Page 24

“Now, wait a minute,” Grandfather protested. “Don’t see any sense in both of you being out. You’ve got to trust that she knows what she’s doing.”

He stood at the door, undecided about what he should do. Seeing the tension in Evan’s shoulders, he returned his coat to the hook and went to peer through the window. Saw the dark shape that was Annie leave the woodshed and hurry toward the house.

He threw open the door to let her in.

She stood before him, a wriggly brown-and-white dog in her arms. “I couldn’t leave him out in the cold.” Her eyes begged for understanding.

The pup licked her, then squirmed about, trying to reach Hugh and give him a sloppy kiss. He patted the dog on the head. “He’s just a pup.” A mixed breed about half-grown. He’d be medium-sized when he reached maturity. Right now, he was very dirty and smelly.

Annie waited.

He wondered what she would do if he said the pup couldn’t be indoors. He had no intention of doing so, especially with her blue eyes beseeching him. “Put him down. Let him explore his new home.”

“Thank you.” She fairly beamed at him, making him feel eight feet tall and able to fell massive trees with one blow of an ax.

She released the pup, and he sniffed about her feet and then about Hugh’s, Then raced across the floor, and paused by Grandfather’s chair to get a pat on the head. He noticed Evan in the corner and bounded toward him.

Hugh heard Annie suck in air. His own lungs froze. What would Evan do?

The pup stopped and gave Evan a sloppy kiss, then frolicked about the boy.

Evan grabbed the pup, buried his face in the fur, and laughed.

“Well, I’ll be,” Hugh said, unashamed at how husky his voice had grown.

Annie squeezed his arm. “Praise God. I wasn’t sure he knew how to use his voice.”

Evan and the pup tumbled over in a tangle of limbs.

Hugh patted Annie’s hand where it lay on his arm.

“It appears that God has sent an answer to prayer in the form of a rambunctious puppy.” Without Annie’s “unsuitability” this pup would not be here.

The acknowledgment kicked out every support he held on to.

He was grateful beyond words, but he couldn’t silence the warning voice in the back of his head reminding him of how unsuitable she would find him once she got to know him better.

For now, with her hand warm beneath his palm, he refused to let such concerns rob him of the moment.

The storm continued outside, the storm threatened in his head but neither kept him from the joy of watching Evan and the pup playing together.

“What are we going to name him?” he asked Evan, then shifted his gaze to the woman at his side.

“How about Stormy? Seeing as he came in during a storm.” She smiled at him, her eyes twinkling, making him forget everything else. “Or we could call him Happy because of what he’s doing for Evan.”

Hugh couldn’t think beyond the feeling between him and Annie.

“Let’s see what Evan wants.” She pulled her hand away, leaving a cold spot on his arm and a barren spot in his heart. She knelt in front of the dog and the boy and ruffled the puppy’s fur. “He sure is soft, though I think he needs a bath. Just like you.”

Evan studied the dirty dog then looked at himself and nodded.

“Would you like me to heat the water? You could bathe to show him how, and they then help me bathe him.”

Evan eyed her warily.

Hugh watched the trio. Would she succeed in getting his little son to have a bath? Somehow, he felt she would. She’d already accomplished so much with him.

“Let’s do that before lunch,” she said as if Evan had agreed. “Now, about a name. Which do you like better? Stormy or Happy?”

Hugh definitely liked the latter better, but it was up to Evan.

Longing to be part of this exchange, he knelt beside Annie.

“Son, this dog is yours. You can choose the name. You’ll also have to help take care of him.

He’ll need to be fed and bathed. And we must keep water down for him to drink.

I’ll help you with that, but first, let’s name him. ”

Evan met Hugh’s gaze. At the look of trust in the child’s eyes, Hugh vowed yet again that he would do everything in his power to be what the boy needed.

Even marrying someone Hugh thought unsuitable for him but perfect for Evan? Yes, it was the only reason he sought marriage.

“Do you want to call him Stormy?”

Evan shook his head.

“Happy?”

Evan nodded and buried his face in the puppy’s fur.

“Happy it is then. Shall we get water for Happy?” He held out his hand. When Evan took it, Hugh’s eyes burned with joy and gratitude. He dared not look at Annie for fear his feelings would pour out unfettered.

They went to the cupboard and filled a bowl from the pump. Hugh helped Evan put the bowl on the floor next to the stove.

The puppy drank eagerly, sloshing water in a spreading puddle. Evan squatted beside the pup, watching him drink.

Annie brought a rag to mop it up, then stood at Hugh’s elbow. “There is not a doubt in my mind that God sent this puppy to help Evan. Happy is the perfect name for him.”

Grandfather chuckled. “At least it isn’t a talking donkey.”

Hugh and Annie laughed at Grandfather’s reference to Balaam’s donkey in the Old Testament.

