The Moment of Truth

“You were soon to have a family of your own. When better to make the climb?”

L.G. was chewing on his left hind paw now.

“I forgot your fortieth anniversary party.” He’d been in town, buying drinks for a new client, celebrating the deal he’d just closed. And had completely forgotten about his parents’ shindig until the evening had been winding down.

Because he hadn’t cared. If the party had mattered to him, he’d have remembered it.

“I didn’t expect you to be there, Josh. The party was for our friends, not yours. You’d have been bored. Besides, you made it in time.” To tell everyone good night.

“I have to go,” he said into the phone. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”

“I love you, son.”

“I know, Mom. I love you, too. Say hello to Father.”

The old man wasn’t speaking to Josh. Not since the day Josh told them he was leaving.

He’d hoped for his father’s understanding but hadn’t expected it. And hadn’t gotten it, either.

“I will. He misses you, Joshua.”

In his way, he probably did.

But his father’s way wasn’t Josh’s way. Not anymore.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

SHE HADN’T EXPECTED Josh to call.

He called. Just as she and Sharon were cleaning up after dinner.

“Excuse me,” she said to Sharon, slipping out the older woman’s sliding-glass door as she took the call.

“Is it normal for a dog to bite himself?” Josh’s voice had that urgency to it again.

And still, it sounded so good.

“If he has an itch he can’t scratch with his paws,” she said, thinking of him in his business suit.

Did he still have on the tie he’d worn to work?

“He’s biting all over. I hadn’t noticed it before now.”

“I’m on my way,” she said.

She didn’t give Josh a chance to tell her he didn’t need her to drive out. In case he would have tried. She hadn’t seen him in two days, and she missed him. And what did he know? He’d never owned a pet before.

* * *

“WHERE IS HE?”

He’d barely had the door open twenty minutes later when Dana plowed past him with a canvas bag hanging from her shoulder, along with the leather satchel she used for a purse.

“In his kennel. I didn’t know what else to do with him.”

She went straight to the corner by the patio door where he kept L.G.’s kennel.

“Come here, Little Guy,” she said, grabbing up the puppy as he darted out of his cage.

“Are you sure you should hold him?” The dog obviously had a problem. He didn’t want Dana to catch something.

“Of course! Worst case is he has fleas, which I doubt since they aren’t prevalent in this part of the desert, due to the lack of grass... Or it could be an allergy, which isn’t going to hurt anyone, but him.” Holding the puppy up, she gave him a once-over and then sat down with him.

“Have you fed him anything different?”

“No.”

She looked in the puppy’s eyes. Under his arms. On his belly, and then, with L.G. still on his back, glanced up at Josh. “You didn’t give him any cookies, did you?”

“No.” But only because he hadn’t wanted to part with any of them. “Why?”

“Chocolate is poisonous to dogs.”

He’d almost inadvertently fed the dog poison. Probably would have if he hadn’t liked the cookies so much.

“It’s unlikely that chocolate would have given him skin issues,” she said.

Josh watched her part the dog’s fur with her long, slender fingers. And imagined them wrapping around his...

“I’m pretty sure he’s just got dry skin,” she said.

“What would cause that?”

“Too many baths.”

Oh. Not surprised that he’d caused it, Josh asked, “What do we do about it?” He would have preferred to stand there and think about sex. Physical intimacy was something he was good at.

“See if he’ll eat some fruits and veggies,” she said.

“I don’t have any.”

“I do.” Handing him the puppy, she fetched the canvas bag she’d brought with her and pulled out some apples and carrots. “I stopped in at home on my way here,” she said, finding a sharp knife in a kitchen drawer, and slicing the apples. “Start with these,” she said, handing him a bag of ready-to-eat baby carrots. “See if he’ll eat them.”

L.G. sniffed the carrot. Took it in his mouth. And spit it out. Josh didn’t blame him. He wasn’t all that fond of raw carrots, either.