A Daughter's Homecoming, page 11
“What makes a dog a Canine Good Citizen?”
“Well, you can train any dog to become one, but I prefer to start with one who has a good temperament. I think we can all agree Houdini’s been blessed with that.” At her enthusiastic nod, he went on. “Then he has to be socialized really well. We’ll have to take him all kinds of places and expose him to all kinds of people. That’s really important.”
“He’s a ham. He should do well around people.”
“Exactly. And now that you’ve discovered he’s such a quick learner, as well as obedient, then we have the second part of the inherent qualities sewed up, too.”
“I’m sure his charmer talents will help him worm his way into people’s hearts!”
“That’s a given. He’s had that beat from the first dive into Tony’s Dumpster, don’t you think?”
“I don’t know about the Dumpster, but when I opened the door to see what was doing the scratching, he stole my heart right away.”
Zach had to clamp his lips tight to keep from saying, Lucky dog!
He pasted on a more appropriate smile and continued, irritated by his easy susceptibility. “Now, we have to focus on the socialization. It’s one of the most important components of the training. We’ll have to decide what kind of events we want to take him to and what type of situations will help him with his good responses. That’s easy to do, and then we can also start obedience training right away.”
“We?”
“I’d like your help, especially since he’s young and will be your family’s dog for many, many years. Small terriers, as a general rule, have a long life expectancy. You’ll want to teach your parents everything you and Houdini learn.”
A touch of alarm widened her eyes, and he could see her putting up the usual roadblocks—her life back in Cleveland and her impending return there. “Will you be the one who’ll take him to...what? Hospitals?” she asked. “The assisted-living facility down on Seagull Drive?”
He ground his teeth in frustration. Just as he’d been certain the dog belonged with her, or at least her family, he felt in his heart that she belonged in Lyndon Point. But it would do no good to push that point, not when she remained so dead set against staying.
“Sure, I can take him. But more important, the reason we want him certified as a CGC and a service dog is so your father can keep him at his side at all times. Once we get his certifications, Houdini will have a little red vest that identifies him as your father’s helper, and no one can deny him entrance wherever your dad goes.”
“You mean we take Houdini to doctor, grocery, or church?” Mama asked as she walked in carrying a loaded tray. “A dog?”
Zach rose and helped her set the heavy silver piece down on the coffee table in front of the sofa. “Yes, but a dog that’s been trained so he can go to all kinds of different places.”
“My Antonio will love it!”
Zach grinned. “I knew he would. That’s why I came to talk to Gabi about it. I’m glad you joined us when you did, Mrs. Carlini.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Gabi said, stepping to the table. “And it’s a great idea that you brought out your lemon-drop cookies, Mama. But you should have called me. I could have brought the tray in for you. I’m sure it was heavy.”
On his way back to his seat, his elbow brushed against Gabi’s arm, and he caught the way her eyes widened at the contact. For a moment, she paused and stared at the spot where they’d grazed, seemingly flustered by the feather-light skin-to-skin stroke.
It pleased Zach to know he wasn’t the only one affected by their nearness. Before he could stop it, a dangerous thought crossed his mind. He wondered what it would be like if their relationship grew to where those touches were the norm between them rather than a moment to remember.
“Bah!” Mrs. Carlini said, pulling him away from his wild imagination. “Six weeks ago or so, I carried heavy trays of pizza and salads and pasta plates to the tables at Tony’s. Now, I just take his plate to Antonio three times a day. This tray? Bah! Non é niente—it’s nothing.”
Zach tried to hide his chuckle. This was where Gabi got her zesty personality. He liked the Carlinis. What was there not to like?
“So we’re all agreed, then?” he asked, just to make sure. “Houdini’s going into training.”
The two women answered yes, and then they all dived into the cookies and rich, dark coffee Mrs. Carlini had brought.
A time or two, as they enjoyed their refreshments, he caught Gabi sneaking glances in his direction, just as he had done toward her. The realization touched a cold spot inside him, and it began to thaw.
