Chapter 20

Landon

A shimmering full moon hangs low in the ebony sky, lighting the gently lapping waves of the lake. The old folks say that strange things happen when the moon is full, and I’ve always wondered if the wives’ tale held any truth. All four of the dogs were adopted. All four in one day. How in the hell did that happen?

Brooke left a few hours ago. She’s a sweetheart for trying to help me track them down, but I’m disappointed. All of that searching turned out to be a waste of time. It’s almost like the little dogs have vanished into thin air.

I walk into the kitchen. My stomach grumbles. I open the freezer and frown at the frozen dinner selections. There’s mushroom ravioli and herb roasted chicken. I close the door. No more of this frozen crap, I think as I reach for the Chinese carryout menu. But if I eat beef lo mein again, I might lose my mind.

I put on my shoes and grab my jacket, heading for the door. The thought of Wendy’s crosses my mind, but I’m not really in the mood for that. I make my way the couple of miles to Bonfire. I can sit at the bar and not feel like a total loser.

I park and get out of my car, taking in the night air. As I walk into the place, staring into the open-air firepit, Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” blares from the speakers. Maybe it’s a sign for me not to give up on finding the dogs and making things official with Brooke.

I slide into a high stool at the bar. A woman in her forties with a petite frame and bleach-blonde hair stands behind the bar. She walks over to me with a toothy grin. “What can I get for you, love?”

I want to keep it light. No heavy liquor since I still have to drive home. “A Heineken please.”

“Coming right up. Would you like to see the dinner menu?”

“I already know what I want,” I say, “Can I please get the buffalo wings and fries?”

“Sure thing, love.”

“Thanks.”

I watch two old-timers chew the fat a few stools down from me. I wonder what they’re talking about, ice fishing or poker. It’s always one thing or the other with these natives. It’s like a rerun of Grumpy Old Men.

The bartender puts the beer on a napkin in front of me. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ve never seen you before, love. New in town?”

“No. I just don’t get out a lot.”

“That’s a shame, handsome young man like you.”

“Thanks.” I smile. Handsome? Young? This chick is going get a nice tip even if the food tastes worse than the frozen dinners in my fridge.

“What’s your name?”

“Landon.”

“Well, I’m Sarah.”

“Nice to meet you.” That was a stretch, but I attempt to be polite, keep my inner douche at bay. Besides, you should always be nice to the people serving your food.

“I’m about to put my foot in my mouth, but here goes... I’ve got a cousin who’s single. She’s really easy on the eyes. And sweet as cotton candy. Maybe you might want to meet her?” She pulls out her cell phone and opens a picture of a brunette with a bright smile.

The beautiful woman does nothing for me since I only have eyes for Brooke. “I’m kinda seeing somebody right now.”

“I should’ve figured as much. All the good ones are taken.”

“Who says I’m a good one?”

She smiles. “I’ll be right back.”

A few minutes later, Sarah returns with my wings. “Thanks.”

After digging in, I wipe my messy fingers with a napkin and immediately feel self-conscious. I can tell that the guys in here never do that. I sip the beer, taking in my surroundings. This is probably good research for my next novel. I’m sure a few people have disappeared from this place.

“Sarah, I’m sure people ask you for advice all the time,” I say.

She smiles. “You must be a mind reader. What’s on your mind, love?”

“The girl that I like. Correction, the woman I like, how do I know if she’s into me as much as I’m into her? It’s been forever since I’ve been single. I was married before. A…long time. I’m new to this whole dating thing.”

“Let me guess, you just went through a messy divorce, and she took you for everything you had?”

I nod. There’s no need to tell her about what happened with Carla.

“I’ve been there. Twice. Divorce is a bitch. But every time I swore I would never get married again, I found myself right back in love. It always caught me by surprise too. Love does that.”

“Yeah, but women are impossible to figure out. What if she doesn’t even like me like that? What if she just likes my dogs?”

Sarah laughs. “What kind of dogs do you have?”

“Chihuahuas.”

“Those things are adorable.” She puts her hands on her ample hips and gives me a saucy wink. “She probably does love the dogs more than you.”

I smile and nod, but the joke still lands in the center of my heart like a stabbing knife.

“But you’re wrong when you say that women are impossible to figure out. It’s you men that make things so damn complicated. I bet you haven’t even told her how you feel.”

