8.

D UB

“Good grief, Laura. Could you make more noise?” I heard Mary hiss before the door opened. I lifted my head in time to see Mary pull it closed. I wondered what the girls were up to, especially since both of them were carrying their backpacks, so I sat up to go investigate and realized it was almost dark outside. By the time I went to the restroom, I knew that the girls were already too far gone for me to talk to them, so I went in search of Elizabeth instead.

I went through the house, admiring the simple decor and the numerous plants she had around. In the short time she’d lived here, she’d already made it a warm and inviting home. There were a handful of photos on the walls and one charcoal portrait of Charlie and Elizabeth in a field of sunflowers.

The photos were grouped in a seemingly random jumble in the hallway and looked like happy people with various dogs in different locations. Some dogs were posed with smiling children, others were with smiling families, while yet others were of dogs with men and women who looked more somber, some of whom were missing limbs or visibly scarred in some way. From the haunted look in those people’s eyes, I assumed that they were most likely veterans that Elizabeth had helped match with the dogs she had trained.

Once I was outside on the patio, I looked at the land around me, a view I couldn’t ever get enough of, but I especially enjoyed the early morning light and the dusky evening. There was a magic about the area that I’d felt since I moved here to help my sister. When I mentioned it to her, she agreed that the place was very special and proved to be healing and therapeutic for people like us who had been through so much in our lives.

I distinctly remembered the scars around Elizabeth’s wrists and ankles, although I was sure that seeing Hercules’s head resting on her shoulder had been a hallucination, and knew that she had some trauma in her past that she was trying her best to ignore. Her conversation with my sisters earlier this afternoon made me think that whatever incident had thrown her future plans ‘off course’ had to do with not just her scars, but her vehemence in letting the girls know about boundaries and what they needed to do if someone crossed them.

“Get in there, you sorry little bitch!” I heard Elizabeth yell right before there was a clank of metal and then a whinny that sounded exactly like Hercules’s . . . which made no sense at all since it came from inside Elizabeth’s garage. “Piece of absolute crap!”

I walked around the corner and found that delectable ass in the air and realized that Elizabeth again had no idea I was behind her. It wasn’t because of loud music this time but because she wasn’t alone beneath the hood.

No, my horse was right there with her, up in her business, which was the funniest thing I’d ever seen. It was at that instant that I realized the lasagna conversation had probably really happened.

Suddenly, Elizabeth reared up out of the engine compartment and bumped her head on the hood before she hopped off the stool and walked over to the toolbox. Hercules followed and stopped behind her so he could rest his head on her shoulder and see what she was doing. Elizabeth absentmindedly stroked his cheek as she used her other hand to sift through the toolbox to find what she needed.

“How the fuck did I lose another socket? I just bought that one!” Elizabeth grumbled. “Did you eat it? Just tell me. I swear I won’t be angry.”

I stayed where I was, plenty far enough away not to spook her, and said her name. Elizabeth turned around and smiled at me, a much different greeting than I’d gotten the last time I was here in the garage, and asked, “How was your nap?”

I scratched my head as I stared at my horse who refused to meet my eyes. He knew he was in trouble for pulling his Houdini bullshit and escaping his pen yet again.

“It was good. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but dinner was so delicious and I was so full that I couldn’t help myself.”

“There are plenty of leftovers if you want some more before bed. You really need to get your strength back, and that’s the perfect meal because it’s soft enough not to hurt your mouth.”

“About that,” I said as Elizabeth turned back to the toolbox. “What exactly did they do to me? I thought they were going to fix that one tooth, but I’m missing two and now I’ve got several fillings.”

“You also got a deep cleaning. Made sense to get everything done in one fell swoop since you were already out.”

“Was I drugged when I agreed to that?”

“No, but your wife approved it. You’ve got a follow-up in three months for another cleaning, and you’ll have to keep that schedule for at least a year or two before you can go to the six-month cleaning schedule like everyone else.”

“My wife?” I asked, ignoring the fact that she thought I’d willingly go back to that place.

“Yeah. She’s a great lady. Cool as shit, actually.”

I cleared my throat and waited for an explanation, but she didn’t give one so I asked, “And who exactly is my wife?”

“Well, that day, it was me. I lied.”

“Obviously. And was all of that work pro bono or . . .”

“Of course not, but I paid for it since I didn’t know how much you had in your account.” When I started to argue, she put her hand up and said, “I know. I know. You’re not a charity case, blah, blah, blah, but it needed to be done, so I made it happen. You can pay me back whenever you get the money, but it really doesn’t matter to me. In the long run, it helped you out and you’re not in pain anymore.”

“That was very generous of you,” I admitted.

“It needed to be done. Obviously, self-care isn’t your forte, so someone had to step in and make sure you took care of yourself.” Elizabeth stepped onto the stool and bent over the engine, and I watched as Hercules leaned his head in closer to hers to supervise.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“It was a Tuesday.”

I sighed and tried again. “Why is my horse here?”

“He’s helping me work on the truck.”

“How did he get here?”

