The Long Road Home 22 - Home Changes, page 14
part #22 of The Long Road Home Series
Frank studied him for a long moment. “Sounds like the handler and the pup have a hell of a bond.”
“It’s true. It develops fast. They trust us, and we trust their noses more than our own eyes.”
Frank looked out toward the field again, sagebrush swaying under the big sky. “So, to start this program, you’d have to know where to get the right kind of pups.”
Seth nodded. “That part’s not hard. There are breeders who specialize in working dogs.”
Frank scratched his jaw. “I’m looking for someone who knows how to build that kind of bond the right way. Someone who knows how to train a dog, not break one. I won’t stand for abuse. Not on my land.”
“It’s not my way either, sir,” Seth replied firmly.
“I need someone like you out here. Not just for the dogs, mind you, but to help train the handlers. We want good people. Could you do that?”
Seth’s jaw tightened, and he rubbed the back of his neck before casting a glance toward Chester, who was still happily whittling beside Delbert. The old man’s laughter carried faintly across the dirt street.
Seth looked back at Frank. “I appreciate it, sir. I really do. But I can’t.”
Frank’s brow lifted. “Why not?”
Seth exhaled and lowered his voice. “It’s my dad, sir. He needs me. Full time. It’s not just memory lapses anymore. He gets turned around. Sometimes forgets where he is. I won’t go into detail, but he can’t be left alone.”
Frank nodded solemnly. “Heard he had Alzheimer’s.”
“Yeah. And it’s progressing. The meds help, but they’re not stopping it.”
A quiet settled between them, filled only by the breeze rustling through cottonwoods that lined the distant creek bed.
Frank reached into his pocket again, drew out another piece of taffy, and handed it over. Seth took it, waiting until Frank unwrapped his before doing the same.
“You got him on insurance?” Frank asked.
“Yeah. He’s also on Medicare. Doesn’t mean much when he needs someone with eyes on him all day.”
“Well, here’s a thing,” Frank said as he leaned in. “I know the state offers in-home nursing services during the week. Monday through Friday. They’ve got contracts with solid folks. His insurance would cover most of it. Wouldn’t cost you much, if anything.”
Seth frowned. “I don’t know, sir. Leaving him alone makes me twitchy.”
Behind them, the town remained still. The flags on the lampposts by the post office fluttered a bit. Somewhere, a dog barked in the distance, and the faint scent of someone grilling carried faintly on the breeze. It was just another quiet day in Hollister, but Seth’s world was anything but quiet.
Seth didn’t answer right away. Instead, he watched his father laugh with Delbert, Gomer’s head resting on his paws like a contented old soldier. The weight of responsibility tugged at him, but so did something else… a possibility.
He leaned forward, elbows braced on his knees as he scanned the dusty road that cut through Hollister.
“Son, you wouldn’t be leaving him alone. You’d be giving yourself a break,” Frank said, his voice softening. “You think I don’t see it? Hell, you think your dad doesn’t see it? There’s a strain in your shoulders, son. Your face shows it. You love that man, but being a full-time caregiver will eat you alive if you don’t carve out space for yourself. And maybe space for yourself and Allison.”
Seth snapped a glance in his direction.
Frank almost smiled. “I’m old, not blind. That woman lit up when talking about you. But back on topic. You’d still be home every night. Maybe start with part-time if that helps. From what I’ve gathered, you’re good at this work. And I may or may not have reached out to people I know in the military to verify that fact.”
Seth exhaled, voice rough. “I’ve been holding it together. Taking it one day at a time.”
“You don’t have to do it alone,” Frank said. “No shame in accepting help. Shame is burning out before your dad really needs you the most.”
That hit Seth hard, like a punch to the breadbasket. He’d heard that statement in so many variations. Perhaps he needed to let it sink in. He nodded slowly, swallowing the lump that had risen in his throat. “Will you let me think about it?”
“Sure. You take your time,” Frank said, clapping a hand on his shoulder and stood up. “But just know the door is open. And you’d be doing more than training dogs out here. You’d be giving some of the nation’s finest an edge. An edge some of them desperately need.”
The weight of that statement settled around Seth’s shoulders. It was one of the reasons he loved working with the dogs. It was extraordinary what they could do for the humans they served. But only if the humans treated them right.
He stood and looked at Frank. “I’d have a condition to your offer, should I accept it, sir. One you need to consider before you agree because it’s non-negotiable.”
Frank Marshall looked at him, his brow furrowed. “Like what?”
“If you send a handler in for training, and he doesn’t mesh with the dog, or I don’t feel he’s a good fit for the animal, I’ll wash him out of the program. Immediately. He goes back to his team, no harm, no foul, but he does not stay with my dogs.”
Frank smiled. “I knew I liked you, son. That’s a guarantee. You call me when you have an answer.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a white card with nothing but a cell phone number hand-printed on it.
“I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you.”
Seth pocketed the card and sat back down, patting Gomer on the head.
Across the porch, Chester called out, “Whatever that man just told you, you pay attention to it. One of the best damn men on the face of the planet.”
Seth smiled at his dad. “You got it, Pops.”