“I told her that I like spending time with her and I said–”

She throws up her hands. “What is she supposed to do with that? You know how many men have told me that they like my company only to drop off the face of the earth? I’m ashamed to admit the exact number to tell you the truth.”

“I hear what you’re saying, but this is different. I’m pretty sure she knows how I feel.”

“Men always talk about how they’re not mind readers. Well, news flash, women aren’t mind readers either. You’ve got to be clear when it comes to us too.”

“I never thought about it that way. I don’t like this whole dating thing. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m really into her, but this shit is confusing. I keep reminding myself that we haven’t even known each other that long, to keep it in perspective. But these emotions…make it seriously hard to do.”

“I bet if she was sitting right here, she would be just as confused as you are, and isn’t that a shame?”

I grin. “You think so?”

“You’re a real looker, and you’ve got a good head on your shoulders. I can tell that. Plus, you seem classy and put together.”

I laugh and toss her a wink. “These are actually dentures.”

“Sweetheart, I have enough experience with dentures to know your bullshitting. Are you employed?”

“Yeah.” I don’t want to tell her about being a famous author. I feel like that would be bragging.

“And you’ve got a job so you’re the whole package. If I was a few years younger, I wouldn’t let you go home by yourself tonight.” She winks.

I flash a big smile. After I finish eating, I pay for my food and leave her a generous tip. I head back to the car with a new perspective on everything. All this time, I thought I was damaged goods, but to my surprise, I’m a great catch, at least according to the slightly aging Sarah. I can only hope that Brooke feels the same way.

I drive home, thinking about how I need to let go of my negativity. It’s clearly been holding me back. When it comes to Brooke and the dogs, I have to try something different.

The next morning, I head straight to Guy’s animal shelter. I’m ready to put the old saying into practice about attracting more flies with honey than vinegar to the test. I walk through the door.

A white-haired woman sits behind the desk. She waves at me. “Welcome, how can I help you today?”

“Hi.” I force myself to smile, but I can’t help but wonder if this is the stupid volunteer who didn’t fill out the proper paperwork when somebody adopted my dogs. Words fly into my throat begging to be released on an angry scream, but I swallow them back down. I’m making progress.

“Yes, what is it?”

“I…actually, I would like to make a donation.” I pull out my checkbook.

“That’s wonderful. Guy will really appreciate this.”

“By the way, is he around?” I write out the check for a thousand dollars and hand it to her.

The woman’s eyes widen into saucers. “Thank you so much!” She pauses. “Wait, did you ask something about Guy?”

“Yeah, is he here? I’d really like to talk to him.”

“Guy is running late today. He’s had his hands full, taking care of these four crazy Chihuahuas he took out of an abusive situation. Isn’t that a riot? Who would harm a cute little Chihuahua, right? Asshole should be hung from his toenails until they fall off.”

I manage to keep my composure as the reality of the truth settles.

“But now, with your generous donation, we’ll be able to stop abusive assholes like angry Chihuahua man. Thanks again, Mr…” She glances down at my check. “Cole.

“No problem, keep up the good work.” I make my way to the door.

“Thanks again!”

“You’re welcome.” I walk out as my head buzzes with the angry stings of thousands of murderous thoughts. I always had a bad feeling about Guy Foster, but I never suspected he stoop so low as to steal my dogs and hide them from me.

All while lying straight to my face.

Rage vibrates through me as I get into my car. I want to drive to that fucker’s house and punch his stupid face in. But the priority is getting my dogs back, and I know that resorting to violence will make all this shit even worse.

My head feels like it’s gonna explode. I take several deep breaths to calm down. As I pull out of the parking lot, numbness settles in. On the drive home, I strategize my next move.

Those aren’t just my dogs, they belonged to Grandma Nancy. She adored those little angels. I can still remember how much joy they brought to the sweet old woman…the woman who raised Carla as her own daughter. The woman who always accepted me, warts and all.

Damn, I want Guy Foster to pay for this shit. But once again, it’s not about him at all. I just want to bring the dogs back home right now since I can imagine how frightened they are. I’ll deal with that asshole later.

Brooke told me he was a nice guy, but it seems he’s pulled the wool over her eyes. The whole town thinks he’s some kind of animal rescue hero, but I know he’s nothing but a big, fat, fucking liar. How could he look me in my eyes and tell me he had no idea where the Chihuahuas were? And that whole story about the volunteer who messed up the paperwork almost had me fooled. He damn near got away with it.

No more.