The surge of adrenaline that struck him at the top of a slalom slope made its appearance at that most unusual moment. Oh, sure. Gabi posed a danger to his equilibrium, but one he wasn’t ready to flee. Good thing he’d followed through on his urge to see her again.
After Mrs. Carlini hurried away to see to her husband, he and Gabi settled in to talk and play a lively game of Clue. Even when hours had gone by, he didn’t want to leave. To Zach, it felt like the perfect end to an almost perfect day.
Perfect would have been a day spent with Gabi. The perfect end would have been if she’d said she’d decided to move back home permanently.
And the perfect fool would be him, for wanting both of those impossible things.
* * *
Sunday after church, Gabi hurried to Tony’s to make sure things were ready for the last day of the weekend rush. This was when they made most of their profit, from Friday after school let out until closing on Sunday evening.
They had always opened for a late lunch at two, encouraging their patrons to attend church services, and ever since she’d come back to Lyndon Point, she’d made it a point to help her employees prep ingredients for the salads, the pizza toppings and their most popular Italian dishes. As she finished at the last station—the garlic bread stop—she licked a dab of Papa’s signature blend of olive oil and butter from her index finger. All the bread needed now was a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan and a quick pop under the broiler.
The hours flew by as they filled order after order. Later, her phone rang. “Hey, birthday girl!” Allie cried. “What are you doing to celebrate?”
“Birthday girl?” Gabi asked. “Celebrate? What day is it?”
“It’s June fifteenth, woman! Are you Pacific Northwesters so laid-back that you don’t even use calendars out there?”
Gabi leaned over to glance out the kitchen door to the cash register and was surprised to notice on the calendar that her best friend was right. It was her birthday, and she’d completely missed it.
“Guess the laugh’s on me.” She gave a quick look around to check if anyone else could see how sheepish she felt. “And to answer your question, I’m serving supper at Tony’s. That’s how I’m celebrating my birthday—”
“Not anymore, you’re not!” Dylan loped up to her and took the phone from her hand. “You’re outta here, boss. Now!”
“Hey! Give me that phone back.”
“Okay. Here you go.” The teen’s grin was infectious. “And Allie’s in on this, too, so she’s already hung up. Your chariot awaits outside the door.”
“What are you talking about?” she asked, but let him lead her toward the front of the restaurant. As she walked through the dining room, the customers broke into an off-key rendition of “Happy Birthday.”
“Thanks,” she murmured when they finished singing and clapping.
“You must go and have fun now, Gabriella!” Mama said, stepping out from behind the checkout counter. “You come home, help us so much. I want you to take break. Happy birthday, mia dolce figlia, my sweet girl.”
Gabi’s eyes welled as her mother gave her a warm hug and untied the apron she’d put on when she’d walked in right after church. Mama donned the tomato-smeared garment and pushed her daughter toward the door. “Claudia’s at our home with Houdini and Papa,” she added. “I’m here, and it’s your birthday now. You go!”
Gabi felt more than a little disoriented. There were surprise birthday parties, and then there was...this. “You’ve all gone nuts!”
As she stepped outside and the door closed behind her, she spotted Zach standing next to a silver SUV parked in front of Tony’s, his grin as wide as Dylan’s. “Happy birthday.”
“You’re in on it, too?”
He shrugged and held the vehicle’s door open for her. “Birthdays are for celebrating. Come on, let’s go eat. I wouldn’t want our meal to be less than at its best.”
“Meal, huh?” She slid into the car. “Lucky for you, I’m really hungry.”
He hurried around to the driver’s side, then sat behind the wheel. “You’ve spent all afternoon at a pizza place, and you’re actually hungry? There’s something wrong with this picture.”
“There’s only so much pizza one woman can eat.”