CHAPTER 16
Allison leaned back in bed. She had the television on, but it was muted. Loretta was asleep again. Zeke had said she was malnourished, and because she was run down, she’d been susceptible to infection, both viral and bacterial. He’d recommended sleep and food and to call him if she developed a fever. Loretta’s shivering had stopped, and Zeke had thought it might have been caused by stress.
Allison watched the muted news program without really seeing it. For a Sunday, today had been … well, it had started wonderful, bumped into shocking, and ended with exhaustion. Her phone vibrated on the bedside stand. She grabbed it, smiling at the picture of Seth she’d snapped this morning. He was gorgeous. “Hey. How’s Chester tonight?”
Seth sighed, “He got confused tonight. Wanted to know where Mom was.”
“Oh, Seth.” She wished she could be there to hold him.
“It’s okay. Just hard not knowing what to say. The doctor told me not to argue with him because she’s still alive in his mind.”
“What did you tell him?”
“She was in town, and I didn’t know when she’d be back. That settled him.” He sighed. “What did the doctor say about your house guest?”
“Loretta,” Allison said. “Well, I learned a lot just listening. She goes by Lottie, and she’s twenty-three. She doesn’t have insurance and refused to give her last name.” Allison glanced at the shut door and lowered her voice even further as she continued to talk. “She’s dehydrated, starving, and exhausted. Zeke thinks she’ll get better with food and rest. I’m positive someone has beaten her, and so is Stephanie. That’s Zeke’s wife, Declan Howard’s sister.”
“Wait, she didn’t marry Andrew Hollister?”
“Nope. Another long story I’ll catch you up on later, but Andrew is married to Gen, who owns the diner in town.”
“Wow. Okay, but back on topic. Do you still want me to come in tomorrow and talk to her?”
Allison closed her eyes. “I do. I want to make sure she’s safe. I don’t know who hurt her, but someone has. I hate it. They have to be stopped and, if possible, punished for what they’ve done.”
“I agree.” Seth’s voice lowered. “I wanted to give you the choice, though. I’ll be as gentle as I can be with her, although it would be better if Ken interviewed her.”
“I know. I just don’t know if she’d talk.” Allison turned off the television and slid down in bed.
“I talked to Frank Marshall today while the doctor and his wife were with you,” Seth said after a moment.
Allison’s eyes popped open. “You did? What did he want?”
“To offer me a job. I can’t say much more than that.” Seth hedged like all the people who worked at the Marshall ranch. She was used to that type of avoidance and knew exactly what it meant. Or thought she did.
“And? Are you going to take it?” It would mean he’d be permanent here. Her breath stopped as she waited for him to answer.
“At first, no. I turned him down,” Seth said. “I told him I can’t leave Dad during the day. He needs someone with him all the time. It’s not safe otherwise.”
“At first?” Her hopes rose a bit. “What do you mean at first?”
“Mr. Marshall said the county could get someone in during the week. A nurse paid through Dad’s insurance and Medicare.”
She sat back up in bed. “That’s good, right?”
“Yeah, but …” He sighed. “I don’t understand it, but it feels like I’d be letting him down and, if I’m honest, like I’m handing him off. Letting someone do the hard part. That doesn’t sit well in my gut.”
“Seth, you’ve been doing the hard part. Every single day. You get up early, manage his meds, clear up his confusion, make sure he eats, and make sure he’s safe. You’re doing the job of an entire team of people.”
“It’s what he needs.” Seth sighed.
“I agree,” she murmured. “But what do you need?”
Seth was quiet for a long time. She could hear him breathing, so she knew the connection was still there. She wasn’t going to push him. She’d let him think as long as he needed to do so.
“What do you think?” he finally asked.
“Honest?” She needed to know if she should say what she’d been thinking.
“That’s what we do, right? Complete honesty?”
“It is. Okay, well … The way I see it, you’ve already sacrificed a lot. You’ve put your career on hold. You’ve given up your freedom to care for your dad, which not many would do these days. And now, someone is offering you a way to keep helping your dad and reclaim part of who you are. That’s not handing him off; that’s balance.”
“And if something happens when I’m not there?”
Allison understood the guilt that was playing into his decision. “A nurse would be trained to handle it.” She leaned forward a bit. “And you’d be a phone call away. And the idea that you have to take care of your dad alone isn’t good for you, Seth. That’s burnout waiting to happen. You have too much heart to let your dad’s care fail. If you don’t think the nurse could handle your dad, then that’s one thing, but you won’t know until you arrange a meeting and see them interact.”
Seth was quiet again for a moment, but finally, he said. “I do miss working.”
Allison smiled softly, even though he couldn’t see it. “Then maybe it’s time to let someone else carry part of the load, so you can do more than survive. It is okay to have a life during this time.”
“I have you, which is more than I ever hoped for,” Seth said, his voice low and gravelly.
“You do have me,” Allison said. “I’m not going anywhere. We have time to figure out where we fit into everything. That isn’t a question in my mind.”
“I know where I want to be,” Seth said.
“And where’s that?”
“Anywhere you are,” Seth said. “What’s between us is real. I haven’t had this type of intimacy, not just sexually, but this, what we’re doing now. Talking. This is … special to me.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “Oh, Seth.”
