Page 14 of Yorkie to My Heart (Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue #6)

Phillip

By Monday morning, I was regretting all my life’s choices.

Well, that wasn’t strictly true. That implied I hadn’t regretted everything I’d done before this past weekend. I did. Only this weekend was even worse.

Jeremy told me that he considered me a friend. Offered to walk with me, even though he was, I was quite certain, supposed to be running. Had invited me over to watch a movie with him.

What had I done? Run like a scared child. Like the child I was, deep down inside.

My psychiatrist in Los Angeles had talked to me about unresolved childhood trauma.

I’d brushed her off.

She’d talked about more-recent trauma. My highly dysfunctional relationship with Hank.

I’d scoffed.

Because I hadn’t wanted to do the work. Hadn’t wanted to tie my horrible childhood to the destructive relationship—my one and only—or to my eventual suicide attempt. Those just felt like connections I hadn’t been capable of making.

And now, just about the nicest man I’d ever met told me that he saw me as a friend.

So what did I do? I ran yet again.

Dr. Martin, in our first meeting, hadn’t asked me to tackle any of that. He’d simply given me the agreed-upon task of going to the library and taking Wally for a walk every day. Nothing too onerous. Then to return on Wednesday and report back.

I wasn’t under any illusions, however, that things would remain so simple. So superficial. I’d top-lined some of my life in rural Oregon. More importantly, he had my medical records from LA.

He’d undoubtedly push me to go deeper. I had no doubts he’d read the reports from my LA shrink. I had no question that she’d shared everything with him that I’d wound up saying to her.

Doozies.

All of them.

Now, I sat at my kitchen table and listened to my little buddy snore gently. We’d done a long walk this morning. Instead of heading south after leaving the house, I’d pointed us north.

For something different.

Jordan had talked about keeping Wally engaged and exposing him to new locations and smells.

Or something like that. So we’d headed in a new direction, and I’d carefully taken us on a trip that would get us home after one-and-a-half miles. A quarter more than yesterday. To my delight, I’d figured out how to use the maps app on my phone. Now I enjoyed planning out walks.

Tomorrow we’d do more. Every day, we’d add a few more steps. Go a little bit farther.

Wally loved our walks. Given he’d never left the backyard of his old home for his entire life, I could only imagine what the world looked like to him.

He seemed to be settling in, but both Dr. Louisa and Arthur warned me that he’d only feel truly settled after about three months.

Was that the length of time before he forgot his previous life?

Or was that the time he’d need to trust me?

I intended to earn that trust.

My phone buzzed.

I frowned. The number was vaguely familiar… oh shit. I answered immediately. “Hello?”

“Phillip?”

“Hello, Mrs. Condley.” If I hadn’t recognized the number, I’d have recognized her voice. Old, but strong. “What can I do for you?”

“You can come by today and pick up the rest of your stuff. The real estate agent is sticking the sign on the lawn tomorrow.”

“Uh…you’re selling the house?”

She sighed. “I don’t have good memories of it, now do I?

I got it cleaned out, and I’m ready to sell it.

The market’s picking up, and the rental property was always my retirement.

I’m selling it, as well as my house, and moving in with my granddaughter.

She just had her third child, and she wants help.

I can do that, at least for a while. Sweet girl, hellion children…

they’ll keep me young. I’m wandering this big, old house and thinking of my Larry.

And the rental property has such bad memories?—”

“I’m sorry.” My eyes stung. “So very sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

And yet her tone betrayed her words.

“So I need you to come today. The hospital didn’t want to give me your number, but when I explained it all had to go?—”

“Even the pictures?” I’d meant to go back. I really had. To get my affairs settled. Just…she wasn’t the only one with bad memories of the place.

“I understand you’re settled somewhere. That nice lady at the hospital didn’t say where. Wouldn’t tell me anything. She said she’d call you, and I said if I didn’t talk to you today that I was tossing everything.”

This all felt very cruel. But I couldn’t blame her. “I’ll be there. I still have a key.”

“Put it through the mail slot when you leave. Text me when you’re gone.”

So she didn’t even want to see me. Couldn’t say I blamed her. “Thank you for reaching out.”

“Take care, young man. I’m…sorry.” She cut the line.

Panic raced through me. I had to find a way to get to LA. I had to?—

A knock came on my door.

I headed to it, still clutching my phone. I opened the door to find Anthony on the stoop.

“Phillip, are you okay?” He spotted the phone. “What happened?”

I pressed said phone to my forehead. “Just…my landlady said if I don’t get to LA today, then she’s going to throw out all my stuff.”

“Ah. That’s… I want to say, cruel.”

“She’s got the right. I haven’t paid rent for months and months. She was coming to evict me when—” I couldn’t finish the sentence.

But Anthony knew, so he simply offered a sympathetic smile. “Look, I don’t have much time. I just got a call about an urgent case I need to deal with—otherwise I’d run you up to LA myself. I’d ask Scott, but he’s working. I mean?—”

“You don’t have to disturb Scott. This is on me. If I catch a bus? Or the train?”

“And haul all your stuff back?”

“It’s only the photographs that matter.” My voice might’ve broken on that.

“Look…let me make a phone call.” He held up his hand and stepped away.