Annie shifted to look directly at Hugh. “Will you help me heat water to bathe that pair?”

“You sure?” He meant, did she think it was possible?

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” she said. “I’ll get the washtub.” She went to the pantry, where the tub hung from a hook on the wall.

“I suppose there’s nothing to lose,” he murmured and began to pump water into a pail.

“I expect everyone in the house will feel better if they remove some of the dirt they are carrying around.” Grandfather was right.

Both Evan and the pup were a bit ripe. Only a week ago, Evan had fought Hugh tooth and nail simply to get him home and the same to get him to bed.

Yes, the boy had come a long way, but Hugh had no desire to see him retreat to those earlier days.

Annie brought the tub, put it on the hottest part of the stove, and gave Hugh an expectant look.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” He knew he sounded less than enthusiastic. Nevertheless, he poured water into the tub. Several times, he filled the pail and added it to the contents.

“That’s good,” Annie said. “Now we wait for the water to heat. In the meantime,...” She hurried from the room. Her footsteps receded down the hallway. Evan was too preoccupied to notice her absence, but Hugh felt as if life had been sucked from the room.

She rushed back in, holding out the new shirt and overalls she’d purchased for Evan, and hung them over the nearby chair.

Grandfather, normally half-asleep, sat up watching the proceedings. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” he chortled, glancing at Evan who finally noticed Annie’s activities. He sat back, a guarded look on his face.

“Grandfather, don’t be giving him any ideas.” Annie turned to Evan. “Your puppy needs a bath if he’s going to be inside. I don’t think he’s ever had a bath, so he might be a little afraid. Maybe you can show him how it’s done.”

Evan looked at Annie for several tense seconds, then shifted his attention to Happy. The puppy’s coat was soiled in many places. Evan touched the spots to point it out. Looked deep into Happy’s eyes as if they spoke silently to each other. Returned his gaze to Annie with a look of deep resignation.

Hugh chuckled. “I get the feeling he figures you’re going to get him into the tub whether or not he wants it.”

Annie tried to look as if the idea annoyed her, but her eyes gave away her amusement. “He’s pretty smart, isn’t he?”

Evan watched and listened and, at her praise, looked rather pleased with himself.

Annie looked about. “Let’s start a fire in the fireplace and put the tub there. It will be nice and cozy.”

Hugh nodded and headed for the living room, where he soon had a fire blazing. Annie stood beside him as he faced the flames. Rather appropriate words, he decided, both for the room and for his life.

“I’m going to check the water.” Annie turned back to the kitchen, and Hugh followed. She sipped her hand into the water. “It’s just right. Help me carry it into the other room.”

Grandfather poured himself another cup of coffee and sat at the table where he could see the goings-on in the living room.

Hugh and Annie carried the tub through and parked it in front of the fireplace. Towels and hard yellow soap were waiting nearby. She must have brought them out at the same time as she got Evan’s clothes. She rubbed her hands together.

“It’s time.” Her expression grew determined, and she marched back to the kitchen. “Evan, are you ready?” She held out her hand to the boy.

Evan studied her, gave a long sigh, and pushed to his feet. He took Annie’s hand and went with her to the other room.

Happy tumbled after them, tripping Evan in the doorway.

Hugh brought up the rear, his insides as tumbling as the puppy. This could go so very badly.

Evan stopped at the tub and stared at the water.

“You’ll have to take off your clothes,” Annie said. “Do you want me to help?”

Evan shook his head.

“Fine, you do it.” She gave Hugh a trembling glance, and he understood she was as nervous as he about how this would turn out.

Slowly, Evan unbuttoned his shirt and pants, struggling often, but Annie didn’t offer to help.

Nor did Hugh. The boy needed to set his own pace.

Evan was down to his undergarments. He stopped. A shudder crossed his shoulders and rippled down his body.

Annie waited.

Hugh stood motionless, uncertain of what to do.

Happy lapped water from the tub.

Evan laughed, and the tension in the room eased.

“Do you need help?” Annie asked.

Evan turned toward her and let her peel the garment from him. It was so heavily soiled he wondered if it could even be cleaned.

Annie held it at arm’s length and dropped it near the fireplace. “I’ll burn it later,” she murmured for Hugh’s ears alone.

Evan stood shivering, though the room was not cold.

“In you go.” Annie held out a hand and helped Evan step into the water. “Sit down. The water is nice and warm.”

Evan looked like he couldn’t bend.

“You need to show Happy how to have a bath.”

Evan nodded and sat.

His head cocked to one side, Happy watched over the rim.

Annie knelt beside the tub, the bar of soap in her hands. She turned to Hugh. “You can soap him up.”

“Me?” He’d thought he’d watch the proceedings from a safe distance.

He knew that kneeling beside Annie and together, scrubbing the soil off his little son would take him further into dangerous territory. But how could he refuse the opportunity to share this joy?