Celebration (11 page)

“My parents were considered ethical breeders. Their reputations were known all over the country. I want the same kind of reputation, and I know I'm going to have to earn it. Ms. Hildebrand is known for her ethical reputation and her Goldenray Yorkshire terriers. She's the one I'll be doing most of my business with, but I am getting two other pups from a breeder in Kansas. I'm starting small. I'm just so thankful my parents' old records didn't burn along with the barn. I've forgotten so many things, but I'm good to go, as they say. Let me give you the guided tour, Mr. Dunwoodie. That's the first thing my mother always said when a customer came through the doors. She allowed me to do it a few times. I always felt important.

“These, Mr. Dunwoodie, are the bins or stalls where we keep the pups. The straw keeps them warm even though the barn is heated. Note the soft flannel sheets. New pups need warmth. No one is permitted to pick up or handle the dogs except me. We have twelve of these bins. At some point, Mr. Dunwoodie, I hope to have them all filled with gorgeous, beautiful dogs that will make each new owner very happy. As you can see, everything is whitewashed and clean. It's always like this. Our dogs are healthy and happy. You will never notice an odor in here. We have fans overhead and cross-ventilation. We have outside runs for the dogs. Pups are kept separate during the first month. Everyone gets plenty of exercise. Our dog food is nutritionally balanced. At some point, I'll sell the food along with a line of collars, leashes, and dog treats, but not just yet.

“This is our kitchen. As you can see, everything is stainless steel, the bathing tubs as well as the refrigerator. The washer and dryer are probably on their last legs but will serve the purpose for now. We use old towels, sheets, and blankets and wash them daily. Each pup gets his or her own blanket and toy when they're a month old. It makes it easier when they go off with a new owner and have to leave siblings and Mom behind. I used to cry my eyes out when it was time for one of them to leave. You get a feel for people when they arrive. My mother was like a hawk when it came to the owners. If she had the least suspicion that someone wasn't up to her standards, she said no. Over the years I saw her turn away dozens of people. I want to match the right owner with the right dog. I want each dog to be loved, and I want the dog to love his new owner. It's that simple. In later years, Mom started to breed Maltese and, before the accident, she and Dad were considering Jack Russells. Sometime down the road, I might do that, but Yorkies are my passion now.

“This is the office. It's kind of spartan, with just a desk, chair, and file cabinets. I'll bring in some green plants, a coffeemaker, and some stuff to make it a little homier.

“This last room is what Mom always called the clinic room. Examining table, stainless-steel sink, cabinet, chair. Lots and lots of disinfectant in the cabinets. That's your tour, Woodie.”

“I'm impressed. I brought you something, Kristine.”

“A present? What is it?”

“It's in the car. Do you have a ladder?”

“Silly question. You spent the past three weeks on it. It's on the back porch.”

“I need a screwdriver and some pliers? I'll put the ladder in the car and we'll drive out to the main road. What do you think?” Woodie asked, lifting a sign out of the backseat of his car.

Kristine's vision blurred. “Woodie, this is wonderful. I thought about getting a new sign but decided to wait. Who painted it? We need a celebration of some kind. But, not now.”

“I love celebrations. Aren't we backlogged on our celebrations? One of these days we're really going to have a big one and combine everything in one. Actually, one of the girls at the bank painted the sign. Her father cut the sign into the pattern of a Yorkie, and she did the painting and the lettering. I think it looks professional.”

Kristine's index finger traced the raised lettering: S
UMMERS
K
ENNELS.
Owned and operated by Kristine Summers. “Oh, Woodie, this is just perfect. Thank you so much.”

“What do you want to do with the old one?” Woodie asked as he tightened the last screw on the cheerful-looking sign.

“Throw it away.”

“Do you think your parents would approve of this one or is it too ...
cutesy?”

Kristine's lips tightened. “They probably wouldn't approve. They rarely approved of anything I did. My mother was a master at finding fault. I think I tried all my life to win their approval. There was never a pat on the head or a smile or words of encouragement. I never knew why that was. I was dutiful. All I wanted was a smile or a word of praise. Sometimes, now, when I think back, I think I turned myself inside out trying to please them. I did the same thing with Logan. Then when the fire happened, I wigged out. All this guilt came crashing down on me. Maybe I should have tried harder, done more. Sometimes I still have nightmares over that.”

“It doesn't pay to think about the past. It's gone. Tomorrow isn't here yet, so all you have is today. And today, Kristine, is, in a manner of speaking, the first day of your new business life. Congratulations!”

Kristine could feel her throat start to tighten up. Hot tears pricked her eyelids. “I couldn't have done it without you, Woodie. I will be forever grateful. If you hadn't come along when you did, my snoot would still be in the bottle. How do I thank you for that?”

