Blue Colla Make Ya Holla (20 page)

I
feel like
doing something nice, and a bit crazy. So I pack up my camping tent and some supplies and drive on over to the old train station, which hasn’t been in operation in years. It takes me about two hours to set up, but my timing is perfect because the sun is setting just as I have the tent up. I’m about a hundred feet from the trap Marlie put out, which I hope is a good distance. I also have my infrared binoculars to help me see the dog in the dark if he’s out here.

Not sure why I’m doing this exactly, but it feels like the right thing to do. Maybe seeing how upset Marlie was earlier about this lost dog got to me. Or maybe I’m just bored. Doesn’t matter either way as long as I can catch him and bring him to safety. I’ve got nowhere to be this weekend, so why not do my part to help.

I set up a lawn chair outside my tent and just sit quietly. The air is warm but not humid. There are no lights out here, so I turn on a small, dim lantern so I’m not sitting in pitch-blackness. I have my rifle at my side, just in case something decides to attempt to eat me.

There’s nothing to do out here but wait. And think. And watch. I nibble on the roast beef I brought with me. I’m hoping if I see the dog I can lure him with the beef. Hours pass, and soon I’m under the moon and stars. I wish Marlie was sitting here with me in the quiet, like we used to do when we were kids. One of the things I always loved most about her was that she could just sit quietly and be content. She didn’t have that need to talk and talk and talk like most women do. My favorite times were spent sitting on the roof of my parents’ garage under the stars with her, just holding her hand.

“Don’t you ever get bored of me?” she asks me, squeezing my hand.

“Hell, no,” I roll over to face her. “Why? Do you get bored of me?”

She rolls towards me, and we are face to face. “Never. Every day with you is the best day.”

“What about someday when I’m old and gray?” I tease.

“Nope. Not even then. You’ll still be my best friend. You can’t get rid of me. Just face it.”

I kiss her. “I don’t ever want to get rid of you, baby. You’re what makes my heart beat.”

I hear a soft whimper. Or do I? I tilt my head and listen to the sound amongst the crickets. I hear it again, over to the left. I pick up the binoculars and point them, slowly surveying. Something
is
there. I put the rifle strap over my shoulder and grab the leash, blanket, and flashlight. I hope the light doesn’t scare him as I slowly and quietly cross the field to the old dumpster that’s still there from years ago. Kneeling, I shine the light under it, and there he is, a tiny black dog, shaking and whimpering.

“It’s okay, little guy,” I whisper, pulling some roast beef out of my pocket. I toss it over to him and he gobbles it. He seems hurt, like he can’t get up. I throw him a few more chunks of meat before I lie on my side and reach for him, hoping he doesn’t bite me. I take the leash, make a loop at the end, and gently lay it over his head. The loop is way too big, but I let it just sit on him for a few minutes while I feed him. Then I slowly tighten it until it’s around his little neck. He jerks back a little in fear but settles when I feed him more and talk softly to him. Slowly, I reach for him and gently tug the leash, but it seems like he can’t get up.
Fuck.
I should really call Marlie, but her number is scribbled on a piece of paper in my truck, and I don’t want to leave the little dog now that I’m so close to him. I spread the blanket out in front of him and gently lift him and place him on it then slowly pull him out from under the dumpster. He’s shaking in fear but lets me gently pet him. He’s really furry and dirty and tiny, like five pounds, if that. I wrap him in the blanket and gently carry him to my truck. I can come back for my camp gear later.

Once in the car, I settle the tiny dog on the passenger seat and dial Marlie’s number from my cell.

She answers on the fifth ring. “Hello?”

“Marlie, it’s me.”

“Twist?” her voice is groggy and confused.

“I got the dog. I think he’s hurt, he can’t stand up or walk.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“The little train station dog you’ve been trying to catch. I got him.”

“Oh shit. Twist, you are awesome! He’s hurt?”

“I’m not sure. I think he is though. He’s really tiny, Marlie. I don’t know if he’s a puppy or just small, but he’s tiny and scared.”

“Do you know where the twenty-four hour pet hospital is? Can you meet me there? I’ll head over there now and call them to tell them we’re coming.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

I end the call and pet the dog’s tiny head. “You’re gonna be okay, little dude.” He looks up at me with huge black eyes, and his tail wags just a tiny bit. I hand him another piece of meat before I start up my truck.

I can totally get why people do this now. I have a major adrenaline rush as I race over to the animal hospital. Marlie is already there, waiting outside. She runs to the truck and waits for me to give her the okay to open the door.

“Twist, I can’t believe you got him.” She’s crying as she gently picks him up.

We head inside where a technician is waiting and immediately takes him to an exam area, leaving us alone in the waiting room. She throws her arms around me and hugs me tight. “Thank you so much. I don’t know how you did it, but thank you.”

“I just dug him out from under the dumpster. I set up a tent and sat there in the dark, and I heard him cry.” I hug her back as she clings to me.

She pulls away and wipes at her eyes. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I just wanted to help. Your fucking trap doesn’t work if the dog can’t walk,” I tease, trying to make her smile.

She playfully slaps my arm. “I guess you’re right. I’m new at this, okay?”

“Obviously.”

“Well, thank you, either way. I owe you. You can leave if you want; I’ll stay and take care of all this.”

I can’t resist touching her cheek and wiping her tears. “I’ll stay. I caught the little fucker, now I want to find out if he’s okay.”

We wait, mostly in silence, until a veterinarian comes out to talk to us.

“He’s going to be okay,” she starts. “He’s got a broken back leg, he’s very malnourished and dehydrated, has some ticks, and an ear infection. He’s a Pomeranian, looks to be about four years old. We’ll get him all cleaned up, start him on antibiotics, and get his leg wrapped, the works. He’ll need to stay here for a few days. Great job catching him, I don’t think he would have lasted more than another day or two; he’s very weak from not eating, and these little dogs don’t last long with no food or water.”