He maneuvered the car smoothly through the town’s light Sunday evening traffic and then headed toward the north side of Lyndon Point. All the while she couldn’t help stealing glances at his handsome profile and noticing how good he looked in his faded jeans and navy blue polo shirt. As they continued toward their destination, the neighborhood streets soon gave way to a winding road overlooking a stretch of empty coastline. He pulled into the parking area for a public beach and stopped next to boulders stacked high, about thirty or forty feet from the water.
“This is where we’re eating?” she asked, confused. “I thought we were having a meal, something that had an optimal time to serve.”
He shot her that mischievous grin she liked so much, topped with that appealing twinkle in his eyes. “You were listening to me.”
“Of course I was. I always listen when I’m being kidnapped.” She wrinkled her nose and gave him a crooked smile. “Anyway, what are we eating?”
“You’ll see soon enough.”
She was about to push, but he hopped out of the car and went to the liftgate before she could get even one word out. From the back of the car, he withdrew a large picnic basket and what looked like a white tablecloth.
“Are you nuts?” she asked. “Who brings nice white linens to the beach?”
“I do.” He carried his load to the opening between the boulders that led to the beach. “Your birthday dinner calls for a few nice details. I’m happy to oblige.”
“So what are we eating?” she tried again, hoping to catch him off guard.
“Uh-uh-uh! You’ll have to show a bit of patience.”
Both laughed, and she gave up. She was enjoying herself and was secretly thrilled he’d gone to all the trouble of arranging this. Or helping her mother arrange it—whichever way it had gone. She loved the thought he’d put into pleasing her.
She perched on the nearest rock to watch him set up for their meal. The more he did, the more he impressed her.
Soft breezes off the Puget Sound lifted the stray strands that had escaped her slicked-back ponytail and, after a day of work, now curled on her forehead. Since she no longer was at Tony’s, she slipped off the elastic she used to hold her thick hair out of her way while she worked and ran her fingers through it. The release felt wonderful, and for the first time in a long time, she began to relax.
As she raked the mass back out of her face, she noticed how low the sun had dropped on the horizon. It was much later than she’d thought. Since she wasn’t wearing a watch, and she didn’t feel like going to get her smartphone from the car to check the time, she decided to let the day measure the hours for her.
“This was a good idea,” she called out to Zach.
He grinned back. “I know. And it was all mine.”
“But I gather my mother helped.”
“Sure. I needed help getting it all set up.”
No surprise there. After all, Zach was handsome, charming, gainfully employed and—most important in her mother’s eyes—a happy resident of Lyndon Point. Mama had muttered something about babies the day of the Adoption Fair. And she never failed to mention all the various cousins who were loving life with their kids.
The back-and-forth rush of the waves on the gritty, water-ground rock that made up the beach’s rough sand began to lull her into a state close to bliss. If she separated her hometown from her bad memories, there was a lot to like about it.
There were those relatives who’d insisted she become a nurse, a physical therapist or a doctor, of course. Others had pushed for academia, suggesting archeology, ornithology or even herpetology. Never mind how much she hated dirt, sand and even the idea of ancient bones, how birds of all kinds creeped her out and her profound hatred of snakes. Worst of all were the ones who’d insisted the best thing for her to do was to find herself a good Lyndon Point boy, settle down with him and get busy adding to their vastly spreading family.
Few of them listened long enough to hear what mattered most to her, and while Mama and Papa understood her interest in pursuing her education, they never failed to remind her of the University of Washington, which was located in their proverbial backyard, nearby Seattle.
The pressure to become what they wanted, rather than the woman God had created her to be, grew to suffocate her. The memories of the discussions—according to them, battles according to her—still made her antsy. Her love for her relatives made it difficult to think of Lyndon Point and her family as two separate entities.
In her mind, they were too intricately connected, too tightly entwined for her to set apart. Too bad she couldn’t do that kind of separating. And her independence had come at the cost of a lot of effort. She couldn’t forget that, even if Lyndon Point’s picturesque beauty could make forgetting an easy thing.
