Last Date
Table of Contents
Title Page
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Epilogue
OTHER BOOKS BY S.C. WYNNE
Copyright (c) January 2022 by S.C. Wynne
Last
Date
S.C. Wynne
“Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”
Emily Bronte
Chapter One
Elon Green was back from the dead.
At least, that was what the local newspaper headlines implied: “Deceased boy lives again.”
It was a miracle by anyone’s account. Elon Green, youngest son of the local, hugely wealthy, Green family, had disappeared twelve years ago at the age of five. Everyone had assumed the worst and given up hope. All except for Mary Green, Elon’s mother. She’d never given up faith that one day her son would return to the fold.
And it seemed he had.
Helen and Charlene had been streaming the news nonstop on a laptop in the shop since the news broke three days ago. I was pleased there had been a happy outcome for the Green family, but I had a business to run, and I was feeling a bit frustrated with my dear employees.
Rubbing my hands together, I said brightly, “We have a full day ahead of us, gang. Shall we get to it?”
“Uh-huh,” murmured Charlene, her eyes glued to the laptop screen.
I frowned. “I was thinking… Maybe like… Now?”
“Sure thing,” Charlene said, still staring at the laptop.
“I still can’t believe it,” Helen said, warming her fingers around a mug of steaming tea. “He’ll have suffered psychological and emotional damage for sure.”
“How could he not?” Charlene shivered. “Imagine thinking your parents were actually your parents, only to find out they were strangers who’d snatched you when you were a child.”
“Tsk. Tsk. Poor boy.” Helen shook her head.
Giving a heartfelt sigh, I abandoned subtlety. “Charlene, aren’t you supposed to be at Darcy Millhouse’s home right now walking Luna?”
“Huh?” Charlene bugged her eyes and stood. “Is it 9:00 a.m. already?”
“Ten past.” I frowned.
Charlene scooted toward the door, slipping into her coat as she ran. “Sorry, boss! I got distracted.”
“Did you?” I asked sardonically. “I hadn’t noticed.”
She gave a maniacal laugh, and the door closed loudly behind her.
Helen looked sheepish as she clicked out of the website she’d been streaming the news on. “You have to admit, it’s fascinating stuff.”
“It is. I’m extremely happy for the Greens. But, unlike them, I don’t have millions in the bank, so I need to keep this place afloat by doing actual work.” I gave her what I hoped was a cajoling smile. “Watch all the news you want on your breaks. It’s just hard to focus with that stuff on in the background.”
“Absolutely.” Helen cleared her throat and grabbed a stack of bills next to her computer. “These invoices aren’t going to enter themselves.”
Now I felt a little guilty, although I didn’t think I was asking too much by requiring work for pay. Still, I liked to have a casual atmosphere at work and hated the idea of being bossy, even if I was the boss. “I’ll buy lunch today to make it up to you.”
She laughed. “Kip, don’t be silly. You have every right to want us to work. I just find it so fascinating that Elon made it home safely after twelve long years. Everyone thought he was dead.”
I winced. “Well, yes. That’s only natural seeing as he disappeared without a trace.”
“He was so young when he was taken. I wonder what he looks like now. They haven’t shared his photo yet. The family is probably scared the kidnappers will come for him again.”
“They’re probably just trying to protect him from the media. I mean, the kidnappers already know what Elon looks like and where he is. It’s all over the news that he’s home.”
“That’s true. Do you suppose they’ll do DNA testing to be sure it’s really him?”
“No idea.” I felt like I was being sucked into Charlene’s co-conspirator role, so I moved into the back room. I had my dog, Spot, with me, and he followed me into the back. We were boarding several dogs while their owners were on vacation, and I greeted them cheerfully. I opened the back door and went to release the dogs outside into the dog run area for some fresh air and exercise. Spot bounced around me, eagerly waiting for his playmates to be released.
“Maybe Merrick can give us some juicy details about the case,” Helen said, raising her voice to be heard. “You should reach out to him.”
I frowned. “No. He never tells me stuff about police business.”
“Couldn’t hurt to ask. You should take him to lunch, you know, just as a friend. See if you can get something out of him.”
“Nope. I’m not going to do that, Helen.” I stepped outside into the brisk morning, tucking my chin into the collar of my coat to ward off the chill. I watched the dogs run and play together, feeling more cheerful at the sight. It would be so awesome if humans were more like dogs. Unlike complicated human interactions, dogs made things so beautifully simple. They either liked you or they didn’t. They didn’t talk about you behind your back one day and smile in your face the next.
“Is he still seeing that Peter fella?” she called out.
I gritted my teeth at her question because, yes, Merrick was indeed still seeing that “Peter fella.” Not wanting to fixate on that fact, I pretended not to hear her and moved toward the dogs. Merrick and I had a complicated relationship, and I didn’t really like thinking about it too often.
Until very recently, I’d pretty much loathed Merrick. He was my older brother Thomas’ best friend and my childhood tormentor. We’d patched things up a bit a few months back, but to say we were now friends would be overstating things. However, I no longer reviled him, which almost made things worse. At least when I’d hated him I’d known what those emotions were. Now we were in a sort of gray area with each other, which felt twice as awkward.
