Anything for Her - By Janice Kay Johnson Page 0,26
hesitation. He was well aware that the responsibility was ultimately his. When—if—Sean headed off to college, the dog would be staying behind with Nolan.
They were subjected to an interview and approved. Nolan filled out the papers and paid the fee, after which they walked out.
Allie waited, sitting on a curb, her arms wrapped around her knees, her expression pensive. She turned her head, saw them and didn’t move for a long moment. Her face was completely unreadable.
Nolan felt a chill of apprehension.
CHAPTER FIVE
ALLIE HAD BEEN angry and hurt enough to consider calling a cab. Or her mother. No, not that—of course she’d never give Mom ammunition against Nolan.
She’d guessed as time passed that Nolan and Sean might eventually emerge with a dog, and was relieved when they did. At least she hadn’t totally ruined today’s expedition.
She rose to her feet and swiped at the grit on her butt, then held out a hand to the black Lab that reached her first, straining at his—or was it her?—leash.
“Well, hello,” she said softly. The dog sniffed then licked her outstretched hand. “Do you have a name?”
“According to the paperwork,” Nolan said, “her name is Cassie. Sean will have to think about whether he wants to change it or not.”
Allie’s head jerked up, everything in her revolting not only at the concept, as if the name the dog went by was meaningless, but also at the casual way Nolan had said it. The instinct to protest was huge—please, please, let her keep this small part of who she’d been—but after a raging battle inside Allie averted her face and nodded. This was no time or place for her to argue. Anyway, if she did, she’d probably bring about exactly what she didn’t want.
Poor Cassie.
She was a dog.
But she knows her name.
The bewilderment she’d feel, never to hear it again, Allie understood. To wonder who or what Tweet was, or whatever a boy would name a dog these days.
The silence was awkward as they crossed the parking lot to the pickup, unlocked and arranged themselves inside, Cassie sitting on the floor at Sean’s feet, her head resting on his knees. He clutched the leash in one hand to keep her from lying down and potentially sprawling onto Nolan’s foot, and petted her with the other. She gazed up at him with eyes so hopeful, it broke Allie’s heart. She had to look away.
She was churning inside anyway, from a dozen causes, so many they tangled together.
I shouldn’t have come.
But I did, and I’m adult enough not to hate a sullen teenage boy because he behaved badly. Aren’t I?
I am not Allie, and I resent living my life as someone I’m not.
Yes, but she’d been Allie almost as long now as she’d been...her first name, the one she couldn’t let herself so much as think, because clinging to the past led to mistakes. Mistakes that could be fatal. She knew better. It wouldn’t matter that much to Cassie the dog.
Who says? Has anyone asked her?
Nolan took his hand off the steering wheel and touched her thigh. The touch was light, reassuring—or asking for reassurance. Rigid with so many suppressed emotions, Allie couldn’t give it. When he stopped at a red light, she felt his gaze, but pretended to be fascinated by...well, nothing, as the surroundings consisted of empty land with the grass now turning brown, and some industrial structures. A muddy stretch of saltwater slough curved ahead, but wasn’t made more interesting by a blue heron or tugboat.
“She’s being really good,” Nolan said after a time.
Sean’s fingers lingered on her long, silky ear. “I think she’s scared.”
“Nervous, probably.”
Allie would have liked to pet the dog, too, who rolled her eyes Allie’s way, but she didn’t dare. She could hardly wait to be released from this purgatory. She should have gone shopping with Mom, she thought with longing. Only if she had...she’d have spent the whole day wishing she was with Nolan and Sean.
Stupid.
Nolan tried a couple more times to make conversation. Allie said as little as possible. At last, at last, he pulled into her driveway.
“You’ll have to let me out,” she said politely to Sean.
“Yeah, sure.” He opened the door and said with more animation, “Come on, girl.” He and Cassie bounded out, the dog immediately beginning to sniff the rhododendrons that edged the sidewalk. Allie followed them, dismayed to see that Nolan, of course, had gotten out, as well. He walked her to the foot of her stairs.