Page 1 of Embers of You (Amity #1)

Sutton

Sitting on a hard, scratchy hotel bed in the middle of nowhere, I can’t help but wonder where I went wrong in my life to end up here. Was it the people I chose to associate with? My supposed best friend and even my family.

Bennet, my Landseer Newfoundland lays next to me on the bed, looking up with his big, dark brown eyes almost like he’s asking the same internal question.

What are we doing?

“I don’t even know, buddy,” I tell him while I brush my fingers through his thick fur and scratch behind his ear. “But I’m figuring it out.”

Dogs are so expressive, and I can tell he trusts me. Unconditional loyalty is something only a dog can give. Humans can be such shit. They lie and cheat, a dog would never. At the end of the day most people are only looking out for themselves.

Sighing, I open my laptop to search for a place that would be a good fit for us.

I’ve driven us over seven hundred miles away from Los Angeles.

I think we are just outside of Medford, Oregon, at least that’s the last sign I remember seeing.

I have no idea where we’re going, or what we’ll do when we get there.

I just know that staying in L.A. wasn’t an option anymore.

As far as I’m concerned, there isn’t a place on the planet that could be far enough from the people I’ve chosen to leave in my past.

As soon as I found out just how deeply the betrayal ran, I packed up everything, including Bennet, and left my parents’ house. Living there while I saved money for a place of my own wasn’t worth having to accept that level of deception.

I open up the dog groomer group I’m a part of to look for any job openings. Anything will do; I just need to find something soon because I don’t want to stay in this motel room much longer.

One particular post catches my eye, and I’m not even sure why. Some posts have fancy pictures, big words, exciting language. Not this one. This one is simple.

DOG GROOMER WANTED

We’re a small shop in a small town in Washington.

Great view while you work.

Flexible schedule.

Message if you’re interested.

P.S. We have a bird.

A good view, flexible, and a bird? Why not?

I send a message and see the owner of the post is located in Amity, Washington. I assume that’s where the shop is located and decide to look up places to rent nearby.

After researching the town, I realize it’s on the coast, but several pictures include a lot of mountains. I wonder if the ‘great view’ is either one of those. My last shop was in the middle of the L.A. chaos and a small beachside town sounds way calmer. Exactly what I need.

Considering it’s close to the middle of the night, I don’t expect a response from the grooming salon owner, Trish, but I’m proven wrong when my phone lights up while I’m scanning through rentals.

Trish: When can you start?

She doesn’t even know anything about me, and wants to offer me the job already?

Sutton: Do you want to see any of my grooms first?

Trish: Sure.

I hit send on some pictures of a few of my favorite grooms I’ve done. There was a regular standard poodle whose owner let me get really creative. I add a couple more basic grooms with a Schnauzer, Cocker Spaniel, and a Scottish Terrier.

The pictures have just barely gone through when another message pops up.

Trish: When can you start?

There’s no way she looked at the pictures yet, but I’m not about to give up this opportunity.

Sutton: Friday?

Trish: See you then!

She sends me the address to the salon, and I double down on my effort to find a place to rent.

“I guess we’re moving to Washington,” I tell Bennet. He snuggles his head against my leg as though he’s giving me reassurance.

The next morning, I wake up to Bennet whining next to my face from where he sits on the floor.

The sun’s shining through the cheap curtains, and I know we should get back on the road.

I must’ve fallen asleep while looking at places to rent last night.

I emailed a few potential properties, but since I start my new job tomorrow, I don’t have time to wait around to hear back.

After taking Bennet out to do his business, I feed him breakfast and pack up the few belongings we have. We get loaded up into the car, and just like that we’re back on the road, heading toward our new beginning. I just hope it’s a good one.

Another five hundred miles driven, and I’m exhausted. The sign that indicates we’re now in Amity is the only thing that keeps me going to the tiny motel and dragging myself into the front office to request a room. The receptionist looks at Bennet skeptically as she hands me the room key.

“He won’t do any damage, I promise,” I tell her, but the look she gives me in return indicates that she doesn’t believe me.

I’m too tired to try and defend my dog anymore, so I take the key and head to the room; falling face first onto the bed as soon as the door is closed.

