Her tire tracks when she’d left were the only ones on the snowy driveway, meaning her guest hadn’t changed his mind and driven away during the not-quite hour and a half she’d been gone. The Tahoe was still in the same place, its windshield still covered with snow. There were no tracks leading from the house to the SUV, so he hadn’t even gone outside.
She let Tricks out of the Jeep and watched as she dashed around, smelling things, peeing, and smelling more things. She let the dog nose around while she got one bag of groceries out of the back and unlocked the door to take them in.
Morgan was asleep, one leg stretched out and his right foot on the floor. His left arm was curled across his chest, his right arm dangled. The blanket was kind of over him, but mostly not. If the noise of her entry hadn’t wakened him, she saw no reason why he shouldn’t continue sleeping. His body needed the rest.
Hurriedly she brought in the rest of the groceries, put them away, then grabbed Tricks’s tennis ball and headed out for their walk. By the time they returned, she had just forty minutes before she was supposed to be at the station.
She hesitated, glancing at the sleeping man. Let him sleep, or wake him up for a quick sandwich? He needed to eat, but he also needed to sleep or he wouldn’t be doing so much of it. What did she know about taking care of invalids? Not much, obviously. Now, if he were a dog, she’d be much more adept. When she’d gotten that little ball of fur she’d named Tricks, she’d been so terrified of her own ignorance that she’d read every article and book she could find on taking care of dogs. She’d never been the warmhearted, nurturing type, so it was ironic she’d landed in this role.
She hesitated for a minute, then slapped together a ham and cheese sandwich, put it in a sandwich bag along with some chips, and set them as well as a glass of water on the coffee table where he’d see them when he woke up. That would have to do.
She and Tricks drove back to town. On the way, she called the bank to ask about electronic transfers, and after a few minutes of holding, the head cashier picked up again and said, “Chief, we had a transfer come in overnight for you. It’s already been credited to your account.”
“That fast?” Bo asked, her heart rate suddenly doubling. Until then the money had been a possibility rather than a reality, and the realization that she was no longer mostly broke was so startling that she stammered something about her share of an inheritance and hung up.
Good lord! What a turnaround! For seven years she’d been digging herself out of a deep hole, then like a lightning bolt she was once more secure and solvent. The relief was so overwhelming she felt giddy and pulled to the side of the road until she’d settled down some. She hugged Tricks, which earned her a lick. “Guess what, baby girl,” she said as she stroked the dog’s lush fur. “You’re going to be getting a new stuffed toy to play with. How does that sound, huh? Do you want a new baby?”
Tricks tilted her head back in enjoyment of the stroking, her eyes half-closed and a blissful golden-retriever smile on her face.
Bo’s mind whirled with things she could do, one of which was buy a new vehicle that was more suitable for her, but the past seven years had taught her a lot and she immediately rejected the idea. No way. She didn’t need a new car. She might want one, but she didn’t need one. The Jeep was running fine, and it was paid for. No, it wasn’t the most comfortable or practical choice for her, it had some miles on it, but she was used to it and she couldn’t see spending money she didn’t need to spend. That was how she’d gotten into such a financial mess to begin with. Likewise, she didn’t need a new wardrobe. Or jewelry. Or a bigger TV.
Everything she needed-a home, friends, a job, Tricks-she already had.
Buying Tricks a new stuffed animal sounded like a great way to celebrate. Other than that, she’d use the entire hundred and fifty thousand to retire the last of her credit-card debt and make a big payment on her mortgage. She might refinance, she thought-but if she did, it would be for a shorter length of time. With the credit-card debt gone, she could easily pay extra on the principal as well as start saving for when she actually needed a new car.
With seven years of hard work she’d bought herself some wiggle room and relief, finally. It was kind of annoying that Axel, of all people, had provided her with the means to jump out of the hole.
Never mind how annoying it was. She’d jump anyway.
When her heart rate settled down, she pulled back onto the highway and finished the drive to town. The light snow had melted into the occasional white patch, and a weak sun was trying to break through the dismal gray sky. Traffic was on the light side; evidently people were waiting until the snow was completely gone, and the temperature more than two degrees above freezing before they ventured out on their Friday errands. She passed a few people heading out for lunch a little early and greeted them with a honk and a wave. She made it all the way to the second traffic light before someone yelled, “Tricks!” and the royal procession began.
Tricks ate it up, beaming and giving the occasional happy “Woof!” when her name was called. She knew the routine and was more than happy to play her part.
The school principal, Evan Cummins, was leaving the bank where his wife, Lisa, was a vice president of commercial loans. The bank was small enough that she was likely the vice president of commercial loans, but the title was nice and Lisa well liked. Evan waved his arm to flag Bo down, and she pulled to the curb and rolled down her window. Evan darted across the street and leaned down to look in at her and Tricks. “Morning, Chief,” he said cheerfully. “Hi, Tricks.”
“Good morning,” Bo replied. “Is anything wrong?”
“No, everything’s okay that I know of, which usually means something will blow up in my face as soon as I get back to the school. I just wanted to ask you if it would be okay for Tricks to ride on the Seniors’ Float in the Heritage Parade. She was the kids’ number one pick.”
The mental image tickled Bo, and she began laughing. “Will she have to wear a tiara?” The Heritage Parade was an annual event put on by the town, held in May just before the end of school so they could guarantee the kids’ participation. They got out of school to decorate the floats, and the competition between the classes was fierce. The day included an antique car show, a crafts fair, and different food vendors set up in the small town park so people could picnic without having to bring their own food. There were, of course, a Heritage King and Queen picked from the senior class.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” he replied. He was a pleasant-looking man in his mid-forties, brown hair and brown eyes, with a dimple beside his mouth when he smiled. All the kids and teachers in their small school seemed to like him, with the occasional hiccup in popularity whenever some of the kids got in trouble. He was a local, which to her way of thinking was a big plus because he knew everyone and the current set of parents were likely his own schoolmates, which meant he got more trust than an outsider would have.
Bo thought about it. Tricks loved attention, but she loved it only when Bo was nearby. “I don’t know that she’d stay on the float if I weren’t there. And, no, I don’t want to ride on a float. She might do okay if we practiced, but more than likely she’d jump off the float and start looking for me.”
Evan made a series of thoughtful expressions as he ran possibilities through his head. “How about if you’re hidden where no one can see you? On the float, I mean. I don’t want her to get hurt jumping off a moving flatbed trailer. The kids really want her there. I think they’d crown her queen if she attended school.”