“You just did. I think you would have done it for me if the situation were reversed.”

“Not the old Kristine. Maybe this new improved model.”

“I'd like a cup of coffee before I head back home. I might even be able to eat a ham and cheese sandwich,” Woodie said as he tossed the old sign into the backseat of his car.

“Mr. Dunwoodie, it will be my pleasure to offer you lunch.” Kristine offered up a snappy salute in the general direction of the sign as Woodie turned the car around in the middle of the road.

Things were definitely looking up.

 

 

“I think we should go out on the town and celebrate,” Woodie said.

“Six weeks of torture and you want to celebrate. No thanks. I have to admit, I think it's going to be a little strange around here with you gone. The dogs are used to you. I guess I need to thank you for getting me the loan.” Kristine wondered why her voice was so stiff and defensive-sounding.

“You qualified for the loan. This house and acreage are great collateral. I'd like to come out to visit from time to time if that's all right with you. You know, keeping tabs on the dogs and our business investment. The bank likes its officers to do things like that. It's nothing personal.”

“To check on me?”

“Yes. Promise me that if you have the urge to drink, you'll call me. AA has a chapter in town you can go to any time of the day or night.”

“I know, Woodie. Don't worry about me. I'm sorry I put you through so much misery. It was such a bad time for me. My head's on straight now. I have a few fences to mend, then I'll get on with the business of living. Don't be a stranger.”

“See you around.”

“Yeah. See you around,” Kristine said. “Hey, wait a minute.” She ran down the steps Woodie had repaired to wrap her arms around him. She kissed him soundly, her eyes widening in shock at the electricity running through her body. “Ah, I didn't mean to do that. It was . . . you know, spur of the moment, serendipity, that kind of thing. Thanks, Woodie, for everything.”

A strange look on his face, the banker tried for a smile. “It was my pleasure. Call me if you have any problems.”

“I'll do that.”

“Even with the dogs.”

“Okay.”

“Day or night.”

“I'll remember that.”

“Bye, Kristine.”

“Bye, Woodie.”

“Kristine?”

Kristine whirled around. “Yes.”

“Georgia isn't that far away. You could drive it in a day. Or you could fly. The weekend is coming up. I bet the kids would love to see you. If you don't want to go to Georgia, mark your calendar to go see them when the fall semester starts.”

“I'll think about it.”

“You could take a few more days and stop at that vet hospital in Atlanta. You said you wanted to look into taking some courses. It's just a thought.”

“It's a good thought, though. I'll think about it.”

Kristine stood on the porch with both dogs in her arms until Woodie's minibus was out of sight. She felt like crying and didn't know why.

“I think Aaron Dunwoodie is going to be a good friend to us. I miss him already. And, what are you guys going to do when you find out he took all his shoes with him?”

Gracie stared up at her mistress with adoring eyes. Slick wiggled in the crook of her arm to get more comfortable.

“You know something. He is a nice man. A very nice man. I thought he was a stuffed shirt, you know, one of those nerds the kids always talk about. I liked him. The kids liked him. Kids, like you guys, are very good judges of character. I wish I had paid more attention to their opinions. C'mon, let's go out to the barn and do some paperwork. You guys can play in the straw.”

The puppies were like greased lightning as they streaked through the house and out to the kitchen, where they waited patiently for Kristine to open the door.

“I miss him already,” she murmured.

“You're sure now, Pete, that you can handle things while I'm gone. I'll check in at least twice a day. I don't foresee any problems, but you never know.”

The young vet grimaced. “I might be young, but I think I can handle things. And, I've been here working side by side with you for two years. Like you said, there don't appear to be any problems. Two days is not an eternity. Go to Georgia, be proud of your children, take them all out to a nice dinner and celebrate. If there's any time left over, shower Woodie with affection. He's in love with you. You do know that, don't you, Kristine?”

“I don't know any such thing, Pete. He's a good friend. Do I need to remind you, I am still married. I would never be unfaithful to my husband. You also need to mind your own business.”

Two years of working side by side allowed Pete Calloway to speak openly. Normally, Kristine didn't take offense, but today was different. He wished now he had kept quiet, but as long as his foot was in his mouth he might as well run with his thoughts. “You can only be unfaithful when you have a husband. You don't seem to have one, Kristine. You haven't had one for years. You're too young to wither on the vine.”

