Page 25 of Protecting What Is Mine

11

Hank

I exit the barn to find Mollie’s car parked in the driveway, but no sign of Mollie. I look around the barn, the driveway, and the front porch—but still no Mollie. I walk into the house to wash the grease off my hands. “Mol, you in here?” No response. I squirt a healthy dob of dish soap into one hand and reach for the faucet with the other but notice the sound of water running through the pipes before my hand makes contact.

Okay, that’s odd. Somebody’s definitely here. Could she be in the bathroom?

I scrub out the engine grease caked into my knuckles for a good five minutes and still, no sign of Mollie.

Some date this is starting out to be.

As I walk through the living room, movement from the window catches my eye. Outside, I see Mollie bent over, spraying my garden hose at an already soaking wet black dog.

Where the hell did he come from?

I walk to the window and tap the glass to get her attention but apparently, she can’t hear me over sounds of running water and a whimpering canine, so I head outside to investigate further.

When I round the corner, Mollie faces away from me, still hovering over the pup as she kneads at his fur with her fingers. From the look of him, he’s some sort of lab-shepherd mix, and barely more than six months old. “So, um…whatcha doin’?” I casually ask.

“Oh God!” Mollie jumps, letting go of the pup who—based on his tail-between-the-legs dash in the opposite direction—also appears startled by my presence. Mollie turns to me, then back to see where the dog went, then to me, seemingly unsure which issue to address first.

I smile and nod at the dog, shrinking in the distance. “Better go on and get him. I’ll be here.”

“I’ll be right back.” Mollie turns and chases after the mutt. “And I promise…I can explain,” she yells as she chases the animal across the yard.

I walk over to the spigot and shut the water off, then lean against the house and watch the two of them, in what may just be the most hilarious game of chase I’ve ever witnessed. The puppy looks to have completely forgotten that he was running out of fear and is now just enjoying the game they’re playing. It’s only after Mollie gives up—throwing her hands in the air as she blows at the hair in her face—and begins to walk back to the house that the dog calms down and comes to walk back with her—by her side the entire way.

“Who’s your friend?” I ask when they get close enough to hear.

Mollie bites at her bottom lip and looks down at the animal by her side. “I don’t know, really. I was on my way over here and I watched him walk into the road, right in front of a semi. I was sure he was a goner. The truck driver locked up his brakes trying to avoid him. Thankfully, between the blast of the air horn and the screeching tires, he ran back to the side of the road just in time.

“I pulled over, thinking he must belong to somebody, and that if I didn’t get him back to them soon…he might not be long for this world. But, as you can see there’s no collar, and his fur was all matted and stinking of gas or something.” She points at the dog’s left side. “Now, I’m fairly sure he’s homeless, and I don’t know what to do with him. I just couldn’t bring myself to leave him out on the road like that.”

“Totally understand. That’s a thoughtful thing you did, but uh…what are you going to do with him?”

Mollie laughs. “I’ve been trying to figure that out ever since I scooped him up and put him in my car.”

I rub my chin, unsure if the idea that popped in my head indicates I’m losing my mind. “Well, I do happen to know a pretty good vet. Best one in town, even.”

Mollie laughs, knowing full well that Chet’s wife Christy is the only veterinarian in the area.

“And seeing as she loves animals as much as she does, and how this place used to be hers…why don’t you leave him here with me. I’ll make sure he’s fed and what not until Christy can look him over. We can figure out what to do with him from there.”

Mollie wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes tight, pulling back a moment later to kiss me. “Are you sure? Really? Oh, thank you.” She kisses me again. “You have no idea what a relief that is. There’s no way I can take him home with me, not if he isn’t going to stay permanently. I mean, Vanessa would fall in love the moment she saw him and that’d be the end of that.”

“It’s no problem.” I notice the ribs protruding from the pup’s side. “I’ll pick up a bag of dog food next time I’m out. Until then, I guess I’ll make enough food for the both of us. Looks like the poor guy’s overdue for some TLC anyway.” I walk over to the dog and squat, extending my hand for him to sniff. He sniffs briefly, then begins licking my hand, and then my face. “That’s a good boy.” Squatted down next to him, the smell of diesel is nearly overwhelming. “Gas was a good guess. But I’ve been around enough heavy equipment to know diesel when I smell it.” I stand and look to Mollie. “Why don’t we go inside and get something for this guy to eat and drink and I’ll get some dish soap.”

Mollie cocks her head. “Dish soap? What on earth for?”

“It’s great for breaking down grease. Doesn’t seem to care if it’s on a dish or a dog. Since he’s already wet, I say we finish the job you started. Of course, this is your afternoon we’re eating into, so only if you don’t mind.”

Mollie smiles as she slides her arm through mine, twining our fingers together. “You’re the best. You know that?”

I laugh. “Even if I did, I’d probably never get tired of hearing you say it.”

While we’re inside, Mollie and I fix sandwiches and a thermos of lemonade to take with us on the trail. We bring the dog a large bowl of cool water and a bowl of food rummaged from the fridge and let him eat to his heart’s content. When both bowls are empty, I turn the hose back on and spray him down again, before mixing up a highly diluted solution of dish soap and water.

As I take turns scrubbing and rinsing, I am impressed by how calm and trusting this animal is. Whatever he’s lived through in his short life, he hasn’t lost the kindness that makes for a great pet. When I’ve done all I can, I look up at Mollie and she nods her approval. I lay the hose on the ground and walk over to shut off the water and stand clear as the dog shakes himself dry.

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