Trying to shake off gloomy thoughts, I grabbed a tennis ball from the ground and tossed it as far as I could. The dogs took off after the ball, and I smiled at their unbridled enthusiasm. There were people in the world with real problems. I had plenty to be grateful for, and fixating on things I had no control over helped nothing. Merrick and Peter seemed happy together by all accounts. More power to them. It wasn’t their fault I couldn’t find someone to fall in love with.
I probably felt like more of a loser than usual simply because Valentine’s Day was at the end of the week. Nothing put pressure on single people like that ridiculous holiday. It wasn’t even like the idea of sitting in an overcrowded, overpriced restaurant with a date I hardly knew appealed to me. If anything, it was kind of demeaning the way the restaurants moved customers through like cattle, simply so they could turn tables faster. But sitting home alone on Valentine’s Day wasn’t any better. It made one feel like they’d landed on the Island of Misfit Toys. It was hard not to feel rejected in the eyes of society when you flew solo on Valentine’s Day.
My cell rang, and I fished it from my pocket. “Red Leash Dog Walking, Kip speaking, how may I help?”
A soft female voice came over the line. “My dog is a monster, and I don’t know what to do with him.”
“Uh… when you say ‘monste
r,’ what exactly do you mean?” I wasn’t a professional dog trainer. I ran a dog walking service, but often people didn’t seem to recognize the difference.
“He chewed up my couch when I was at work, and he won’t sit still. Ever. He keeps getting into the neighbor’s yard, and they’re not happy about it.” She let out a shaky breath. “I might have to send him back to the pound where I got him.”
My stomach dropped. “Wait. Don’t do that. Um… maybe he’s simply not getting enough exercise. Do you walk him regularly?” There was a strained silence, which equaled “no” to me. “I don’t train dogs, but I do know that a high-energy dog that doesn’t get enough exercise can be a problem.”
“I… I simply don’t have time.”
Making sure I sounded nonjudgmental, I said, “You probably work long hours?”
“Yes.”
“That’s why I started my business. People don’t always have time to take their pets for long walks when they get home from a tiring day. Red Leash is here to help.”
She gave a funny laugh. “You sound like an infomercial.”
I smiled. “Do I? I just really love dogs, and I want to help people.”
“How much do you cost?”
I grimaced. “Well, we’d need to figure out what your needs are, and then I could give you a quote.”
“My needs are that I need my dog not to eat my furniture.”
“Of course. Well, before you do anything rash, like sending the dog back, how about we try an experiment?”
“What kind of experiment?” In the background, I heard a dog barking. “Can you hear him? He’s really driving me insane. I don’t know if I can do this.”
Squeezing my phone, I said, “How about this: I’ll walk your dog for free for one week. If you don’t see any kind of improvement in his behavior, then you’ll have to do what you feel you need to do. But at least give me a shot.”
“Free?” Her voice perked up. “Or is this like a gimmick?”
“I’m being dead serious.” The idea of her taking that dog back to the pound made my stomach churn. He wouldn’t understand why she never returned to get him. He’d just feel abandoned. He would be abandoned. “One free week of my services at no cost to you.”
“That… that’s mighty generous of you.” She no longer sounded suspicious; she sounded relieved. “Do you really think it might help?”
“I’m cautiously optimistic.”
“Okay. I’ll try you out.”
I let out a grateful sigh. “Excellent. Now all I need is your address and a time when I can come meet you and your dog.”
“My name is Patsy Reid. I’m Police Chief Dawson’s personal secretary.”
Surprise rippled through me. “Oh, uh… that’s great.”
“He recommended you. He said you’re amazing with animals.”
I felt flattered by her words. I’d never have imagined Merrick would recommend my services to his coworkers. I always felt as if he didn’t take my job seriously. “I’m happy to hear he has faith in me.”
“Oh, he goes on and on about you sometimes.” She laughed. “From what he says, you’ve known each other forever.”
I grimaced. “Forever might be a stretch, but yeah, he’s been… a presence in my life for a long time.”
“I can meet with you after work today? Or is today too soon?”
I had a busy schedule today, but I was determined to fit her in. “Today is perfect. Just give me a time and an address, and I’ll be there.”
She told me a time and place, and I agreed to meet her then. I hung up and went back to watching the dogs play.
****
When lunchtime rolled around, I headed to the Golden Spoon Restaurant to grab some food for Helen and me. Charlene and the others were having lunch with friends, so it was just me and Helen today. I stood at the Take Out window, and a cheerful twentysomething girl rang me up.
“Your food is almost ready. If you’d just wait over there, I’ll call out your name when it’s done.” She smiled and pointed toward a row of chairs in the corner.
“Sure.” I sat down in one of the chairs and let out a tired sigh. I hadn’t sat down for over five minutes since the morning. It was just one of those days.
