“Oh, Brooks. Loren, do something.”
“We ought to let him out, don’t you think?” Loren put an arm around Sunny’s shoulders. “At least take a real look at him.”
“Some help you are. All right, let him out of there. It’s not right he has to be in a cage like a criminal.”
“That’s the thing.” Brooks set the crate down, opened the door and scooped out the bundle of wiggling, licking, yipping delight. “He’s about ten weeks old. If he doesn’t find a home in another month, say, it’s curtains. The green mile. Riding the lightning.”
Deliberately, Sunny folded her arms. “Stop.”
“Dead dog walking,” Brooks added as his mother sighed and his father struggled not to laugh. “What?” Brooks heldthe dog’s nose up to his ear. “You sure? Okay. He says he wants me to tell you…‘Nobody knows the trouble I’ve seen,’ ” Brooks sang in somber tones.
“Oh, give me that pup.” Sunny stepped forward, gathered up the dog, who trembled with the force of love at first sight as he lapped at her face. “Oh, damn it. Damn it. Damn it,” she said a third time, with the words soft and muffled against the pup’s fur.
Beside her, Loren gave his son a thumbs-up before he ruffled the dog’s ears. “Has he had his supper?”
“Not yet, but I’ve got everything you need in the car. That is, if Ma’s willing to save his life.”
“I should’ve at least tried out spanking with you.” She held the pup up so his paws ran in the air and his tail wagged. “Loren, he’s going to dig in the flower beds and poop on the floor. He’ll chew everything he can get those milk teeth on.”
“Oh, yeah.” Loren reached over, tickled the pup’s belly. “He’s going to be a whole world of trouble.”
She brought the pup down, hugged him to her. “Come here, you brat.”
“You talking to me?” Brooks asked her.
“You’re the only brat I see in my front yard.” When he was close enough, she grabbed his ear, pulled him in. “Thank you.” Then she laid her head on Brooks’s shoulder and cried a little. “Love finds a way. I didn’t think I had it in me to do this again, feel this again. But love finds a way.”
She sniffled, straightened. “I’m going to take him around back, show him where he’s supposed to do his business. Y’all can get his stuff out of the car.”
“What made you bring her a puppy?” Loren asked.
“Actually, somebody put the idea in my head, and I ran with it.”
“It’s a good run. Let’s get his gear.”
“I thought he should have his own, so it wouldn’t seem like a replacement. So I got it all,” Brooks said as they started unloading. “Toys, bed, chew bones, leash, collar, bowls, puppy chow. Got these papers. He has to see the vet for the rest of his shots and the—” He made snippingmotions with his fingers. “I’ll take the copy back to Petie tomorrow.”
“We’ll take care of it. This means the world to her, and to me. I’ve missed having a dog. I bet he perks up old Chuck, too.”
“Might at least get that cat off the couch a couple times a day.”
“Might. Your mama’s going to be busy with that pup for a while. How about I toss some burgers on the grill?”
“I say—hell,” he said when his radio squawked. “Chief Gleason.”
“Hey, Brooks, are you down at your folks’ yet?”
“Yeah, right in the yard,” he told Alma.
“Mrs.Willowby’s reporting an intruder again.”
“Okay, I’m two minutes away. I’ll take it.”
When he clicked off, he shrugged. “Old Mrs.Willowby reports an intruder about once a week. The house settles, the faucet drips, the sun shines the wrong way on the window, they’re coming for her. I’ll have to stay for weak tea and stale cookies after I go through the house.”
“Then we’ll wait to throw the burgers on.”
“That’d be great. Shouldn’t take but about thirty minutes.”