“I assume he walked.” I let my head fall forward and started reciting bible verses so I didn’t begin to scream, and I heard Elizabeth laugh. “He showed up the first day you were here, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him to leave, so I called Charlotte and she sent the boys with the supplies he’d need. He’s been bedding down in the barn with the dogs.”

“You put a 2000-pound horse in a barn with only a chain link fence to keep him in?”

“He’s got straw and everything he needs. I put him in the stall with the big bay door so he can go in and out to the pasture as he pleases.”

“You’re fucking joking.”

“I have to check on the new boarders, so you can see it yourself if you want to walk over with me.” I stared at her in stunned silence as she stood up straight again and then leaned over and kissed Hercules on his forehead. “You’re my good helper, aren’t you, baby?”

“Baby?” I asked, wondering how in the world she thought a stud horse was a big sweetheart, although looking at him right now, it seemed that he was. “Do you know what kind of damage he can do?”

“He’s just a big sweetie,” Elizabeth said as she threw her arms around his neck to give him a hug. I stared at Hercules when he rested his head on her shoulder and frowned when he lifted his lips as if to smile at me. “He tried to follow me into the house but couldn’t get through the front door, so now, when I’m inside, I just open the window of whatever room I’m in, and he keeps me company.”

“You tried to bring him into the house?”

“Well, no. I didn’t try to get him in there. He was following me. He’s been doing that since he got here. I think he misses you.”

“I don’t think that’s the case at all,” I mumbled as I watched Hercules follow behind Elizabeth, never farther than she could reach if she decided to pet him. It was then that I noticed his mane. “What did you do to his hair?”

“That reminds me! Do you ever condition it? It’s so coarse that it was damn near unmanageable, so I put some product in it to help with the tangles. I called my former boss, and he gave me a list of products I could use to get it into shape. I picked them up when I went back into town after I brought you home from the dentist.”

“And then you made it look like he scalped an entire boy band and decided to wear their hair on a string down his neck?”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “It’s a protective style to help with his deep conditioning. I FaceTimed my friend Opal, and she walked me through how to do it.”

“On a horse.”

“She thought it was funny but said it would work. She sent me some hair oil to use, and it should be here tomorrow.” Elizabeth tilted her head and looked at me curiously. “Why do you look horrified?”

“How did you get him to sit still long enough? What did you tie him to?”

“Why would I tie him up? That’s just mean. I did his hair after I gave him a bath.”

“A bath?”

“A shower, really, but he got clean, so that’s all that matters.”

“I can’t talk about this anymore because I’m afraid my head’s going to explode.”

“Good because I’ve got things to do,” Elizabeth said as she walked past me. “Come on, Schmoopie. It’s time for you to go to bed.”

Hercules whinnied and started to follow her. As he passed me, he threw his head to the side and bumped my shoulder hard enough that I had to take a few steps to catch my balance. By the time I was steady again, he was walking toward the barn behind her with his head over her shoulder.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath because I was almost positive that I was hallucinating again. What was happening right now wasn’t possible. It might be with another horse, but not Hercules. His breed was known for their gentle and steady temperament, but the big guy had boundaries that I had learned to respect. That was probably why we’d gotten along so well from the first time we met.

Apparently, he didn’t just have boundaries like me, he also had a specific taste in women, namely the beautiful one that he couldn’t manage to stay away from. We were more alike than I’d wanted to believe.

◆◆◆

A sound woke me up, and I realized someone had just opened the front door. It took a second for me to remember I was still at Elizabeth’s, but once I did, I knew that sound was even more disturbing since it was the middle of the night, and she and I were alone.

I slowly got out of bed and slipped my feet into my boots before I walked over to the door and carefully opened it, inch by inch to be sure the hinges didn’t make a sound, until I could see out into the living room. The full moon was shining through the skylights I’d noticed earlier and gave me a good view of the large room as well as the kitchen, so I knew I was alone. I walked into the living room and looked through the wall of windows and saw that the patio was empty as was the yard beyond, so I turned to my left and made my way to the front door.

I saw Charlie laying on the porch just as I heard the creak of the porch swing that I had admired the first time I saw Elizabeth’s house. I knew that if Charlie was out there, then Elizabeth must be too. Since he was calm, everything was surely okay, but I couldn’t resist going to check on her.

I stopped trying to be quiet as I got closer to the door. I watched Charlie’s ears perk up before he turned to watch me through the side windows. I opened the door and stepped out onto the porch where I found Elizabeth frantically wiping her face with the hem of her T-shirt.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

“I may not have had a conventional upbringing, but I was raised in a home with six women and countless sisters. I know that I’m fine means the exact opposite,” I said as I walked toward the swing. “Did you have a bad dream?”

“I’m not a child, Dub,” Elizabeth snapped before she sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. That was harsh and unnecessary.”

“You’re not a child, but that doesn’t mean dreams can’t affect you. I have nightmares of being back in prison all the time and wake up in a cold sweat with my hands shaking and my chest so constricted that it’s almost impossible to breathe.” I sat down next to her and laughed softly before I admitted, “Hell, sometimes I get that way when I’m awake. I’ll be fine and then suddenly feel crowded or like there’s too much going on around me. If I don’t get out of the situation or find a way to calm myself down, I start to sweat and can’t breathe. It’s horrible.”

