Page 52 of Shattered Sanctuary

“Yeah, it is. And as far as our furry friend, it seems his name is Ozzy, and he’s a border collie. He was left behindby a tourist. People in town have been feeding him, and so has the police department. They even built a doghouse for him at the station, and when it’s cold or the weather’s bad, they bring him inside. They’ve been looking for him. Adrian said they’d just made the decision to adopt him and let him live at the station. But it seems Ozzy is more of a one-person dog, so Adrian hasn’t given up trying to find another home for him.”

Erin shook her head. “The owner just left him behind? Some people shouldn’t be allowed to have pets. That makes me furious.”

“I agree,” Kaely said. “Well, at least for now he has us. And the police department will make sure he’s safe from here on out, but Adrian asked if we could keep him until the storm passes and the roads are cleaned off. I told him we would.”

“Sure, we can do that,” Erin said. She frowned. “Ozzy is a terrible name for a dog. Let’s call him Chester.”

Kaely laughed. “Chester? Any particular reason?”

Erin nodded. “My grandfather’s favorite TV show wasGunsmoke. There was a character named Chester who had a limp just like this guy. Chester is a much nicer name than Ozzy.”

“Then Chester it is. You’d better be careful though, or you may be going home with a lot more than you came here with.”

Although Erin didn’t respond, the truth was, she wouldn’t mind that at all. But first, she’d have to make sure Chester wouldn’t find himself without an owner a second time. She had the responsibility to make sure that didn’t happen, and she couldn’t make that commitment yet.

THIRTY-FIVE

Kaely and Erin worked together to make supper. They settled on trout almondine with new potatoes and roasted carrots—another one of the premade meals in the refrigerator. It was delicious.

The wind and the snow had started to pick up by the time they’d finished eating. Erin added a couple of additional logs to the fire while Kaely cleaned up and started the hot chocolate. She was nervous about talking to Erin. Since Erin wasn’t a Christian, Kaely wasn’t sure how best to help her. Should she mention God or keep His name out of their conversation completely? She prayed silently for wisdom as she reminded herself that she felt their coming here was God-ordained. If that was true, the Holy Spirit would guide her.

“You’re making the hot chocolate,” Erin said as she came into the kitchen. “I’ll pop the popcorn. Any idea where we might find a large bowl?”

“Hmmm. I think I saw some in the cabinet to the left of the sink.”

Erin checked and found them. She grabbed a bowl, then found some butter in the fridge and melted it in the microwave.By the time Kaely had the hot chocolate ready, the freshly popped popcorn was in the bowl, and Erin had poured the melted butter over the top. It smelled really good. Kaely carried the cups of hot chocolate into the living room, still praying for guidance.

Erin plopped down on the couch and tucked her legs under her while they both sipped hot chocolate and munched popcorn. Kaely noticed that Erin had put a box of Mallomars on the table. What was up with that? She seemed very attached to them, and Kaely wondered why. They’d opened the drapes next to the fireplace and could see the snow falling through the floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the living room.

They’d just started snacking when Chester suddenly woke up from his nap. His nose sniffed the air, and he looked at them hopefully.

Kaely put her cup and bowl down. “I’ll feed him. You stay there. You look so comfortable.”

“Don’t be silly. I’ll help.”

They both went into the kitchen. Kaely opened the bag of dog food while Erin filled a bowl with water. Chester had followed them, but he sat down at the entrance to the kitchen and watched. He seemed hesitant. Almost fearful.

Kaely glanced over at Erin, who appeared to have noticed the same thing she had.

“The police have been feeding him, keeping him out of the cold, so he’s not starving. But he seems... sad,” Kaely said.

“Maybe he misses his owner.”

“Animals bond with people, even those who don’t love them,” Kaely said with a sigh. “Obviously his owner didn’t care about him. How could he just leave him?”

They put the bowls of water and food on the floor. Afterlooking at them carefully for a moment, Chester finally got up and walked slowly into the kitchen. Then he gingerly began to eat. Erin bent down to pet him, but Chester flinched as when she reached out her hand.

“Oh, dear,” Kaely said.

The dog allowed Erin to stroke his head and his back several times, but when Erin straightened up, she looked at Kaely with tears in her eyes. “Someone’s been hitting him. He was afraid I was going to hurt him too.”

“Well, he’s safe with us now. Just give him time. He’ll figure that out.” She put the bag of food down on the floor. “We need a leash. Until we’re sure he feels safe here, I don’t want him running off when we let him out. I have a belt that should work. I’ll be right back.”

When Kaely left the room, Erin sat down on the floor next to Chester. She felt such a connection to this dog. He was being cared for by people, but he wasn’t... home. That’s how she felt too.

“It will be okay, Chester,” she said softly. “Maybe...”

She couldn’t finish that sentence or say what was in her heart. She couldn’t promise Chester a home because she couldn’t promise she’d be around. She took a deep breath and let it out. What if talking to Kaely really was her only hope? Perhaps taking a chance—trusting someone—would lead her to some kind of salvation. The therapists she’d spoken to just didn’t get it. Didn’t understand her. Erin hadn’t been able to tell any of them the truth about how dark her life had become. What if someone at the station found out? She couldn’t endure pity from those she’d worked with. Being apolice officer was about being strong. About being able to deal with the daily horror they faced. Weepy police officers had no place on the force. Those who had a hard time controlling their emotions were the ones who were shunned. Who eventually left. Erin knew the mindset was wrong, but there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She’d been powerless against it. That’s why she had to leave. They couldn’t use a broken, frightened shell of a human being.

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