tree in a corner of the yard. Even he was tired. The heat didn’t help.
“Go and sit down,” Trevor said to Theo. “I’ll clean everything up.”
Theo was glad to do just that. He was still aching a bit from his fall a few days ago, but it would have broken Shelby’s heart if he didn’t have the second meeting of what Shelby had sweetly coined “The Lonely Hearts Dog Walkers Club.” When she’d first told him the nickname, they’d had a good laugh.
He looked over to Wally, who was asleep on the deck. His tongue was peeking out the side of his mouth as he gently snored. He’d been a real trooper today, making an effort to play a little with the other dogs and eating one of Alice’s dog-friendly cookies. Theo thought about Alice’s absence at their meeting today. He hoped he hadn’t scared her off with his previous behavior. The fall had really thrown him in more ways than one.
“Everything is picked up,” Trevor said. He was holding a large trash bag in his hand and tying it up tight. “I left fresh water out for Wally and put most of the toys in the garden shed. Anything else?”
Theo scratched his head. “Don’t think so.”
“Be right back,” Trevor said.
What a stand-up guy Trevor was. And from the looks of it, Trevor seemed interested in Mindy, too.
“Let’s go, Wally,” Theo said, loud enough to rouse him.
He led the way back in the air-conditioned house, where Wally plopped immediately on his bed. Theo sat on the couch and thought about what he’d cook tonight. He remembered the superb dinner with Alice and wondered how he might make up for his grumpy demeanor the other day.
After washing his hands in the kitchen, Trevor, followed by Buddy, joined Theo in the living room. “I think I’ll be going now, get out of your hair.”
Theo motioned for Trevor to have a seat. “Stay a while if you can, I’d love the company.”
“Really? I thought you might be a bit burnt out after all the commotion.”
“I must admit, I am,” Theo said, “but it makes me happy too. I wish Jean could have been here to see it all. She would have been delighted.”
Trevor took a seat opposite Theo, and Buddy sat on the floor next to him. “Jean sure loved Wally. And my Buddy.”
“That she did,” Theo said with a sigh. His mind jumped to Alice and Scarlett, and for a moment he felt guilty.
As if Trevor read his mind, he asked, “I hope Alice is feeling okay. I thought she’d be here today.”
Now Theo felt doubly remorseful. “Probably my fault,” he mumbled.
Trevor looked perplexed. “Your fault? How?”
Theo took a deep breath before looking over at Trevor. He trusted the man with his secrets more than he did his own son. “I told you about how I met up with Alice at the Fourth of July at the DeLucas’ party.”
Trevor grinned. “It sounded like you had a lot of fun, actually.”
“That’s the problem,” Theo said.
“Why is that a problem?” Trevor tilted his head. “Seems like a good thing to me.”
“You mean like you and Mindy?” Theo returned with a chuckle.
Now it was Trevor’s time to stutter. “I, well…yes, I guess so.”
Theo laughed. “We’re both stumbling a bit with our hearts. You’re young and have your life in front of you. And Mindy is a very special young woman.”
“She is,” Trevor said. “That’s the problem.”
Theo stretched to loosen his tense shoulders. “We both have big problems,” he said with a smirk. “The good kind.”
Trevor shrugged. “Things have been going pretty well between Mindy and me. Last week I brought her dinner and while the dogs played we got to know each other more. When I left, we kissed goodbye. At first I felt elated, but by the time I got home my mind was racing. Buddy paced the floor with me. I probably had him pretty confused.”
Theo was concerned about his friend’s PTSD being triggered. “Seems like you were confused, too.”
Trevor’s face was a canvas of racing feelings. “At first all I could think of was she was probably leaving soon, and I needed to protect myself. And then I realized, no guts no glory. So, for now, I am trying to stay in the moment and enjoy what we have.”
“I’m proud of you,” Theo said. “Darn good advice. Perhaps I should try it too. Guilt has been like a two-sided coin for me, both sides bad. One minute I feel awful that Jean