Chapter 19

Iwas sad to say goodbye to Mallory. But even staying one extra night was risky, at least until I’d put a little more distance between here and back home.

My main worry is how I’m going to make money. I can’t exactly hold down a job if I’m not staying in one place for more than a few days.

The sun beats down on me as I contemplate my dilemma, making me stop for a minute. I take out a bottle of water from my bag and drink half of it before slipping it back into one of the side pockets.

I strip my hoodie off, tie it around my waist, and take a second to catch my breath. After leaving the shelter at first light, I hitched a ride with a man who looked older than Jesus, who was returning home after visiting his grandchildren.

He dropped me off outside his house about four hours from the shelter before inviting me in for a drink that I politely refused.

I’ve been walking for a couple of hours since then and I’m going to need to find somewhere to rest soon before my legs give out. My feet are throbbing, making me grateful that I chose to wear my sneakers instead of any of the new shoes Oz bought me; otherwise, my feet would be covered in blisters.

I check my pocket to make sure my knife is handy and heave my bag back on. I swear the damn thing gets heavier the farther I walk. I keep going, taking in the scenery as I pass. A children’s park appears up ahead on my right, and the sight of it almost has me breaking down on the side of the damn street.

Every time I think I have come to terms with my decision, something triggers me, and my heart feels like it’s been smashed all over again.

Before I question my actions, I head toward the park. There are children playing on the swings, and a squeal of laughter comes from a small red-haired boy as he slides down the slide so fast that he goes shooting off the end. Thankfully, Dad is there to catch him. Judging from the boy’s continuous laughter, that was part of the fun.

I keep walking, heading for the large picnic area filled with mostly empty benches. I pick the one farthest from the playgrounds and sit down with a groan. I think my feet hurt worse now that I’ve stopped.

Taking my backpack off, I put it down next to me and look around. When I see nobody’s paying attention to me, I use the bag as a pillow, lie down on the bench, and close my eyes.

The sound of the children playing lulls me. As my mind drifts, I can almost convince myself I’m back home, listening to The Lost Ones running around.

I don’t intend to fall asleep, but I must have because when something wet touches my arm, I wake up with a squeal.

My pulse races frantically as my heart threatens to beat out of my chest. I’m reaching for my knife when I see a dog sitting in front of me with his head cocked to the side.

“I can see you judging me.”

He barks once, making me shake my head at him.

“I’ll have you know I’m a ninja. I’m just trying to blend in with the common folk. Which means I should probably stop talking to dogs, huh?”

I reach out and pet his head. He leans into it, his tongue hanging out as he pants.

I look around to see who he belongs to, but the park is empty now. “Jesus, how long have I been here?”

The dog doesn’t answer me, obviously, so I check my watch.

“Four o’clock. Fuck.” I stand up and stretch. Two hours spent in the park means I’ve missed out on two hours of looking for somewhere to stay tonight.

Untying the hoodie from around my waist, I pull it back on before digging around in my bag for one of my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It’s a little squished, but otherwise, it’s still good. I eat the sandwich as the dog watches me.

“Sorry, doggy. You can’t have this. I don’t want to make you sick.”

He looks at me with big, sad eyes, and I sigh, reaching inside my bag for the pack of crackers I took from an empty table I passed outside a coffee shop earlier. I open them up and offer one to the dog, who happily wolfs it down. I’m tempted to eat one myself, but I decide against it and pull out my water bottle instead to take a drink.

I give him another cracker as I stand up and stretch. Bending down, I check his collar for a tag, but if he had one, it’s not there now.

“Do you know your way home, boy?” I look around, wondering if someone is looking for him. I don’t want to leave him out here alone.

“Alright, why don’t you come and wander with me for a little while? We’ll see if you can find your owner.”

He follows close behind me as I walk across the picnic area toward the little wooden playhouses I can see in the distance.

As I get closer, I see that they’re really small, most likely designed for preschool kids. But if I curl up, I should be okay. I’ve got a couple of hours before it gets dark, so I figure I’ll explore the area a little bit. If I can’t find anywhere better, I’ll sleep here. It’s not exactly cozy, but it is a shelter, and if it rains, I’m going to need it. Hopefully, Greg’s sleeping bag will keep me warm.

“Come on, boy. Let’s see if we can find your owner.”

He lets out a bark, like he understands what I’m saying. I smile at him. He really is adorable. I have no idea what kind of dog he is. He’s big, standing hip-height to me, with pointy ears and a fluffy tail. I think he’s some kind of mixed breed. He has the coat and ears of a German shepherd but the coloring of a Doberman.

