Page 70 of Sing it, Sam

Chapter Twenty-Four

The next morning as I’m getting dressed for work, my phone buzzes on the bedside table.

The Sheriff: I found Ed. The owner’s name is Kim Marsden.

Further down in the text, a mobile number is listed. It’s just after eight, so hopefully it’s not too early to call. I squeal to myself as I dial the number.Please, please let her still have him.

“Hello?” a female voice says.

“Hi Kim. Um, my name is Jane Rhynehart. I work at the Willow Creek Nursing home.”

“Hi Jane. What can I do for you?” the lady says in a sweet voice.

“I know this is a really random thing, but do you still have the Golden Retriever that you adopted a while back?”

“Eddie? Yeah, we do. I’m about to take him for a walk, funnily enough.”

Over the course of the next ten minutes or so, I tell Kim all about Sam and my grand plan to bring him back in contact with Ed. I choke on my own saliva when she suggests tomorrow afternoon.

I swear I walk about ten feet tall into the kitchen after the conversation has ended. I’d make a great cupid. Except not with people. Reuniting owners and their dogs. Surely that could be a thing?

I slather Nutella on two pieces of rye toast and eat it as I sip at my coffee. To really make my plan shine, I need more help. Which means I need to call on the sheriff. Smiling to myself, I send him a text.

Me: I need help with Sam

About ten seconds later, my phone dings with a message.

The Sheriff: What’s he done now?

As I type out my reply of ‘nothing’, my phone rings.Ben.

“No seriously, what’s he done?” he says before I even get a chance to answer with hello.

“He hasn’t done anything. I just need help with a surprise for him.”

“O-kay,” Ben drawls.

“What are some of his favourite foods? Something he wouldn’t eat at the home?”

“Hmm. Lemme see.” The sound of heavy traffic drones in the background as I wait for his response. “As a kid, he used to froth at the mouth over cinnamon doughnuts. Couldn’t get enough of ’em.”

I love it. I mean, you’d have to be a freak not to like fresh, hot, cinnamon-sugared doughnuts. And I know just the place to get them: the doughnut and ice-cream van on the outskirts of town. It’s only a couple of kilometres from the home, so I won’t have to travel far. From there, it’s only a few blocks to the dog park.Perfect.

“Thanks, Ben. Oh, and I’ve found Ed, thanks to you. Kim, his owner, is just lovely.”

There’s a long pause, which has me wondering if Ben’s still on the line.

“Hello? You there?”

“Why are you so good to my brother?” he asks.

I shrug to myself before answering. “Because I like him? Because I can? I’d like to think that if I was in Sam’s position, someone would do this kind of thing for me.”

“Sammy’s got you under his spell, doesn’t he?”

“His spell?” I challenge.

“Pretty sure you know what I’m talkin’ about. Even trapped in a nursing home, being the biggest pain in the arse, he still has a way with the ladies.”

“I’m good to him because he deserves it.”And because I have a raging crush on him, but I feel weird saying that to you.

“You’re right, little lady. He does.”

When the call ends, I wonder about the Marshall boys and their childhood. How old were they when they lost their mother? With a father in the military, did Ben have to take on parenting responsibilities when it came to Sam? Did they have other family around for support? Given the limited visitors on Sam’s list, I guess not.

Maybe they’re just missing a woman’s touch.

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