Gretchen

Ambrose was gone.

The sky opened. A torrential sheet of rain pounded the earth. I sprinted down Main Street, calling for Ambrose, shaking a canister of treats, whistling.

I’d even broken out his old training clicker.

Nothing.

My dog was gone. The terror strangled me into utter panic.

What the hell had happened to him?

I’d woken late, but I was lucky I got up at all. A broken heart made sleeping in too damn easy. By the time I’d rolled out of bed, crawled into the shower, and faced the mid-afternoon, Ambrose had taken off. Kibbles still in his bowl, not a sign of him anywhere in the house, on the porch, or in the yard.

My best friend was missing.

My only companion…gone.

For five years, he’d been faithful. Never once did he run away—unless he’d managed to steal a bra and invented a new game with his desperate owner. But he knew not to go far. Hell, he rarely ever strayed from my side.

He stuck by me. Kept me safe.

Loved me.

With a broken heart, empty bed, and misery suffocating me, I had only him for comfort.

And now he was gone.

Something must’ve happened to him. I hated the thought, but every possibility raced through my head as I searched street after street in town. Butterpond wasn’t big, but people traveled fast on the roads. He might’ve attempted to herd a bunny or take a walk, drifted a little too close to the road…

And all it’d take was a careless driver…

This was my own fault. He was a smart dog, a well-behaved dog, but I never should’ve let him out of my sight. For all I knew, he’d been hurt. A car. An animal. It didn’t matter.

The thought of my best friend—hurt, lost…

Scared.

My chest ached. Every breath hurt, and the world swirled under my feet.

This wasn’t happening. Not now.

The rain drenched me. Within minutes, I was soaked to the bone. It didn’t matter. I searched Main Street anyway, calling his name between cracks of thunder. He knew his way around the town—knew which residents offered him treats, how to get to the park, which way to go home.

He probably hid out the storm. Question was…where?

I held myself, shivering as a gust of wind splattered me with cold, harsh raindrops. The weather had turned; the trees shedding their leaves in a burst of remorseless autumn. The cold ached everything. My bones. My head.

My heart.

The tears fell. Not just for Ambrose, but for everything. For myself. For being so damn stupid.

All my life I’d been waiting, searching for the right moment, the right man, the right life. Like I’d know it when I saw it. Easy as that. I wouldn’t need to lift a damn finger to get it.

What a waste of time, energy, happiness.

First, I lost Marius. Then I’d lost my chance at a family. Now my dog? Jesus, he was all I had left. Then again, I’d created my own personal hell, losing the only salvation I had. Wasn’t like I’d ever tried to find any other happiness.

A car’s impatient honk blitzed from the road. It pulled over to the side, splashing me with an accidental puddle. I didn’t bother stopping. No one was going to prevent me from finding Ambrose.

Though Dad sure as hell was going to try.

The window rolled down. Dad hollered at me from the driver’s seat.

“Gretchen Murphy, get in this car! It’s storming!” He honked again but quickly realized the only way to get me to stop was to run me off the road. “Come on. Get in!”

“Ambrose is missing,” I said. “I have to look for him.”

“I know. I got your message. Get in the car. You can’t do anything for him until the storm passes. As soon as it stops pouring, will go out together to find him. Let’s get you dry.”

A car would cover more ground. I hopped into the passenger’s seat, rolling the window down as it fogged with condensation. Not that it did any good. My eyes blurred with tears as we passed street after street with no sign of Ambrose.

Dad squeezed my hand as we snaked the road to his house. I hopped out before he parked in the garage and raced to the end of the driveway. We owned a lot of property, and Ambrose knew every inch of it.

Maybe he’d come to Dad’s house?

Maybe he’d gone to the clinic, looking for a little fun or another dog to chase?

I called his name. Nothing.

I nearly sunk into the mud.

Dad took my hand, helping me into the house. He called for Chloe as he kicked off his shoes.

She made him take his shoes off?

“Sweetie, I found her!”

Chloe raced out of the kitchen, took one look at me, and yelped. She rushed to my side and helped me to the couch, immediately tossing a blanket over my shoulders.

“You are frozen to the bone,” she said. The blanket wasn’t enough. Chloe leaned over and hugged me. Hard. Rubbing warmth into my shoulders. “We’re going to go look for Ambrose as soon as the storm passes. In the meantime, I’m gonna get you something to drink. You’re freezing, and it’s not good. You take two sugars, right?”

How did she remember how I took my tea? Chloe hurried to the kitchen, hand on her bump as she prepared a kettle on the stove.

Dad collapsed on the couch next to me, flinching as Chloe chastised him from the kitchen for putting his muddy feet on the coffee table. He grumbled, but he reluctantly lowered his feet.