Kristine forced a laugh. “What do you know about women withering on the vine? Never mind. I don't want to know. For your information, I have a very full, active life. For me, it's more than satisfactory. I work hard, I'm actually turning a profit, and I love the animals. Not to mention the fact that I am able to pay you a decent salary. I go out one night a week for dinner. I sleep well. I haven't had a drink in three years. I'd say I'm doing okay. And before you can say it, I am not being testy. I am a little anxious. I haven't seen the kids in over three years. By their choice, not mine. Talking to them isn't the same as seeing them. They don't like me, Pete, and I don't think they are ever going to forgive me. I understand that, and, while I may not like it, I have to respect their feelings. When Logan didn't come back, I couldn't clutch at them. I tried, but they were smarter than me. They didn't let it happen. I had to learn to stand on my own two feet. I'm getting there. I'll be the proud mother tomorrow. I won't weep or grope at them. They're young adults now. I still can't believe all three of them are graduating from the same school on the same day. The twins took a semester off to work full-time, but I think it was so they could graduate with Tyler. They certainly don't get their brains from me. Woodie helped a lot. Georgia Tech was his alma mater. I think he privately and publicly donates handsomely to the school. He never said he did. It's an assumption on my part. The kids like and respect him. He's the one they call when they have a problem. They might be calling Sadie, too, but I'm not sure of that. What I am sure of is they only call me to let me know they're alive and well.”

“And you want more?” Pete asked.

Kristine frowned. “Someday more would be nice. Right now I don't deserve more. The children don't think I deserve more. Their opinion is the only one that counts.”

“I hear Woodie's horn. You better get cracking, Kristine. Drive carefully and don't worry about anything.”

“Okay, Pete. You're in charge. I'll see you when I see you.”

The young vet watched his boss sprint out to the road. She was too nice a person to have so many problems. He hated the unseen Logan Kelly, hated him with a passion. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think he liked the Kelly children either. “Good luck, Kristine,” he murmured as he started his preparations for the new day. “Okay, ladies and gentlemen,” he said, addressing the sixteen new pups, “listen up. This is the way it's going to be for the next two days . . .”

 

 

“I hope you don't mind that the top is down. Are you one of those women who worries her hair will blow all over?” Woodie asked. His tone said he didn't care if she was one of those women.

Kristine laughed. “I have it pinned up pretty tight. If it gets too bad, I can always cut it off.” Logan had always loved her hair. “A crowning glory of hair isn't all that it's cracked up to be. I've been thinking of getting one of those wash-and-wear dos. You're a man; what's your feeling on women's hair?”

Woodie grinned. “Is this one of those trick questions?”

“No.”

“Good. I like hair. Period.”

Kristine giggled. “I want to thank you for making the trip with me. You'll be good moral support when the kids stare through me.”

“That isn't going to happen, Kristine.”

“Of course it is, and I'm okay with it. This is the way it has to be for now. Things . . . the situation might change someday, and then again, maybe it won't. I just had this same conversation with Pete a little while ago. I want to leave right after dinner if that's okay with you. I don't want the kids to feel uncomfortable.”

“That's fine with me. For today, I thought we'd just kind of mosey along. My housekeeper packed us a picnic lunch. It's a beautiful day, and we're in no hurry. It would be nice if you'd smile.”

Kristine grimaced. “Is this where you give me pep talk number forty-three? You know the one, life is wonderful, life is good, life should be lived?”

Woodie guffawed. “Yeah, that's the one. Life is whatever you make it. Life will go on, with or without you. I'm very fond of you, Kristine. I think you know that.”

“You've been a very good friend, Woodie. I truly don't know what I would have done without you. I literally owe you my life.”

“I don't want you to owe me your life. I want you to share your life with me. It's time.”

Kristine's heart started to pound in her chest. “Are you saying . . . do you want . . . I'm married. I can't . . . do you expect . . . ?”

“What I would like, Kristine, is for you and me to have a relationship. I'm in love with you. I knew you never wanted me to say the words aloud. I know you have feelings for me. Feelings you stifle. If I wasn't in your life, if I left, moved away, how would you feel?”

Kristine didn't have to ponder her response. “I would be devastated, Woodie.” A knot formed in the pit of her stomach. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“I'm retiring from the bank at the end of the year. The way I look at it, twenty-five years in any job is long enough. I've made some wise investments over the years that will allow me to retire with the lifestyle I want. I just want to enjoy my life and do all the things I never got to do with a nine-to-five job. I want to do all those things while I'm still young enough to enjoy doing them. I guess I'm trying to say I'm going to start planning for my future. I'd like to know if I can include you in my plans.”

Kristine loosened her seat belt so she could turn to face Woodie. He was such a dear, sweet person. And she did care for him. What would life without him be like? She depended on him in so many ways, as did her children. Right now his shoulders were tense. She wished she could see his eyes, but the dark glasses and baseball cap were shielding the upper portion of his face. However, the grim set of his jaw told her this particular discussion was one that needed to be resolved. She'd often fantasized about him, then felt so disloyal with her thoughts she would run to take a cold shower. Life without Woodie. Unthinkable. No one had ever encouraged her the way Woodie had. No one ever smiled at her the way Woodie did. He was always there, in the daytime, in the middle of the night, holidays. And he loved her. He was probably the only person in the whole world who loved her.

