Reluctant Witness (41 page)

“Isn’t he adorable?” She patted the tiny head
with one hand as she held him close. Those brown eyes looked at me
with uncertainty and I understood the feeling. Change can be
unsettling, even for a dog.

“He is,” I nodded. Looking at him, I was sure
I would fall in love with this little visitor in the next few
weeks, only to be parted from him, just as I had been from Kary. A
sudden pang of envy took hold of me. Here was one more thing I
couldn’t have, my own dog. One more piece of my heart would be torn
away by the loss of another canine companion; I would be left
bereft again. It was more than I could bear. I turned away, afraid
the tear that slipped down my cheek would invite a flood and give
me away. “Excuse me.”

I hurried away, unable to contain my
emotions. What was wrong with me? I had so looked forward to Jeff’s
visit and now that he was here, I was acting like a complete
fool.

“Don’t you like him?” I heard his voice
behind me, but I kept going, telling myself he was talking to Jojo.
I was desperate to get away, to be anywhere but where I was. I
couldn’t trust myself not to disintegrate. “Marigold!”

A bolt of agony passed through me as he spoke
my name. It was almost torture to hear that tinge of disappointment
in his tone and not to be able to respond politely. How could I
explain my irrational behavior to my benefactor? Hands shaking,
knees weak, I paused at the door to the balcony, not daring to face
him, lest he see my misery. Now unable to stem the flow of tears, I
was sobbing. Big, wet, messy tears splashed down my cheeks
unchecked.

“What in the world has gotten into you?” he
demanded, exasperated. I tried to speak, but my voice let me down.
What could I say? I felt a hand on my shoulder. “I come all this
way to give you a dog and you act like I insulted you! If you don’t
like the dog, we’ll find you another. I just want you to be
happy.”

“What?” I turned to him, confused. “That’s my
dog?”

Shock registered on his face as he stood
there watching me, and I realized he hadn’t expected to see me
blubbering like a school girl. Suddenly, his fingers were gently
wiping my tears.

“Of course it is. Whose did you think it was?
Jojo told me how miserable you’ve been since Kary moved out. I just
wanted you to have a pup of your own,” he explained, his tone
softening. “Why are you crying?”

“I can keep him? You won’t take him back?”
Desperation welled up in me as I realized there was a chance I
might keep the little Yorkie. What did I have to do to get him?

“If he’s the right dog for you, you can.”

“And he’ll stay with me forever? No one will
take him away, no matter what happens?” I sought reassurance from
the man whose face was just inches from my own. I could see the
dark brown flecks in his irises. I longed to touch his cheek, to
feel his skin against my hand. As the powerful wave of desire rose
up in me, it was almost too great for my limited strength to
handle. I felt powerless.

“I promise. He’s yours, if you want him.”

“I do!” I replied, afraid to acknowledge how
deeply I ached for the chance to have that little pup. It was too
close to admitting how much I wanted Jeff.

“I just want you to be happy, Marigold,” he
told me again. The tension drained from his face as he gave me a
sincere smile. “Are we good?”

Words unexpectedly failed me while I stood
there. No one had ever given me such a gift. Without thinking, I
launched myself at Jeff, wrapping my arms around his neck with such
enthusiasm, we were both surprised.

“Whoa! What’s all this?” he wanted to know as
I clung to him. I felt his hands on my waist and longed for them to
remain there. They did.

“Thank you!” I kissed his cheek. “Oh...just
thank you!”

As I reluctantly pulled away from him, our
eyes met again and I saw it once more, that tiny flicker of want
that burned in both of us. It hadn’t been my imagination. It was
there and it was real. What’s more, I knew he recognized it
too.

A discreet cough interrupted the moment, a
warning to us that the others had entered the living room. Rocky
and Nancy stood watching us. For a moment, I almost thought they
were amused by our awkward effort to break our embrace. Jeff and I
stepped apart from each other, and as we did, I took the
opportunity to grab a handful of tissues from the box on the end
table. I dabbed at my eyes, hurriedly drying the tears.

“Everything okay?” Rocky wanted to know.

“Yes,” I laughed, feeling foolish. “Where is
he?”

“Here he is, Marigold,” Nancy told me,
holding out the wriggling dog. “He’s a cutie.”