When Merrick walked into the restaurant, I stiffened. He didn’t see me immediately, so I dropped my gaze and pretended to be busy on my phone. When two well-polished Italian loafers appeared in my line of vision, I looked up. Merrick stood over me, smiling.
“Were you ignoring me on purpose?” he asked, a knowing gleam in his eye.
“Pfft, what?” I spluttered. “No.” I knew my pink face was probably giving me away.
“You sure about that? I’ve never seen anyone that fascinated with their phone. What could you possibly be looking at?”
“Just… stuff.” I tucked my phone away.
“Porn?”
“What?” I yelped.
He laughed. “I’m kidding.”
“Very funny.” I gave an embarrassed glance around. “Shouldn’t you get in line to order your food?”
“I called in my order. They’ll yell my name when it’s ready.” He took the seat next to me, and his wide shoulders bumped mine.
The chairs were so tightly packed, I couldn’t really move away. I tried to ignore the weird feelings the press of his shoulder gave me. Seeing Merrick as anything but my archenemy was new for me. Being aware of him as a man, and not just as a thorn in my side, was perplexing.
“My secretary, Patsy, says you’re going to help her with her dog,” Merrick said, glancing at me.
“I’m going to try.” I cleared my throat. “Uh, thanks for recommending me.”
He shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I? You’re good at what you do.”
“I hope I can actually help her. It sounds like she needs an actual trainer.”
“You did wonders with Spot.”
I smiled. “Yeah, but he didn’t eat couches. He was just being a kooky puppy.”
Merrick laughed. “He’s a great dog. I’m glad you took him. I hate to think of him in the pound.”
I shuddered. “No way. That’s why I’m helping Patsy. I really would prefer she not send her dog back there.”
“Yes.”
I frowned. “Would you say Patsy is a dog person?” I suspected she wasn’t. She’d sounded very out of her element when it came to her dog.
“Not really. She saw a documentary on kill shelters and got a bee in her bonnet that she wanted to save a dog.” He grimaced. “She had good intentions, but Bruno is husky and German shepherd. He was about four months when she got him and a manageable size. Now he’s huge and out of control.”
“Ahhh. Yeah, people seem to forget that puppies grow up.”
“If the more exercise thing doesn’t help, Bruno’s fate may be grim,” he said softly.
Wincing, I said, “I’m hopeful the walking will calm him down. If not, I know a few trainers I’ll recommend to her. The question is, will she be willing to put in the work? Dog trainers can only do so much. It’s up to the owners to follow through.”
“This is why I don’t have a dog.” He sighed. “I think about it sometimes. I love dogs. But I’m at work twelve hours a day. Any dog I had would be alone too much.”
I smirked. “You could just hire me. Red Leash Walking Services, where we bring a smile to your dog’s face.”
“Is that actually your slogan?”
I laughed. “Nah.”
“Thank goodness.” His lips twitched. “If I got a dog, it would be for companionship. But if I’m never there… then the dog wouldn’t have companionship.”
“My guess is you must not really want a dog.”
He frowned. “Of course I do. I just said I did.”
“Well, you probably just like the idea of having a dog. If it was just about time, you’d make time.”
He scowled. “How? By adding more hours to the day?”
I shrugged. “You somehow find time for Peter.” The minute t
he words left my lips, I regretted them. I had absolutely no idea why that stupid comment had even slipped out, and he immediately looked defensive.
He narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I get it now.”
“There’s nothing to get.” I tried to backpedal. “I’m just saying we manage to find time for the things we really want.”
“The thing is, I don’t need to walk Peter after work.”
I winced. “Right. Dogs are different than… boyfriends.”
“Why don’t you like Peter?” he demanded.
“Who said I don’t like Peter?”
“You always have this certain tone when you say his name.”
“No.” I gave an uneasy laugh. “I don’t think that’s true.”
“It is.”
“I… I just meant, people carve out time for things they need. I don’t think that’s wrong or a bad thing. I do it too. We all do.” I swallowed loudly. “In… your case… you’re making time for Peter.”
Judging by the tension in his jaw, he didn’t completely believe my explanation. Why did he care if I liked Peter or not? Did that actually matter to him? I couldn’t imagine why my opinion had any weight.
“I’m trying to be your friend, Kip, but you don’t make it easy,” he said softly.
I groaned. “I just misspoke. Peter is great, and you have every right to have a social life. But the reality is, people do prioritize things. Why is that a terrible thing to say?”
He hesitated. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You’re alone.”
I blinked at him. “I’m not alone. I have my family and friends.”
“And that’s enough for you?”
“Well…” I frowned. “For now it is.” It wasn’t really, but I’d have chopped my arm off before I admitted that to Merrick in that moment.
He squinted at me. “How is that enough? You’re twenty-nine. What are you waiting for?”
“I… I’m waiting for the right person,” I rasped. “I’m not willing to settle.”
His mouth thinned. “Like me?”
“I didn’t say that. You keep thinking I’m saying things I’m not saying.”
A female voice called out, “Kip, your order is ready!”