Marlie hugs me again when the vet leaves. “Thank you so much. You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Stop thanking me. Friends help each other, right?”

She pulls back and searches my eyes, trying to read me. “Are we? Friends?”

I nod slowly and let my guard down a little. “We’ll always be friends, Marlie. As pissed as I am at you, I’ll always be your friend.”

“Well, that’s a start.”

“I better go get my camp gear and head home. You’ll be okay here?”

“Yes, I just have to make payment arrangements. Thank you again. Can I call you and let you know how he’s doing?”

“You better; we bonded under that dumpster. I better go take a shower too. I have no idea what the fuck I was lying in under there.”

She crinkles her nose at me. “You did an amazing thing. You saved his life.”

“I want to see him when he’s better.”

She grins at me. “Deal.”

I head for the door but turn at the last minute. “Hey…I’m gonna go riding up the mountains tomorrow. You want to come?” It’s a last minute decision that I better not regret.

Her eyes light up. “I’d love to, but my bike isn’t ready.”

“I meant with me. On the back.”

“Oh.” A smile spreads slowly across her face. “That sounds great.”

“I’ll come around ten?”

“That’s perfect.” For a moment she’s looking at me just like she used to, like I’m the most interesting person in the entire world and nothing and no one else matters. I’ve been with lots of women, and they all look at me like I’m a piece of meat. Not one of them has ever looked at me like Marlie does. I forgot how good it makes me feel.

Marlie

‡

I
was so
wired last night from the little dog and Twist asking to see me today that I barely got any sleep. I take a long, hot shower to try to wake myself up then dress in jeans, black motorcycle boots, a purple T-shirt, and my old black leather jacket. Once upon a time, this jacket belonged to Twist, but he gave it to me, and I’ve worn it ever since. It’s old and soft and smells like a thousand memories. At the last minute, I slip on the ring he gave me, which still fits perfectly.

At exactly ten, I hear Twist’s bike roar into the driveway. I peek out the window to see if he’s wearing a helmet, and he’s not. New Hampshire doesn’t require a helmet. I contemplate for a moment and decide not to wear one either. I know Twist is a safe rider, and the wind will feel good.

“Holy shit is that my jacket?” he asks when he sees me.

“Yup!”

“Fuck, that’s like fifteen years old! And it still fits you.” He laughs and shakes his head. “I wouldn’t be able to get one arm in that thing now.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” I say, eyeing his muscular arms. He looks incredibly hot wearing dark sunglasses, faded jeans, and a new black leather jacket.

“Duly noted,” he says with a grin. “How’s the dog?”

I tie my long hair back with a hair tie. “I called the vet earlier, and she said he’s doing great. I can pick him up Tuesday.”

“Cool. Get on.”

If you think it’s not sensual to be on the back of a motorcycle with your legs wrapped around a hot guy, think again. It is. I put my hands on his sides and hold onto his belt, not ready to wrap my arms completely around him. That just feels too intimate right now.

His bike is jet black, with a slight chopper rake in the front and an amazing paint job of metallic flake over a skull design. I can’t wait to see what he does with my bike. His engine is loud, but my ears quickly adjust to it. As they say, loud bikes save lives because cars can actually hear them.

He takes us way up into the White Mountains, and at about two hours in, he stops at a beautiful, secluded lookout point. I try to untangle my hair a little while he pulls a water bottle out of his saddlebag and takes a long drink. He offers it to me, and I take a few sips.

“Let’s go sit,” he says, leading us to a big rock at the edge of the mountain. We are really high up, and the view is absolutely breathtaking from here. We sit on the rock in silence for a few minutes before he starts to talk.

“I want to hate you, Marlie, but I can’t.”

“Okay…” I’m not sure how I’m supposed to feel about that, but relief comes over me knowing he doesn’t hate me. I couldn’t live with him hating me.

“I don’t understand why you just fucking forgot me. I thought we could have gotten through that, ya know? A year isn’t that long. I mean it sucked, but didn’t you think what we had was strong enough to get through it? Or was I just stupid to think that?”

I touch his hand, and he doesn’t pull away. “No, Twist, not at all. I loved you with all my heart.”

“Then why did you just abandon me? Do you have any idea how that felt, being in fucking prison and not having you to be there for me? My best friend
and
my girlfriend? If you had written to me and if I could have written to you, it would have made that time so much fucking easier for me.”

“I know, and I’m so sorry. If I could go back and change it, I would. I really would, Twist. But I was only fifteen, and I made a lot of bad decisions. I was scared.”

He looks at me harshly with so much pain in his eyes I want to crumble. “My name was the first word you ever said, or tried to say,” he grins. “How many couples can say that? We had something special. I thought we would be together forever. I believed in that.”

“I did too.” I take a deep breath. “I
still
do.”

He stares out at the mountains. “My fucking life has been in limbo. I lost a fucking year and came out even more lost. You were my compass, Marlie. Without you, I’m just wandering around aimlessly, and I hate you for that. I don’t want you to have that much fucking power over me, but you do. I want to forget you like you forgot me.”

“Twist, I never forgot you. You have to believe that. I’ve thought about you every single day. I can’t even feel anything for another man—”

“I don’t want to hear about you with other men, Marlie. That’s something else I thought was sacred, just for me. To be with a woman who was only ever with me. You destroyed that too.”

“You’ve been with other women,” I say back, hurt that he would throw that in my face.

“Only because you left.”

“I’m sorry, you just don’t understand all of it.”

He grabs my arm. “Then make me understand, Marlie. Why the fuck did you just forget me and leave me there alone?”