Evening Stars

“I bet.”

There was a moment of silence.

“I have to go to Seattle this weekend,” he said. “But I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner next week, after I’m back.”

Nina knew for a fact she hadn’t been on a date in nearly eighteen months. Now she’d been asked out twice in one day. Why couldn’t this have been better coordinated? One date last year, one date this year?

Dinner with Dylan. Although she hadn’t recognized Kyle, she knew everything about Dylan. While she was over him, she was still the tiniest bit bitter about the way things had ended. Which brought the guilt back again, which annoyed her.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a hard question,” he said quietly.

Ack! “Sorry, sorry. Sure. Dinner would be great.”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. Give me a call when you’re back and we’ll set up a night. I’ll bring you up to date on all you’ve missed since you’ve been gone. That will take at least fifteen minutes.”

He chuckled. “I look forward to it. Talk to you soon.”

“Sure. Have fun in Seattle.”

She hung up and tossed her phone on the counter.

If ever there was a time to have wine with dinner, tonight was the night, she thought, heading for the open bottle on the counter. But she would pass on the cookies she’d bought. And go to Pilates at least one more time a week.

Not that Kyle was ever going to see her naked. But still. A girl could dream.

Chapter Six

THE DRIVE FROM Mischief Bay to Blackberry Island was direct. North on I-5 for about 1100 miles, then a left at the arrow pointing to the bridge. Easy enough.

Now, after spending the night just this side of Sacramento, Averil carefully pulled into a rest stop south of Medford, Oregon. At the rate she was going, she was going to get to the island before dinner, which seemed both good and bad. On the one hand, she was happy to be escaping her life. On the other, she knew she was running away, and that was hardly a situation to make anyone proud.

She parked her car and got out. The rest area was quiet. There were only a couple of big rigs parked on the other side. Hers was the only passenger vehicle. After using the restroom, she washed her hands and walked outside.

The morning was crisp and clear. The rain would start farther north. She could see her breath and was grateful for her jacket. Deciding to stretch her legs for a few minutes, she started to circle the building.

She really needed to use her time away to get her life in order, she thought. She was too old to be running away, and yet here she was. Escaping from unpleasant reality. She missed Kevin already, and at the same time, she was glad to be away from him. As if that made sense. She had no direction, no novel, no anything. She was lost, plain and simple. Which was probably why she balked at having a baby. If she wasn’t sure she could save herself, how could she be responsible for someone else?

Just past the men’s room, she saw something move by the trash can on her left. She paused and watched. She saw the movement again. Her stomach clenched when she realized a small dog was huddled by the can.

The animal looked to be maybe twenty or thirty pounds, with matted gray-and-brown fur and big eyes. She could see it was shaking and, as she approached, the dog cowered.

She glanced around, but there were no other cars. The animal looked terrified, torn between running and wanting to be rescued.

“I know the feeling,” she murmured in a low voice as she slowly approached. “It’s okay, little dog. I won’t hurt you.” She crouched down and held out the back of her hand. The animal flinched but didn’t move. She gently touched its shoulder.

The animal shuddered, then seemed to collapse on itself. Averil shifted closer and patted its side. She could feel bones everywhere.

“Oh, honey, you’re starving,” she said, realizing some jackass had simply abandoned the animal. There was no collar, and with the dog sticking close to the rest area, it should have been easy for an owner to find.

She continued to pet the animal, trying to gain its trust. After a few minutes, she stood. “Okay,” she said, patting her leg. “You want to come with me?”

The dog rose and stared at her. It continued to tremble.

“I think we’re close to Medford. I’ll take you to a vet and have you checked out. If you have a chip, we can find your owner. If not, at least you’ll be warm and fed.”

The dog stared at her.

“It’s all right,” she said. “I’m a good person. I’m confused and emotionally stunted, but I won’t hurt you.”

The dog seemed to accept that and walked along with her.

It turned out the animal was too weak to jump into the backseat, so Averil lifted her. She was shocked at how little the dog weighed. She poured water into her hand and the animal drank greedily. She had part of a scone from the Starbucks where she’d stopped earlier, and the dog gulped that down.

When Averil slid behind the wheel, she started the engine and turned up the heat. It only took her a couple of minutes to use her phone to find a vet in Medford. She called and got directions, then drove back onto the highway.

* * *

“She’s about three years old,” the vet—an old guy with a kind expression—told Averil. “I would guess she’s been on her own for a month. She has a few bruises and she’s malnourished. I doubt she’s had a decent meal in that time.”

The technician looked up from the computer. “There aren’t any reports of missing dogs in the area,” she said with a shrug. “Without a chip, there’s no way to find her owners.”

“She was dumped,” the vet said. “Unfortunately, it happens.” He left the room.

Averil stroked the dog huddled on the examination table. The animal had been examined and bathed. She’d also been given a small meal.

“There’s a no-kill shelter in town,” the technician said. “She’s pretty cute and it shouldn’t be long until she’s adopted. You did a good thing, bringing her here. She’ll be fine.”

Averil stared into the dog’s brown eyes. She was white with brown spots after all. Part King Charles Spaniel, the vet had said. Part who-knows-what. She’d endured the exam and the bath without protest and seemed resigned to whatever fate had to offer. Averil knew the most sensible solution was to leave her at the shelter.

She fingered the dog’s soft fur. “I’ll take her,” she said. “Can I do that?”

“Sure.” The other woman smiled. “She seems like a sweetie. Do you know what you’re going to name her?”

“Penny.” Averil touched the dog’s head. “Hey, Penny. Want to come live with me?”

Brown eyes regarded her solemnly.

“You’ll need some food,” the tech said. “We have a brand that’s good for sensitive stomachs. That will help her ease into having regular meals. Feed her about half a cup, four times a day for the first few days. Then you can go to a cup twice a day. Maybe mix in a little canned food. If you want to change brands, do it over time or she could get sick.”

The woman wrote down a few instructions. “Once you get where you’re going, she’ll need to be vaccinated. She’s already been spayed. I think there’s an old collar and leash in the lost and found box. Let me go grab them.”

She left the room. Averil continued to pet Penny. “It’s okay. You’re going to live with me now. I’m pretty sure I can handle a dog.”

Penny stared at her, her expression still fearful, but at least she’d stopped shaking. Soft brown eyes seemed to ask if that was the best Averil could offer.

“You’re right,” she said quietly. “I need to make a commitment. I will take care of you. I promise.”