Page 61 of Pick Yourself Up
Sally and Greg, who owned the land south of the apple farm, were friendly. The couple had lived off the grid for forty years and were delighted with Knox and Thea’s vision for the farm.
Sylvia Newberry lived across the road and ran a Christmas tree farm. After Sylvia shook their hands, she dropped to her knees to introduce herself to Boomer. “You’re a love, aren’t you, Boomer? I didn’t bring my wack-a-doodle today, but I’ll bring Squirrel over another time. Maybe you can teach him to remain calm.”
The woman smiled up at Amber. “Squirrel is a golden doodle and a perpetual puppy. He’s the happiest dog, but has more than a few impulse control issues. He’s never met a stranger and just wants to play with everyone.”
Amber smiled. “He sounds fun.”
Sylvia grinned. “He is. My best friend. But I thought he’d be better off napping at home today.”
“He’d be welcome any time.”
Another woman walked down the drive with three dogs at her side. Two Bernese mountain dogs and a boxer. Boomer straightened, and his tail wagged. He didn’t move from Amber’s side, but she knew immediately that this woman wasn’t a threat. Boomer was never wrong. And anyone who had three such gorgeous dogs was probably a wonderful person.
Sure enough, she was introduced to Lorraine, who lived just to the north of the farm. She knew the woman had once bred show dogs, but that she was now retired.
Hemsworth and Fox bounded out of the forest to greet the new guests. Again, the guilt of holding Boomer back from making friends ran through Amber.
Boomer nudged her hand, making her smile. “Thanks, bud. You’re a great friend.”
Lorraine ran an appreciative eye over Boomer. “You’re a handsome lad. These are my friends, Gilbert, Anne, and Marilla.”
Amber laughed, sensing a kinship. “Another Anne of Green Gables fan?”
Lorraine’s eyes sparkled. “One of my favorites.”
Amber patted Boomer’s head. “Boomer. Free. Go play with your new friends.”
Boomer licked her hand and then bounded off to go through the dog-sniffing ritual with the new arrivals.
Gray and Mort threw a few balls and frisbees into the orchard, and the dogs had a blast racing to bring them back.
After watching the dogs for a few minutes, Lorraine smiled. “You’ve got a winner there. He never lets you out of his sight and he’s very tuned into your emotions. Some protection dogs struggle to get along with other dogs and even humans, but Boomer is the perfect blend of all the good traits. You’re very lucky.”
The woman’s quick identification of Boomer’s job shocked Amber. Her voice shook when she spoke. “I am. He’s the absolute best.”
Lorraine nodded her head. “I won’t intrude on your privacy with questions, but I’ll let you know that no one said a word to me about him being a protection dog. If I hadn’t spent so many years working with all kinds of dogs, I wouldn’t have known either. Just know that if you ever need me or any of my troops for an added layer of protection, we’re here for you. I’ve got more of these beauties at home.”
When the talk turned to dogs instead of protection, Amber relaxed into the conversation. When the final new neighbor arrived, she joined the two of them. Dani Richards ran an apiary behind Lorraine’s property.
The woman was quiet, and because she knew the signs so well, Amber spotted her nerves, which helped Amber settle into her role of host.
When she discovered Dani was another dog lover, with a Newfoundland dog of her own, it was easy to keep the conversation going.
The people from Phail and Midnight Lake arrived in a caravan of vehicles. In addition to the ones she already knew, she met more than a dozen more. All friendly and fun. Still, she was glad no one else was arriving.
A horn beeped in a friendly pattern and she looked up to see Ford backing up the multi-bin truck their way.
A sharp whistle from Lorraine had all the dogs returning to their humans. Even Hemsworth and Boomer.
Sylvia laughed. “I’m glad I didn’t bring Squirrel. He’s never responded to a command for longer than a few seconds.”
Lorraine smiled. “One day, you’ll have to bring him over and we’ll work on that. My troop will help him out.”
Thea directed Ford to a section of the forest that Amber and her family hadn’t yet touched. Gray appeared at her side and took her hand while Boomer took up his position on her left.
The group walked into the orchard in a loose group. Gray leaned down to whisper. “All good?”
She nodded. “They’re all really nice people.”