“Hello, boy. How are you?” I took him in my
arms and hugged him, rewarded by a lick of that tiny tongue on my
cheek.

“She didn’t realize the dog was for her.”
Jeff explained to the others as he sat down on the sofa. Nancy
joined him.

“
Looks like Jojo called this
one right,” Rocky laughed, perching on the arm of the chair
opposite, his eyes moving from me to Jeff and back again. “Looks
like a bad case of puppy love.”

I sat cross-legged on the floor, releasing
the tiny Yorkshire terrier, so he could explore his new
surroundings. Jeff reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet
of dog treats.

“Try these,” he suggested, rolling them onto
my hand. “He’s crazy about them.”

“Where’d he come from?” Nancy wanted to
know.

“I’ve got an animal trainer I use for the
show. I told him I needed a nice dog in need of a good home. One of
the breeders had this little guy because the elderly owner passed
away. He’s been neutered, had his teeth cleaned, got his shots, and
even knows how to walk on a leash. He’ll be four this year. I’ve
got all the vet records for you. What are you going to name
him?”

I glanced down at dog as he crawled back into
my lap. He was wearing an old collar with a tag that read
“Mirabel”, obviously a hand-me-down. The leash, too, had seen
better days. “Not Mirabel.”

“Oh,” Jeff chuckled. “Perhaps I should
explain. I borrowed those because I thought you’d want to choose
your own dog accessories.”

“What’s he called now?” I wanted to know.

“His official name on his AKC registration is
Randy’s Little Peanut Delight, but his owner usually just called
him Goober.”

“Goober? Not very dignified, is it?” I
sighed, as the little dog gave me his paw. “You need a better name.
Any ideas?”

I looked up expectantly at Nancy. She thought
for a moment. “What about Peanut?”

“That makes me think of that ventriloquist’s
dummy,” I giggled.

“Jeff Dunham? I love that guy!” Rocky shook
his head.

Nancy tried again. “What about Reese? You
know, like the peanut butter cup.”

“Snickers,” Rocky suggested.

“Jif, or maybe Skippy,” Nancy added to the
list, staying with the peanut theme. “Skippy’s a cute dog
name.”

“Hmm....” I wasn’t convinced. “I don’t want
to confuse him with a drastic change.”

“What about Cooper?” Jeff offered. When I
glanced up, I saw him watching me intently with those dark brown
eyes of his and suddenly a warm flush rose up in me. It was
impossible to ignore the excitement I felt. Every cell of my body
seemed to come alive at the nearness of him.

“Oh, as in Gary Cooper? What a hunk!” Nancy
sighed.

“Or Cooperstown,” Rocky countered.

“No, as in Mini Cooper, because he’s a
compact little guy.”

“I love it!” I crowed. “Cooper it is!”

The newly named Cooper promptly licked my
hand, a sure sign we were off to a good start, and then curled up,
his head on my knee.

“Poor guy could probably use a nap,” Jeff
suggested. “He’s had a lot of excitement today.”

“Does he have a crate?” I wondered. “And what
about his food? What does he eat?”

“I have some of Coop’s food with me, but we
should get more,” Jeff replied. “Let’s make a run to the pet store
now and pick up whatever he needs.”

“You don’t mind?” I asked. He shook his head
and smiled at me, bending down to pat Cooper on the head.

“It would be my pleasure. Rocky, do you mind
if I borrow your SUV?”

I caught Nancy poking Rocky in the side and
gave her a look. She responded with a wink.

“No problem, boss. I’ll just go down with you
and grab the bags.”

Ten minutes later, we were on our way, headed
down A1A towards Flagler Beach. Cooper lay in my lap and, using my
arm as a pillow, dozed as Jeff drove.

“Do you know the area?” I asked, surprised
that Jeff didn’t seem to need directions. “Or did you check a map
before you arrived?”

“Might be a little of both,” he smiled, his
eyes still on the road.

“You’ve been to Palm Coast before?” I
inquired, curious.

“I have.” That two-word response went
nowhere. I tried again, wanting to keep the conversation in
play.

“Are you a dog person, like your
brothers?”

“My black Lab, Granger, died two years ago at
the ripe old age of eleven. He was a lot more than just a dog to
me. He was my therapy dog when I was recovering from my accident,
specially trained to assist me.”

