’t get your hopes up too high.” The man had sunglasses on, but a corner of his mouth sort of curved up, as if he was almost going to smile. “You kids know you shouldn’t ever go with strangers, but can I give you a ride up to your house? You’ve had a long walk up here with that dog.”

Lily nodded and started to speak, but Drew gave a sharp jerk of his head and cut her short. “No. We can almost see our house from here.”

“I understand. You’re a good big brother, kid.” He twisted in the front seat to reach for something in the back, then stepped out of his car with a leather leash. “You can keep this—it might help a little.”

“Thanks,” Drew mumbled as the man fashioned a loop at one end and slipped it over Scout’s neck.

“I’m no vet, but I think this guy needs a thorough exam, his vaccinations and a good worming.” Reynolds ran a practiced hand over the dog’s thin body. “If he has a home, it sure isn’t a good one. What do you think your mom is going to say about this?”

“She said we could get a dog,” Lily said shyly.

“And now we have one that’s free!” Tyler added with an exuberant victory punch in the air.

“Good luck.” Reynolds paused at the open door of his vehicle and gave Drew a level look that said, Don’t get your hopes up, kid.

“Jeez,” Drew muttered irritably after the black SUV headed on up the hill. “Why don’t you guys tell the whole world that we found a stray?”

Tyler’s wide grin faded. “He’s our neighbor.”

“But did you hear what he said? I bet he’s gonna ask everyone he sees in town, and then for sure someone will come after Scout!”

He curved his arms a little tighter around the dog, and immediately Scout gave him a slurpy kiss up the side of his face.

There was no way anyone was going to take this dog away, he vowed silently. No way at all.

“PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE,” Lily begged. “We gotta keep him. Someone prob’ly just dumped him out on the road and left him to starve!”

Erin surveyed the three children standing on the porch above her, and adjusted the shoulder strap of her purse. “Let’s talk about this inside, okay?”

They parted like the Red Sea for her to pass, Drew clutching the puppy to his chest, his mouth curled mutinously, Lily’s face a mask of desperate hope and Tyler… His expression alone would have melted the coldest heart. Clearly, he’d already decided that the situation was hopeless, and the sadness in his eyes made her own burn.

“I’m not an ogre, you know.” She smiled as she hoisted her sack of groceries and her purse onto the kitchen counter. “I did promise you could get a dog. I was hoping we could go on Saturday.”