Despite being completely exhausted I’m assaulted by nightmares. The flashes of what I saw. The reason I left L.A. robs my peaceful night sleep.

My best friend. My best. Fucking. Friend. And… ugh. I see them together. My mom is there. She knows and I can never seem to forget.

I wake with a jolt, and it’s still dark out. Bennet is lying next to me, his head on my chest looking at me like he knows everything that was just running through my mind. Maybe he does know since he was there, and he witnessed it all right along with me.

I pet his head, hoping to soothe both of us. It works and before I know it, I’ve drifted off to dreamless sleep.

The next morning, I drive over to the grooming salon taking in the charm that comes with such a small town, knowing I need to find a more permanent place to live.

My goal after work is to look at the two properties for rent that emailed me back.

They both said immediate move in, and even though it will take up almost all my savings for the deposit, I can’t keep sleeping in motels.

I didn’t ask Trish about bringing Bennet to work with me, but I hope she won’t mind.

This is just another reason we need our own place as soon as possible.

I have my bag of supplies slung over my shoulder as I walk inside.

The salon looks like a cute little house, separate rooms, art on the walls that are painted in a variety of calming colors.

Once inside, I’m immediately greeted, but not by a person.

“ Hi.” I look over to see a white Cockatoo who’s currently perched on top of a large cage.

“Um…hi.” I don’t want to be rude and not respond…to a bird.

Oh God, I’m already losing it.

“That’s Jerry Lee.” A voice that is definitely human comes out from the back, and I assume it’s Trish. I’d guess she’s probably in her fifties, with her light brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail. She’s wearing a faded T-shirt and jeans. “I’m Trish.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Sutton.” We shake hands, and she looks down at Bennet.

“What a beautiful Newfie,” she beams, and I sigh with relief.

“Thank you, his name is Bennet.”

“Cute. Come on, I’ll show you where your station is.”

Since it’s my first day, I’m not very busy, so I answer the phone to book some appointments, and take a couple walk-in nail trims and baths before Trish says I’m good to go for the day.

I put away all my equipment in the special vanity that was already set up at my workstation.

I like the space, and it turns out it’s a converted house so both Trish and I have our own grooming rooms. The bathing area is centered between our two rooms and provides just enough privacy so I can listen to music while I work.

My old salon was a large, well-known place in L.A.

where a lot of people, including some celebrities, came to get their dogs groomed.

It was crowded, loud, and full of drama.

Unfortunately, that seems to be what happens when you stick a bunch of women together in a confined space for a long period of time.

What made it worse is that at one time I also lived with some of those women. I made good money, but it wasn’t enough to comfortably afford a decent place on my own, which resulted in me renting a room in a four-bedroom house with three other groomers.

Talk about drama.

Which is why I ended up moving back in with my parents to save up. Until that was ruined.

This new pace of life is refreshing to say the least.

I walk outside with Bennet sticking close to my side on his leash when suddenly a siren rings out in the air making me jump.

I look over to the building next door to the salon where a fire truck is pulling out and driving off.

That’s when I realize the window by my station inside looks directly toward the fire station.

It looks like a typical brick building; one I didn’t even notice until now.

I just hope the sirens don’t scare me while I’m grooming.

Or at least that I’ll get used to it.

My new home is a small mix between a cabin and a cottage just outside of the main area of Amity.

It’s hidden by some trees and is only a short walk from the beach so I’m not complaining about the small size.

It’s essentially a glorified studio. There isn’t a separate door to the bedroom which could be considered more of a den.

Good news is I have a place to stay for the foreseeable future. Bad news is it has no furniture.

I love it.

The outside resembles a log cabin, but the inside has simple white walls and wood floors. The kitchen isn’t big, but it has full sized appliances, and I’m glad I have the option to cook again.

I end up going to the local store in town to get an air mattress, pillows, blankets, and some food.

The amount of money from my savings that I’ve burned through in renting this place stresses me out, and I just know I’m going to have to use more to get furniture.

But I’ll take that one day at a time, because at least I’m not in a hotel anymore.

This is the place I’m going to be able to start over.