Page 90 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

Jim nodded sagely. “Come on. You’re about to see something really special.”

“Any surprise involving beer has gotta be a good one.”

“Grab me a seltzer, will you?” Mary called out as Jim led him through the kitchen.

“You got it,” Jamie called back. “An IPA for you, Elliott?”

She answered the affirmative as Jim eyed him. “You already know what she likes, huh?”

Jamie cleared his throat, trying to read the man’s expression.

“Mm-hmm,” Jim muttered. He opened the door and they stepped into the garage.

A double fridge stood just to the left, filled to the brim with every selection of beer Jamie could possibly imagine. Stouts, pilsners, pale ales, ciders.

He stood stock-still. “Have I died?”

“I know.” Jim went to work, grabbing various bottles and cans and handing them to Jamie. He fished four glasses from the freezer, and they went back inside, only to find Mary and Elliott had gone outside to the back porch.

Dodger and Hank were running around the sizable backyard, chasing each other and stopping occasionally to roll around on the ground, nipping at each other’s tails and ears.

“I haven’t seen him play like that since he was a puppy,” Mary said.

Jamie passed out the drinks he’d carried and settled onto the loveseat next to Elliott. “How old is he?”

“Ten.”

“Wow. He looks great.”

“Jim walks him several miles every day.”

“It’s how I keep both of us young and fit,” Jim said.

Mary popped open her seltzer. “—ish.”

Jim regarded his wife. “Was that about my being young or being fit?”

“Both.”

“I’m not the one who went gray at fifty.”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “You said you liked my natural color.”

“I do. Until you think you can call me old and get away with it.”

Mary laughed and the two shared an affectionate smile.

Jamie grinned and took a sip of his beer, putting his other arm around Elliott’s shoulders.

“How long have you had Hank?” Jim asked.

“A couple of years. Found him at a shelter, believe it or not. One look at those brown eyes and I was a goner.”

He was partial to gray eyes, too.

“We adopted Dodger from a shepherd rescue foundation when he was just a puppy. It was right after our sheltie passed away, and I didn’t think I’d be ready for another dog so soon,” Mary said. “But the house was too quiet. Bringing him home really helped us with the grief of losing a pet.”

Jamie nodded. “I remember when the chocolate Lab I grew up with died. I swore I’d never get another dog, but now that I have Hank, I can’t imagine anything different. I’m not sure I know how to live without a dog.”

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