Chapter 14

Audrey

“Dammit, dammit, dammit,” I said to no one.

Because no one was here but me. I was in this fucking house alone, which was exactly what I’d thought I wanted when I drove up here a few days ago. But that was before I saw Dallas, that was before I let myself tumble into this madness with him. That was before I’d realized with painful clarity what a hold he still had on my heart, my body, my soul, and my mind. Sweet hell. I could not keep him out of my thoughts. I'd gone on a crazy cleaning spree the following afternoon after he left. My parents usually spent a month or two here in the summer and often came up every few months in between to check on things, maybe stay for a long weekend. The house didn't get regular cleanings, so I’d gone nuts. I’d cleaned all of the bathrooms and the kitchen. I’d swept, vacuumed and mopped. I’d been restless and needed something to burn off my energy.

I was filthy by the time it was over, so I took a quick shower and pulled on my most comfortable pair of fleece sweatpants and a fleece sweatshirt. I settled into the living room couch with a blanket and a cup of hot cocoa, intending to lose myself in silly television. I was deep into a ridiculous reality show when I heard a sound in the background. I couldn't figure out what it was, but it kept up. I finally turned off the TV and listened. It sounded like a dog whining. I walked to the back door off of the kitchen porch to find said dog shivering in the cold by the door.

The dog was a medium-sized, golden colored dog. It didn't quite look like a golden retriever, but some sort of mix. I held my hand out, kneeling inside the door.

“Hey sweetie, did you want to come in?”

The dog eyed me cautiously, but made no move from its spot a few feet away. It let out another shivering whine. I left the porch door open and returned to the kitchen. I snagged a few pieces of sandwich meat, figuring if anything could bribe the little dog, maybe this would. Returning to the porch, I found the dog had sidled into the corner inside the porch. It was still shivering, but at least here it was out of the wind. I walked carefully to the porch door and closed it before kneeling down again. I held out my hand with the tempting sandwich meat and waited. After a brief standoff, the dog came over, sniffed my hand and took a cautious bite of the deli turkey. That’s all it took and then it followed me right inside.

I loved dogs. That had been another point of contention between Matthew and I. He’d declared he didn't hate them, but he thought they were messy and not worth it. I should've known then he wasn’t worth my time. I gave myself a shake. It didn't matter. Matthew and I were over. This was a new chapter for me, and this little stray had just showed up to take part. I allowed the dog to meander about downstairs while I looked through the pantry, wondering if we had any of the old canned food that we used to feed my last childhood dog, Bradley.

When I couldn’t find any, I made some rice and chicken. Our vet had always said this was the best thing to start with when Bradley had an upset stomach. I figured I could safely feed this to the dog until I could go to the store tomorrow. The dog quickly came over when I set the food on the floor. While the dog was eating, I leaned over to ascertain whether this was a boy or a girl. Definitely a girl. I decided to call her Molly. After she finished eating, she cautiously approached me when I held my hand out. In short order, she seemed to decide I was safe.

I curled up on the couch and didn't even bother trying to keep her from climbing up there with me. Finding her made Dallas’ absence less sharp. I was busy petting her and telling myself it was good Dallas had left. I needed to remember I was here to get my head on straight after everything with Matthew. I didn’t need to dive right into something with anyone, much less Dallas. At least that's what I told myself.

My phone buzzed, and I picked it up to see a text from Dallas.

Letting you know I won’t make it back until tomorrow at the earliest.

I stared at his text, my heart clenching. Dammit, why did this little tiny thing matter so much to me?

Thanks for letting me know.

I didn't expect him to reply, but then he did.

How are things there?

I stared at his question, wondering what to say. The true answer would be:

I miss you and wish you would come back.

But I couldn't say that. I stuck to the concrete.

I cleaned the house and found a dog.

?

I assume you're asking about the dog, not cleaning the house.

I could practically feel him laughing when I got the eye roll emoticon in return. I heard a dog whining outside. No collar and pretty thin. So she’s here now. I've named her Molly. When you come back, she'll be here. I hope everything’s okay with your investigation.

When he didn’t reply, I set the phone down, thinking that was it.

A while later my phone buzzed again.

I miss you.

My heart went a little bit crazy.