We cross the park towards a housing development.

“This where you from, boy?”

He doesn’t seem overly excited, but I head that way anyway. The farther I walk, the bigger the houses become before I reach a gated community. There is a guardhouse on one side with a man stationed inside reading the newspaper.

“Excuse me, hi.”

He turns to look at me, his eyes moving from me to the dog.

“Can I help you, miss?”

“I hope so. I found this guy at the park. His tag seems to have fallen off his collar, and I couldn’t find anyone around. I don’t suppose you recognize him, do you?”

He shakes his head with a chuckle.

“He’s a good-looking dog. But on the other side of those gates, you’ll only find dogs that fit in handbags.”

I sigh. “Right.” I turn around and look at the other houses, the immaculate lawns, and the pretty flower beds. None of them look like a dog might live there.

“Is there anyone on this side of the gate that he might belong to?”

“I don’t know. People tend to keep to themselves around here. Can’t say I remember anyone walking a dog. I can ask around, though.”

“That would be nice. Thank you. I’m not here for long, but I can come back tomorrow and see if you’ve had any luck. I don’t want him to end up at the pound.”

“A nice-looking dog like that shouldn’t have any problem getting adopted.”

“Unless people want a handbag dog,” I answer wryly.

“Right. Well, he seems to like you. Might find that he isn’t lost at all but found.”

I jolt at his words and look down at the dog, who is leaning against my leg, looking up at me.

“As much as I’d love to keep him, my life isn’t exactly conducive for looking after a pet right now. Hell, I can hardly look after myself.”

“I hear that.”

The sound of an approaching car steals his attention.

“I’ll be back tomorrow. Thanks for your help.”

I walk through the housing development, spotting a couple of joggers.

“Excuse me, do either of you recognize this dog?”

“No, sorry,” one of them huffs out, not breaking their stride as they pass me. The other jogger doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.

“I bet he’s the kind of jogger that finds a body while running in the park and doesn’t report it because it will interfere with his schedule.”

“I bet you’d report it, though.” I look down at the dog and grin. “You’re a pretty good listener, you know that?”

We make it through the development without running into anyone else. With a frustrated sigh, I turn around and head back to the park. It’s getting dark, and I don’t think I’m going to find somewhere better to sleep tonight.

“This is your fault, you know. You’re lucky you’re so cute,” I grumble.

I pick the playhouse in the middle of the others. Opening the door, I look inside and sigh. It will have to do. I tug out the sleeping bag and toe off my sneakers, putting them inside my backpack so nothing can crawl inside them while I sleep. I toss the bag into the house before I crawl inside and unroll the sleeping bag, closing the small door behind me. It”s a little tight in here, but at least I have a roof over my head.

I unzip the sleeping bag, and I’m about to lie down when the dog starts whining from outside.

“There isn’t much room in here, doggie. And I don’t want to squish you.”

He keeps whining until I open the door. He bounds in, almost knocking me flying.

“Alright, calm down.”

I lie back down and zip the bag up. I keep the backpack beside me, the knife in the front pocket in case I need it.

I move around until I’m comfortable, giggling when a furry head rests on my thigh. “Ahh, it’s like that, is it?”

He snuggles closer, and my heart melts a little more for him.

“Dammit, doggie, I’ve said enough goodbyes to last me a lifetime. I can’t take you with me. You understand that, right?”

He rests his paw on my thigh next to his head, and I give up trying to reason with him.

Reason with him? He’s a freaking dog, Lara. You’re losing your damn mind.

With a sigh, I burrow deeper into the sleeping bag and drift off, happy for the company even if I’ll be sad to say goodbye to him tomorrow.

The wind picks up during the night, making it difficult to get much sleep, though the sleeping bag did a good job keeping me warm. By the time the sun’s up, I’m exhausted. My body aches from all the walking yesterday, and I can’t say I’m looking forward to doing more today, but I’ll push through. There will be time for rest later.

“Thanks for keeping me company.” I rub the spot behind the dog’s ear, which he seems to like so much, before checking the time.

Six a.m. I’ve never been a fan of getting up this early, but it does have its benefits. Now would be a good time to head downtown because it will be quieter at this hour than usual.

I drink some water but don’t bother eating anything. I’m not hungry just yet, and if I eat too early, I’ll have to wait longer until I can eat again.

Sighing, I grab my backpack and take out my sneakers, sliding them back on my feet before rolling up the sleeping bag and shoving it back into my bag. With that done, I quickly drag a brush through my hair and pull it up into a messy bun.