“I’ve live in this house for thirty years. You think I could put my feet on the furniture.”

I shook my head. “I used to yell at you for that too.”

“I know.” He wrapped an arm around me. “Are you okay, sunshine?”

No, I wasn’t. And I wouldn’t be. “Ambrose never runs away.”

Dad held me tight. “I know. But he’s a good dog. A smart dog. He’s not gonna go far. He’ll pop back home like nothing ever happened. You’ll see.”

“It’s all my fault.”

“Nonsense.”

But it was my fault.

For the past three days, I’d been a shell of a person. Moping about. Sleeping in. Not eating. Not moving. I’ve been so heartbroken, so crestfallen about my future I’d forgotten about my present.

Maybe I’d driven him away.

“I must’ve done something,” I said. “I scared him off. Or I made him angry.”

“Don’t be silly.”

“I tried to give him everything. The perfect home. A good future. We’d promised to be a part of each other’s lives. And this is what happens? He leaves? Without a word? Without saying anything?”

Dad frowned. “Gretchen…”

“And maybe he thinks he’s protecting me, but he’s not. I don’t need protecting. I just need him.”

He quieted. “We’re not talking about Ambrose now, are we?”

Why did it hurt so much? “Marius left me.”

Dad stiffened, but he kept his voice even. “Are you pregnant?”

I burst into tears. Heavy, terrible sobs. Ugly and racking.

“No.” I covered my mouth. It didn’t stop the words from tumbling out. “I think that’s why he left.”

“Sunshine…”

“All he wanted was a baby. And then…we tried…for months, Dad. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give him a child. And then he left.”

Dad offered me a tissue. “Was that really the reason?”

How was I supposed to know? Not like Marius had ever talked to me. Trusted me.

Loved me.

“It feels like it,” I said.

Dad nodded. “Do you love him?”

“He wouldn’t let me tell him.”

“Why not?”

I swallowed. “He said he was no good for me.”

Dad smirked. “Normally I would agree. No one’s ever going to be good enough for my little girl. But you loved him. You saw something in him. You planned an entire life and future with him.”

How stupid and naïve did I sound?

“He wasn’t the one,” I said. “But I fell for him anyway.”

“What do you mean, the one?”

My heart ached a little more. “I’ve always wanted what you and Mom had. That instant connection. You knew, from the first time you saw her, that she was the one.” I curled up next to him, my head on his shoulder. “She used to tell me stories about the first time she met you. She said she fell in love with you the instant you spoke—that she knew it was destiny. That’s the way it’s supposed to be, Dad.”

Dad rubbed my shoulder. “You know your mom was a hopeless romantic?”

It was one of her best qualities. “Yeah.”

“And you know you got that from her?”

“Yeah.”

He chuckled. “And you know she was a little crazy?”

I pinched him. “No, she wasn’t.”

“Gretchen, people don’t fall in love at first sight,” he said.

“Dad—”

“People never know if what they have will last forever. If they did, the world would be a lot easier. A lot happier. But that’s not how life works. I was lucky to have your mom, but it wasn’t love at first sight.”

“But she said—”

“There’s a spark, yes. And there’s something that can pull two people together, but it’s not instantaneous. It takes work, commitment, and an awful lot of courage to see it through.”

I sat up, clutching the blanket close. “You had to work with Mom?”

“Of course. Hell, it wasn’t love at first sight with Chloe either. It’s hard work to fall in love, sunshine. Even harder work to maintain it. To nourish it. To keep it real and honest. You have to take that step. Even if the world doesn’t approve, even if your family doesn’t approve, you have to know love will win out in the end.”

Tears prickled my eyes. “Dad, it’s not that I don’t approve—”

He understood. “You worry.”

“Always.”

“Well, we have that in common. I worry about you too. But you should know…I love Chloe, and she loves me. And you and Marius have that same connection.”

I shook my head. “You didn’t see him. You didn’t hear it in his voice. I don’t know if I can reach him.”

“Did you try?”

“He walked away from me. And now he’s so buried in his pain, he won’t let me in.”

Dad frowned. “Since when do you give up? Since when does my daughter let somebody else tell her what to do?”

“How am I supposed to fix him if he doesn’t want to fix himself?”

“How are you supposed to find a Happily Ever After if you’re not willing to take that chance?” He smiled. “You think it wasn’t hard falling in love with Chloe? I’m not an idiot. I know there’s an age difference. And I know what people think about me. They say I’m taking advantage. They think that she’s after my money. But you know what? It doesn’t matter. Your heart is what’s most important.”

The guilt raged at me. Heavy. I shook my head, but it didn’t clear. Damn. Dad had known all along. This whole time, he’d known I never approved of the match.