“That sounds an awful lot like PTSD. It’s at least some form of anxiety, I know that much.”

“Oh, really, Dr. Karen? Is that your field of expertise?”

“I could write books on it,” Elizabeth said as she absentmindedly rubbed her wrists.

I noticed that she didn’t have the leather cuffs on again and touched the scar on one of her wrists. “Because of those?” Elizabeth moved her hands down to her sides as she pulled her legs beneath the swing. “You don’t have to hide from me, Elizabeth. When I saw them the other day, it made some of the puzzle pieces click into place.”

“Puzzle pieces?”

“The pieces that make up Elizabeth Royce, ass kicker extraordinaire, slayer of evil witches, and animal whisperer.” Elizabeth smiled and started to relax, so I continued. “Wielder of a wicked tongue that can flay the skin off a man within seconds and then speak gibberish to dogs and horses that makes them beg to do her bidding.”

“It’s not gibberish.”

“You still didn’t tell me which language that was. Is it Arabic? Some sort of Asian dialect?”

“You guessed it on the very first try.”

“You give your dogs commands in Klingon? ”

“When you train a dog, you want to make sure that others can’t redirect them with different commands. Lots of people use German, but that just means that someone who has nefarious intent and wants to steal your animal or something could also command the dog.”

“But nobody would ever guess that they’re trained in Klingon, and even if they do, they wouldn’t be able to speak it.”

“I was surprised that was your first guess. I would have never taken you for a Trekkie.”

“I watched a lot of reruns in prison.”

“How does that work? Does everyone get a vote?”

I laughed as I shook my head. “Charlotte sent me some money, and I was able to buy a small television for my cell so I could watch whatever I wanted . . . within reason, of course. There were only so many channels available, but every weekday afternoon, there was one that played two hours of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I watched it every chance I got. When I got out, I learned about streaming services and watched every episode in order from the beginning.”

“When I moved to Texas, I didn’t want to leave my apartment, so I watched a lot of television. I found a documentary about service dogs and thought one would really help me. I mentioned it to my friend Sin, and it turned out that she knew a guy who had one that really did him a lot of good. He put me in touch with the man who trains them, and then Sin made arrangements for me to get one of my own. While he was training my first dog with me, I sort of found my calling.”

“I thought you just boarded them for their owners.”

“I do that too. I also do behavioral training, but my passion is training them for service and companionship.”

“That’s what all the pictures in the hallway are from?”

Elizabeth smiled and nodded. “Those are some of the friends I’ve made over the years.”

“Charlie’s your service dog?”

“He is. I don’t keep him with me all the time unless I’m having problems, so he gets to just be a dog a lot of the time. Some dogs are beside their owners almost constantly. My first dog, Rudy, did that for me.”

“What happened to him?”

“He developed some health issues as he got older, but by then, he’d already helped me train Charlie.”

“Why were you crying, Elizabeth?”

“Sometimes a sound or even just a certain smell will take me back to a place I’d rather forget.”

“And that happened tonight?”

“Yeah.”

“What happened?”

“I was sleeping, and I heard you cough. I forgot you were here for a second and thought you were . . .” Elizabeth blew out a breath and shook her head. “It’s nothing. Just my brain overreacting, as usual.”

“Don’t blow it off like it’s nothing,” I chided. “I invaded your home, and as much as I appreciate everything you’ve done, I think I should probably leave you to it tomorrow.”

“Not yet. I told the dentist that I’d keep you here for a week, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

It suddenly struck me that she’d been asleep, but I was in her bed. “Hold on. Where were you sleeping while you had me drugged to the gills? Better yet, where did the girls sleep when they were here?”

“They were in the guest room, and I slept in bed with you.”

“Well, shit,” I mumbled.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t compromise your chastity.”

“It would suck if you had and I couldn’t remember it. I’d really like to have my wits about me if you ever decide to do that.”

Elizabeth laughed before she said, “That’s the worst pickup line I’ve ever heard, Kevin.”

“Since the girls aren’t here, I’ll move to the guest room so you can have your bed back.”

“Nope. You’re still recovering from some major work. You get to sleep in the good bed. Besides, your big ass would barely fit in the guest bed.”

“But now that I’m fully conscious, you won’t share it with me?”

“I wouldn’t want to impose.”

I burst out laughing and said, “I don’t understand you at all, sweetheart. This is your house.”

“And you’re my guest.”

“Let’s go lay down in your bed and finish this conversation,” I suggested. “If you’re worried that you might attack me or something, just give me a little warning so I can make sure I’m fully awake and able to remember every vivid detail.”

“As if,” Elizabeth grumbled before she yawned loudly. “I am kind of tired.”

I put my hand out toward her as I stood up. “Come on, Karen. God knows you’re prickly enough on a good day. I’m not sure I could take it if you got worse because you didn’t get enough sleep.”

“I’ll be fine on the couch.”

“Well, sleeping on the floor is gonna suck for me, but I swear, if you don’t sleep in that bed, either with me beside you or on the couch, that’s what’s gonna happen.”

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a stubborn ass?”

“Sweetheart, I’m not sure you have much room to talk.”