“I’m sorry, Jeff.”

“No need for you to be sorry, Marigold. I’m
sure I’ll eventually get around to finding myself another dog one
of these days.” He glanced over at me and smiled. “Maybe when my
home is finally finished. Now that I’ve recovered sufficiently, I
won’t need a working dog.”

“We really don’t know much about each other
yet, do we?” As I said that, I realized how presumptuous it
sounded, as if I expected to move into Jeff’s life permanently. I
didn’t want to jump the gun. “I mean that I...um....”

“Relax. I know what you meant and it’s true.
You’ve lived a life I know little about and the same is true of
me.”

“I just want you to know I really appreciate
all the things you and everyone else are doing for me. I...I don’t
know what I’d have done if the Cornwall brothers hadn’t come
along.”

“Hey, I’m always in the market for a good
plot line,” he answered casually, and I suddenly found myself
blushing at the thought that I was to be a character in his new
novel. “Besides, it’s not often I meet a real-life heroine.”

“Heroine?”

“You don’t think you fit the description,
Marigold?”

“Not really. The only brave thing I’ve ever
done is to keep going. Most of the time I just want to curl up in a
ball and disappear. The world can be a very scary place.”

“It can indeed,” he told me, flipping on his
indicator light and turning west on Highway 100. “It seems to me
you’ve had more than your share of scary adventures. Maybe it’s
time you got to have some fun.”

“Fun would be nice,” I nodded wistfully. “I
like the sound of that.”

“Then fun you shall have.”

He parked the SUV in a spot fifty feet from
the door of the store. Traffic was heavy in the parking lot, so I
carried Cooper in my arms. Once inside, I set the tiny terrier down
and let him explore.

“Where shall we start?” Jeff asked. He
grabbed a carriage from the collection. “Or should we just
wander?”

Chapter Thirty
Seven

“Let’s wander. That way, Cooper gets his
exercise in cool comfortable surroundings.”

We poked around the aisles at the local
PetSmart, looking for the items we needed, in no rush to get back
to Cinnamon Beach. Jeff paused in front of a fish tank, admiring a
pair of fancy goldfish.

“You like tropical fish?” I asked him, hoping
to learn more about him.

“Absolutely. I used to dive in my younger
days. There’s nothing like it when you’re out at a reef and you see
all the different kinds of fish swimming around. Fish tanks are the
next best thing.”

“Why don’t you get one for the condo? Not
some little thing that just sits on a table, but a real one that
allows the fish plenty of freedom.”

“Never considered that,” he told me. “It
might be nice for my office.”

“Can I help you find something?” The older
woman in the signature polo shirt gave us a bright smile. “Or
answer your questions about tropical fish?”

We chatted with her for a while, discussing
the different types of fish we might use in a large tank. I had no
idea that ordinary goldfish normally grow to about ten inches when
given the proper conditions. By the time we were done, Jeff was
excited at the prospect of having an underwater habitat in his
office.

“You know, Marigold, this could really be
interesting.”

“If you really like the idea, maybe we could
incorporate the tank in a feature wall. We’d have to see who’s
available in the Atlanta area to construct it....” I stopped myself
abruptly. I was too wrapped up in the idea that I would be around
to see the results. The sad reality was I was probably going to
have to go back on the road at some point. It was only a matter of
time before I had to say goodbye to Jeff. I consoled myself with
the thought that at least I wouldn’t be alone. I had Cooper now to
keep me company.

“That’s a great idea. I like that,” he
replied, not seeming to notice my hesitation. I felt his hand on my
elbow and silently begged him not to pull away from me. He must
have heard my plea, because he never let go of my arm, much to my
delight. “Let’s head over to the pooch department and find some
toys for Cooper.”

We walked our way through the wall of
seemingly endless choices, picking out a selection of noisy
squeakers and teeth chews. Jeff seemed to be having as much fun as
I was.

“By the way, Marigold, I got a license for
the dog under his formal name, Randy’s Little Peanut Delight, using
my Buckhead address in Atlanta. I’m on the record as the owner. If
he gets lost, folks will be able to return him to me. I’ll probably
lie and tell people you stole my dog, just so I have a plausible
explanation of how you and I are connected, but I promise I’ll
figure out a way to get Cooper back to you.”