Page 50 of Home Changes
Seth didn’t answer right away. Instead, he watched his father laugh with Delbert, Gomer’s head resting on his paws like a contented old soldier. The weight of responsibility tugged at him, but so did something else… a possibility.
He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees as he scanned the dusty road that cut through Hollister.
“Son, you wouldn’t be leaving him alone. You’d be giving yourself a break,” Frank said, his voice softening. “You think I don’t see it? Hell, you think your dad doesn’t see it? There’s a strain in your shoulders, son. Your face shows it. You love that man, but being a full-time caregiver will eat you alive if you don’t carve out space for yourself. And maybe space for yourself and Allison.”
Seth snapped a glance in his direction.
Frank almost smiled. “I’m old, not blind. That woman lit up when talking about you. But back on topic. You’d still be home every night. Maybe start with part-time if that helps. From what I’ve gathered, you’re good at this work. And I may or may not have reached out to people I know in the military to verify that fact.”
Seth exhaled, voice rough. “I’ve been holding it together. Taking it one day at a time.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” Frank said. “No shame in accepting help. Shame is burning out before your dad really needs you the most.”
That hit Seth hard, like a punch to the breadbasket. He’d heard that statement in so many variations. Perhaps he needed to let it sink in. He nodded slowly, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. “Will you let me think about it?”
“Sure. You take your time,” Frank said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and stood up. “But just know the door is open. And you’d be doing more than training dogs out here. You’d be giving some of the nation’s finest an edge. An edge some of them desperately need.”
The weight of that statement settled around Seth’s shoulders. It was one of the reasons he loved working with the dogs. It was extraordinary what they could do for the humans they served. But only if the humans treated them right.
He stood and looked at Frank. “I’d have a condition to your offer, should I accept it, sir. One you need to consider before you agree because it’s non-negotiable.”
Frank Marshall looked at him, his brow furrowed. “Like what?”
“If you send a handler in for training, and he doesn’t mesh with the dog, or I don’t feel he’s a good fit for the animal, I’ll wash him out of the program. Immediately. He goes back to his team, no harm, no foul, but he does not stay with my dogs.”
Frank smiled. “I knew I liked you, son. That’s a guarantee. You call me when you have an answer.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a white card with nothing but a cell phone number hand-printed on it.
“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”
Seth pocketed the card and sat back down, patting Gomer on the head.
Across the porch, Chester called out, “Whatever that man just told you, you pay attention to it. One of the best damn men on the face of the planet.”
Seth smiled at his dad. “You got it, Pops.”
CHAPTER 16
Allison leaned back in bed. She had the television on, but it was muted. Loretta was asleep again. Zeke had said she was malnourished, and because she was run down, she’d been susceptible to infection, both viral and bacterial. He’d recommended sleep and food and to call him if she developed a fever. Loretta’s shivering had stopped, and Zeke had thought it might have been caused by stress.
Allison watched the muted news program without really seeing it. For a Sunday, today had been … well, it had started wonderful, bumped into shocking, and ended with exhaustion. Her phone vibrated on the bedside stand. She grabbed it, smiling at the picture of Seth she’d snapped this morning. He was gorgeous. “Hey. How’s Chester tonight?”
Seth sighed, “He got confused tonight. Wanted to know where Mom was.”
“Oh, Seth.” She wished she could be there to hold him.
“It’s okay. Just hard not knowing what to say. The doctor told me not to argue with him because she’s still alive in his mind.”
“What did you tell him?”
“She was in town, and I didn’t know when she’d be back. That settled him.” He sighed. “What did the doctor say about your house guest?”
“Loretta,” Allison said. “Well, I learned a lot just listening. She goes by Lottie, and she’s twenty-three. She doesn’t have insurance and refused to give her last name.” Allison glanced at the shut door and lowered her voice even further as she continued to talk. “She’s dehydrated, starving, and exhausted. Zeke thinks she’ll get better with food and rest. I’m positive someone has beaten her, and so is Stephanie. That’s Zeke’s wife, Declan Howard’s sister.”
“Wait, she didn’t marry Andrew Hollister?”
“Nope. Another long story I’ll catch you up onlater, but Andrew is married to Gen, who owns the diner in town.”