“Are you crying?” Concern rang through the connection.
She reassured him, “Yeah, but good tears.”
“Why?”
She laughed softly. “You touched my soul with those words. This is special to me, too. You are special to me, and I feel like a teenager saying it after only six weeks.”
“When it’s right, what does it matter how many hours or days have ticked by?”
“Some would say we’re doomed because there aren’t that many hours or days between us.”
“Then they don’t know us, do they?”
She smiled. “No, they don’t.”
“It’s late. Go to sleep, babe. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“What are you going to do about your dad?” She slid back down under the covers.
“I’m going to see what assistance I can get and then decide. Someone I care for suggested that.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“Well, that person is pretty smart.” Allison rolled her eyes.
“You are, but I don’t think you give yourself enough credit for that. Good night. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Good night.”
Allison disconnected the call, then put the phone on her bedside table and pulled the covers up, smiling at the ceiling. This, what was between them, was special, and he was right. People who may judge them didn’t know them, and she wouldn’t let her mind create problems that didn’t exist. Lord knew there were enough real-world problems to go around.
CHAPTER 17
Seth took a slow breath and sat in the armchair across from the couch, where Loretta sat curled into herself, eyes fixed on the floor. She hadn't moved much since Allison had let him in. Not even when Gomer had nosed her hand and whined softly, sensing something broken in her. He’d brought Gomer with him for that exact reason, but the woman didn’t reach out to the dog, which was unusual. Not unheard of but unusual. Allison’s mom was watching Chester while he whittled with Delbert, without his knowledge, of course. Seth now had time to develop a sense of safety for the young woman. With Gomer lying on the rug, still and watchful, he talked to Allison as she got him a cup of coffee.
Outside the apartment window, Hollister moved through the rhythm of a quiet afternoon. The wind rustled across the eaves, an occasional engine from Main Street sounded, and distant laughter from kids leaving school drifted through the open windows. Safe. Ordinary. Hollister at its finest.
He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “Loretta,” She flinched at the word.
“Lottie,” she supplied. “Please. I don’t like Loretta.”
“Lottie. Are you from around here? The reason I ask is that we want to help you. We won’t let anyone hurt you. We just need to know what’s going on. Help us help you, okay?”
She didn’t answer at first. Her fingers worked at the edge of the fabric on her knee, eyes locked on a patch of carpet near Gomer. “Spearfish.” She barely breathed the word.
Seth leaned in, and Gomer’s head popped up, his tongue lolling sideways out of his mouth. “I want to make sure I heard you. You said you're from Spearfish?”
She nodded, her hair falling forward, hiding half her face.
“How'd you end up here?”
She hesitated. Long enough he almost thought she wouldn’t answer.
“I waited until he went to work,” she said finally. “Took what I could carry. Got to the highway and just … kept going.”
The words were quiet. Measured. But her knuckles were white where she clutched the hem of Allison’s hand-me-down hoodie.
“He?”
She nodded, and her eyes filled with tears.
“Who is he?”
She shook her head. “I can’t tell you. He’ll kill me.”
Okay, he’d come at it from another direction. “That’s fair. Can you tell me, did he cause the bruises? Was he hurting you?” Seth asked gently.
Her breath caught, and for a heartbeat, she didn’t move. Then she gave a tiny nod, as if any more than that might shatter her.
Seth waited. Silence was a void that most people couldn’t let sit. She didn’t look at him as she said softly, “He, he … I made him lose his temper.”
Seth said nothing. Just let her fill the silence.
“I thought I could make it right. Thought if I was better, quieter … he wouldn’t …” Her voice cracked. “But it got worse.”
She looked up, her eyes red, brimming but determined. “I didn’t think he’d stop that night. He finally got tired and went to bed. I waited till morning and left before he got home from work.”
Seth’s jaw clenched. He’d seen bruises on soldiers, civilians, and kids in war zones. But this? This was worse. The damage ran deep, past the skin, past the fear. Into her spirit.
She kept going, barely above a whisper. “I hitched rides. A couple of decent folks. Then a couple who … weren’t. They gave me the creeps. Kept asking weird questions. I told them I needed to use the bathroom, and I ran when we stopped here in Hollister. Hid behind the dumpsters at the gas station until they left. My bag was still in their back seat.”
“All your stuff?” Seth asked.
“A little money. My phone. My ID.” Her fingers twisted in the fabric at her knees. “Everything.”
Seth swore silently. Outside, he was controlled and quiet. This woman didn’t need to see any anger. She’d seen enough from the bastard who’d beat her.
“I thought I saw his truck on the highway,” she added. “Far behind us once. It didn’t turn into Hollister, but … it felt like he was close. Watching. It still does.”
A single tear slipped down her cheek. She didn’t brush it away as she continued, “I was going to ask if someone had day work, maybe wash dishes, sweep floors, anything. But I saw his truck come back and turn into town. He was here. He went into the diner and the gas station. I scurried under the boardwalk and hid. He stood over me.” Tears flowed down her face. “He tried to get into both of the shops. He was so mad. I could hear him.”