I open the little door to the playhouse and climb out. There’s a chill in the air this morning, so I pull the raincoat on over my hoodie, hoping to ward off the worst of it.

Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I take a deep breath and look down at the dog. “Come on. Let’s go stretch our legs.”

We walk through the park, past the playground, and head downtown. There are a few cars on the road, but the streets themselves are quiet. We pass a couple walking their dog and a row of houses with the curtains closed, and I can’t help wishing I could trade places with the people inside.

As if sensing my mood, the dog presses against my leg. I run my hand through his fur. “I’m okay. A little sad, but that’s to be expected. It will get better, though, right?”

By the time we get to town, there are a lot more cars on the road. Some of the stores are open, while others are preparing for the morning rush.

I see a coffee shop on the corner, and a woman inside flipping the closed sign to open. People are going about their business, living their lives, completely unaware of the void inside me threatening to consume me any minute.

I shake off my negative thoughts and keep my head down as we continue on. When we walk past a building site, I notice the corner of a large tarp fluttering in the wind. I move toward it and see that it’s being used to cover a pile of bricks. The rope holding down the one side hasn’t been tied off properly and has come undone.

I stare at it for a second before I work on loosening the knot at the other end. Once it gives, I slip it free.

“Well, this might work.”

I fashion a large loop at one end and thread the other end through the dog’s collar, knotting it tight, creating a sort of leash.

“There we go. As good as you are, I’d hate for someone to see you wandering around without one and call animal control. Wait, is that a real thing? I swear I’ve watched one too many animated movies,” I mutter, more to myself than the dog.

We walk around the center of town, taking in the sights and sounds. It doesn’t take long, though, so after passing the same coffee shop for the second time, I stop and check the time. It’s nine-thirty. I can’t stay here any longer. I have to keep moving. But what about this dog?

“What to do?” I blow out a breath. My thoughts are all over the place. I feel so out of my depth it’s not even funny. With my thoughts taking on a panicked edge, I start humming. It’s impossible to feel sad when singing a Disney song. I’m not sure if that’s true, but I’ll go with it.After a few minutes and a couple of songs, I’ve calmed down enough to make a decision.

“Alright, doggie. Let’s head back to the guard and see if he has any news about your owners. We can eat in the park again, but then I’ve got to get back on the road.”

I continue to hum as we walk, and by the time we make it back to the guardhouse, I’ve worked my way through ten Disney classics, gradually moving into the more modern stuff.

“Hey, you’re back,” the guard from yesterday says, looking surprised.

“I said I would be.”

“I described your canine friend here to a few people and asked if they knew anyone with that kind of dog, but none of them said it sounded familiar. Sorry.”

“It’s okay. Thanks for asking anyway. I knew it was a long shot.”

“Honestly, if the leash had broken or the dog had run off, the owners would have kept looking. But if there was nobody in the park, I’d say it’s more likely the dog was dumped.”

“Dumped?”

“Yeah, it happens. People like the idea of having a pet, but actually having one is a lot different. Not to mention, vet fees can be brutal.”

“So they just threw him away?” I ask, outraged.

“Maybe.”

“Shit. I don’t know how I’m going to leave him here now.”

“Where are you heading?”

“Anywhere west of here. I don’t care. I just need to get away.”

He looks me over, flicking his tongue between his teeth in thought.

“I’m only working until twelve. It’s supposed to be my weekend off, but me and another guy are covering for someone. If you can wait, I’ve got a truck. You and the dog are welcome to catch a ride. I’m supposed to be meeting up with my brothers for a fishing weekend, so I can take you as far as Denver.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah. With the dog, the bus is out of the question, and I don’t want to see him in the pound any more than you do. What will happen to him if no one wants him? Will they put him down? Nah, I can’t live with that on my conscience. Besides, I think he’d make a good protector.”

I look at the dog sitting at my feet. “You think?”

“He sure seems protective of you. So, what do you say? Want to hitch a ride with me?”

“Yes, thank you. That would be awesome, truly.”

“Great. Meet you back here at twelvish. Now, all you have to do is think of a name for your new best friend.”

“A name, hmm…” I need to think about it. It needs to be just right. “I know. I’ll call you Rufio.” I rub his head, and I swear for a minute, he smiles at me.

“Rufio? Never heard that one before,” the guard muses as he turns away.

Guess he’s never seen the movie Hook. It might be an odd name for a dog, but in a way, it makes me feel a little closer to my Lost Ones.