I’d never given him any encouragement. Any support. Hell, I’d broken in Chloe’s house to find a way to stop their wedding. To make sure they were honestly happy.

And they were. They loved each other, that much was obvious. She returned to the living room, offering me a mug of tea. She’d even remembered Dad’s coffee—decaf after seven, two creams, one sugar.

She took his hand. Squeezed it tight. Rubbed her tummy.

Who was I to question what they had?

Who was I to break them up?

I wanted Dad to be happy. And if Chloe brightened his life?

“I know it’s not my place…” Chloe sipped her own tea, something floral and herby. Probably for the babies. “But I might be able to help…”

At this point, no one could help, but I was willing to listen. “It’s really complicated, Chloe.”

“But I saw the way Marius looked at you at the wedding. How much he cared for you. He’s just hurting, Gretchen. We all are in some way. Falling in love isn’t easy in this world, not when there’s so many rules to follow, so many expectations, so many people who would judge you or think they know better or just don’t understand. But you can’t let anyone stop you…even Marius.”

Dad agreed. “If you love this man, and he’s in trouble, then you need to do everything in your power to make him see it. Give him the life he deserves.”

My words trembled. “But I can’t give him a baby.”

Chloe took my hand. “But you can give him a life. You can give him happiness. Love. Forgiveness. Babies never happen overnight…not unless you’re very lucky.” She glanced at Dad with a sly smile. “But love can. And as long as you’re willing to work at it, as long as you want to make the sacrifices, then you’ll have something just as precious as a baby. You’ll have that promise. And it’s stronger than any vows, late night feedings, or diaper changes.”

The rain slowed. A peek of sunlight glistened in the window.

Dad checked his phone. “Looks like we have a couple minutes before the next wave comes through. Want to take a quick peek around the neighborhood? Ambrose will be waiting for us, somewhere.”

I nodded. He gave me a hug.

“And to think…” He touched my cheek, his voice bitter. “I was gonna leave Butterpond. What was I thinking? I can’t move. My little girl needs me.”

That I couldn’t tolerate.

Not now. Not after seeing how happy Chloe was. Not after hearing the excitement in Dad’s voice.

Not now that I knew what they had was real.

It might have bewildered me, and the age difference made no sense, but they were together now. Husband and wife. A family with babies on the way, rings on their fingers, and enough courage to ignore any judgment passed their way.

I took Dad’s hand, but I couldn’t look at him.

“Dad, since we lost mom…I believed I was helping you,” I said. “I’ve cooked the dinners and cleaned the house and helped at the clinic. I thought you needed me to take care of you. But I was wrong…” I took a breath. “You’ve been taking care of me. This whole time. I’ve never once stepped out on my own, never once taken a risk. I knew you would be there, so I never had to face the world myself. I never made a life for myself because I was convinced that you needed me in yours.”

Dad sighed. “Gretchen, you’re my daughter. I will always need you in my life.”

“I know. And I’m not going anywhere…” I smiled at Chloe. “But you two are.”

Dad’s eyebrow rose. “What? Where are we going?”

“You guys have been through enough. Dad, you worked so hard for so long. You sold the clinic. You want that new life. The retirement. Go take it. Move to the Bahamas with Chloe. Live in paradise. Raise your kids. You don’t need anything in Butterpond.”

Dad frowned. “What about you?”

“I’ve got a dog to chase and a man to wrangle.” I smirked. “It’s about time I started my own life. Really started it. Can’t be afraid of the unknown anymore, and I can’t use you as an excuse. You have your wife, your babies, and your tropical paradise waiting, and I couldn’t be happier for you.”

For the first time in months, Dad stood a little taller, grinned a little brighter. “Are you sure, sunshine?”

“We both deserve to be happy. I want Marius. You have Chloe. This is how we did it.”

Chloe tapped her nails against her mug, winking with glee. “You will always have a plane ticket waiting for you. You can visit us anytime.”

Not a bad perk. “Of course. All the time.”

Dad trapped me in a hug. Fierce. Squeezing every last bit of air out of me.

“You know how much I love you, right?” he asked.

“As much as I love you.”

He released me, pretending to brush a bit of dust from his eye. “Well…I’m not leaving yet. You’re gonna be stuck with me for another couple weeks.”

“I can deal with that.”

He took my hand. “Come on. We gotta go look for Ambrose. I’m sure as hell not leaving the country until I know that mongrel is safe with you.”

I had no idea where to look for Ambrose

No idea where he would’ve gone, where he would’ve hid, or why he would leave.

It was as if he disappeared into thin air.

But I wasn’t going to sleep, wasn’t going to rest, until I had both of them back.

First, I’d find my best friend.

Then, I’d take back the man I loved.