“All set!” Zach called. “Come join me.”
Gabi opened her eyes again and picked her way over the boulders down to the waterfront, where he’d set a beautiful scene. “Oh, my! Plates, serving dishes, that sparkling white tablecloth. You thought of everything.”
“I aim to please, ma’am, if I can use an ancient cliché. You really do like it? And nobody let you in on the plan?”
“Are you kidding me? I had no idea. If I’d known you’d planned something as beautiful as this for me, I wouldn’t have been wrapped in a tomato-splattered apron, and with garlic-daubed fingers to boot, when you got there.”
He sat on one corner of the white tablecloth and held out a hand. “I’ll take the fun of your surprise and count my blessings there, even when they come Italian-scented.”
She swatted at his comment but did take his hand. She sat at his side to admire his handiwork. He’d set the tablecloth with a pair of silver-edged white plates that looked elegant and expensive. In the center of each, he’d placed a fan-folded napkin, and at each side he’d arranged the proper silverware—each piece gleaming in the persimmon light of dusk. A pair of large water goblets brimming with amber-toned iced tea sat precariously in front of each place setting.
She leaned forward right away. “Oh, hey! We’d better pick these up before the breeze knocks them over. It’s pretty warm still, and we don’t want to go thirsty.”
He glanced at the horizon. “Sun’s almost all the way down, so it won’t be as hot for too much longer. But how about if you hold mine, too? I have to get one more detail I almost forgot.”
She grabbed the two goblets, and watched him rummage in the large basket. To her amazement, he brought out a small glass hurricane lamp with a marble bottom and a chunky, pristine-white candle. “Wow! I wasn’t kidding when I said you’d thought of everything.”
He flashed her that terrific smile of his but didn’t say anything as he used a long-handled gas lighter. “There. At least it won’t be pitch-dark while we eat.”
“I didn’t realize how late it was. I thought it was only around five when you got to Tony’s.”
“Think again.” He gestured toward the stunning sunset. “It was closer to seven. We’re lucky we’re in mid-June and the sun doesn’t completely set until quite late.”
“So what did you bring to fill my growling belly?”
“First we’re having caramelized pecan, pear and arugula salad with raspberry balsamic vinaigrette.”
He’d gone all-out. “That sounds delicious. I’m ready.”
Zach withdrew a small insulated container from the picnic box and, with silver salad tongs, served them each a lovely mound of fresh greens, golden-browned pears and toasted pecans from individual sections. He then drizzled the dressing over it all.
“Let’s pray,” he murmured, holding out his hand.
She smiled, nodded and placed her fingers in his. As he enfolded them in his strong clasp, a sense of peace filled her. She let all her other thoughts vanish with the dropping sun. What a lovely way to celebrate her birthday.
“Heavenly Father,” Zach said, “bless the food You’ve given us, and bless this evening we’re about to share. Father, bring Gabi joy in this next year of her life, bless her with all the riches of Your glory. In Your precious Son’s name, I pray...”
“Amen,” she breathed. He echoed her, and then she immediately forked up a mouthful of the glistening greens. “Yum...”
“Do you like it?”
“Love it!” She jabbed the fork over her shoulder. “A few minutes ago while I was sitting on the rock, I thought the salty breezes and the sound of the waves made the evening feel something akin to bliss, but compared to this, it doesn’t even come close.”
“Great! Enjoy.”
They ate, discussing a number of light subjects, from the new exhibit at the Lyndon Point Historical Society to Houdini’s latest antics while training for his Canine Good Citizen. When they’d finished their salads, he brought out a two-person crockery-type heated carrier and served them rosy-toned slabs of rosemary-sprigged roast leg of lamb and tender multicolored new potatoes. Next to all that bounty, he piled grilled zucchini, red and yellow peppers and sliced Portobello mushrooms, then sprinkled the vegetables with creamy feta cheese.