“What are you thinking, Kristine?”

Kristine gave voice to all her thoughts and added more. “I don't know if I'm ready, Woodie. I have thought about . . . us. Lately I've been thinking about . . . a lot of things. I've never been with another man. That's a king-size fear right there. Then there is the disloyalty aspect of it. I know you don't understand that. When I got married I really did believe in till death do us part.' I had all these hopes and dreams. I thought Logan and I would grow old in rocking chairs on that big old front porch. I still have trouble with that. I'm not sure what I feel for Logan. I still have feelings. I know the way things look. There wasn't a page in the book about how I should deal with this. I need some kind of closure. There has to be closure before you can move on. Mentally, I think I'm in a pretty stable place, thanks to you. I have thought about a divorce. I've thought about it a lot lately, but somehow I can't make myself go to an attorney. It's that loyalty thing, I guess.”

Woodie took his eyes off the road for a moment to stare at Kristine. His voice was sad and gentle when he said, “Where does that leave us?”

“With me afraid to take off my clothes in front of you. I'm forty-five, Woodie. I've never been with any man but my husband. We're talking fear and trepidation here.”

Woodie took his eyes off the road a second time. “I could rip your clothes off. How about that?”

“Yeah, how about that? That strategy might work. I thought about it, too.”

“Me too. We could sort of have a dry run when we stop for our picnic.”

Kristine licked at her dry lips. She thought about all the strange places she'd made love with Logan. If they'd ever made love on a picnic, she couldn't remember it. “What does dry run mean exactly?” she asked breathlessly.

“It means we go for it. If it works, it works. If it doesn't work, we'll try again later. Dry runs are something to think about.”

Kristine looked at her watch. Lunch was three hours away. Thinking about something as wonderful as making love for three hours would be hell. “What's your feeling on an early lunch?” She imagined her friend Sadie saying, “Go for it, girl!”

“I'm starved. Hold on.”

Kristine reached for the strap over the door and held on as Woodie careened off to the side of the road, where he waited for a break in traffic on the secondary road. The moment traffic cleared, he crossed the road and barreled along until he came to a dirt road. “I have no idea where this road goes. It's a kidney crusher, that's for sure,” he said as they bounced along. Five minutes later he pulled into a small clearing. The moment he cut the engine, Kristine undid her seat belt.

“Should I bring the picnic basket or is that just window dressing?”

“Yeah. No. There's food in it but . . . I think we just need the blanket.”

“The blanket. Yes, yes, the blanket. The food . . . The hell with the food,” Kristine said.

The moment Woodie spread the blanket, Kristine said, “You said something about tearing off my clothes.”

“I thought the word was rip.”

“Rip, tear, same difference. I'll rip yours, and you tear mine.”

“Sounds good.”

“I haven't done this in a long time,” Kristine said.

“Me either,” Woodie said. “It's like riding a bike or swimming. It will come back to us. I read that somewhere.”

“My God, you talk a lot,” Kristine said, sliding her slacks down over her hips.

They were like two first-time teenagers as they groped and prodded one another before they toppled to the blanket.

Along time later, Woodie rolled over. Kristine thought his eyes were glassy. She said so. “Yours look like mirrors.” He laughed.

“That was a hell of a dry run.” Kristine laughed. “Aren't you supposed to whip out the potato salad and hard-boiled eggs about now?”

“Wait till you see the real thing tonight. Are you saying you're hungry?”

“I'm starved. You said this was a picnic. So, feed me. I think we should sit here, buck-ass naked, and eat all that food in the basket. It will make for a delicious memory.”

Woodie tossed Kristine a hard-boiled egg and a chicken leg. He watched as she munched contentedly. “You okay with this, Kristine?”

“I'm okay with this, Woodie.” She was, she realized. She really was.
Oh, Sadie
,
if you could only see me now
.

“Good. Me too.”

“We should probably get dressed and get going,” Kristine said.

“Yeah, we probably should.”

Kristine crooked her index finger under Woodie's nose. Her voice dropped to a husky purr. “On the other hand, one can never have too much practice.” Out of the corner of her eye she saw a hard-boiled egg sail over Woodie's shoulder as he pounced on her. “I'm expecting
big
things tonight with all this practice,” she managed to gurgle before Woodie's lips clamped down on hers. When she managed to come up for air she gasped,
“Really
big things.”

“And you say I talk too much! Shut up so we can practice.”

“My mother didn't raise any fools,” Kristine said as she clamped her lips shut.

“Aahhhh.”