I gazed up at the blue sky so I wouldn’t cry. I just couldn’t afford to cry.

“Okay, I have a solution.” Anthony’s smile was soft. “Two pieces. I’ve found you a ride to and from LA.”

“How…?”

“I have a friend, Colin. He runs up to LA periodically. He can make the trip today. No worries.”

“That—”

“But I can’t ask him to take Wally as well. I mean, I could, but?—”

I waved him off. “No, that’s fine. I, uh…”

“Second part. Brooklyn can take Wally.”

“Brooklyn…?”

“He’s just opened a doggie daycare in town. He’s still fixing the kennels and stuff, but he has space for one. He’d love to watch Wally for the day. You can give him a good reference. Well, that’s my suggestion. But we need to go now.”

“Don’t you have the emergency?”

“Yes, but I have enough time to run you to Brooklyn’s, then to Colin’s.”

“Let me grab Wally’s stuff.” Within just a moment, I had Wally’s necessities collected, and we were out the door. I made sure I had the key to my old rental as well as the empty duffel bag Anthony had given me when he helped me move in here with all new things.

I’d thought I had more time.

We loaded into Anthony’s SUV, Anthony passed me his phone so I could get Brooklyn’s number, and in no time, we pulled up to a lovely peach-stucco house with a slate-tiled roof. Very SoCal.

A tall man stepped from the front door, shut it, and headed our way. He had dark-blond hair. Just a shade darker than mine. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his smile was a mile wide. “Hey, Anthony.”

My social worker was already out of the SUV and grabbing Wally’s stuff. “Hey, Brooklyn.”

I was a bit slower slipping out, then hefting my baby to the ground.

He gazed up at me, clearly vibrating with excitement.

I gave him the command to heel, and he made his way around the SUV at my side.

My little guy had no fear of strangers. He just saw them as someone new to wrap around his little paw. He wasn’t wrong about that—he had an ability to make people fall in love with him.

“Did you get my text?” I held out my hand to Brooklyn.

He shook it with a strong grip. “I did. I promise that if anything comes up, I’ll text you. I promise he’ll be okay.” He crouched down, holding his hand out to Wally.

Who promptly sniffed, licked, and cuddled.

Yep, he was going to be fine.

I was a whole other matter. “I’ve never left him for this long…” Even as I said the words, I held out the leash.

Brooklyn took it with a wide smile that reached his hazel eyes. “I’ll keep him occupied. He’ll miss you, but I’ll make certain he has fun.”

Wally gazed up at me. Then he rubbed against my leg.

I crouched and scratched his ears in the way he loved. “A few hours. I love you.”

The little guy yipped.

Knowing he didn’t understand and believing it were two different things. Or…maybe he did.

I rose, waved to Brooklyn, and climbed back into Anthony’s SUV.

We were on our way within moments.

“Brooklyn’s helped me out a couple of times.”

I was pretty certain I understood. How someone might be in a situation where they needed a hand watching a beloved pet.

None of those scenarios were good.

I wasn’t facing anything that dire.

Yet I still could offer up gratitude for Anthony and Brooklyn helping out. “Uh, anything I need to know about Colin?”

“Great guy. Married to another great guy. Has a dog—Widget.”

“The French bulldog?”

Anthony cut me a quick look before refocusing on the road. “Uh…yeah.”

“Kevin told me.”

“Oh. Yeah. Joe and Alec’s kid. Great family. Lovely dog.”

“Does everyone own a dog?” I asked the question half-kidding.

Only half.

“Uh, no. Scott and I only have a very grumpy cat named Crumpet whom we affectionately call Crumpy. With three kids, we’re already run off our feet. Maybe when the twins are older… Ah, we’re here.”

I’d lost track of where here was. Hell, I couldn’t have found Brooklyn’s house again. Neighborhoods weren’t labeled in Gaynor Beach. More just that if one crossed a certain street, then one was in another area. But the town was small enough that everything felt close.

Had we even left Riverside? Or just gone from one end to the other?

The driveway he pulled into belonged to a huge house. Like, really big. Bigger than most of the places I’d seen near me. So definitely another neighborhood.

Anthony put the SUV in park, cut the engine, and gave me a sympathetic smile. “He’s just a regular guy.”

“And rich.”

“And comfortable. I’ll let him share what he wants.”

Even as he said the words, the garage door opened.

A man with burnished red hair stepped out into the sun. He had a wide grin on his face and, if I were to judge, was about my height.

“I need to get going.” Anthony winced.

“No worries.” I grabbed the duffel at my feet. He’d already done so much for me today—especially given he had an emergency. “Thanks.”

“You’re in good hands.” He offered a smile. “I’d trust my kids with him.”

Which was the reassurance I needed. Anthony always came across as sturdy. Strong. But in the moment when he uttered those words, I read a vulnerability. Something that crossed from professional to personal. Then the mask snapped back on.

I slid from his vehicle and waved at the stranger.

He waved briefly as Anthony backed his SUV out of the driveway, then turned his attention to me. “I’m Colin.”

Somehow I expected an Irish accent. Not… I cocked my head.

“Long Island.”

“Ah. A transplant.”

“Sometimes I think we all are. My husband is here via Los Angeles. Which is where we’re headed.” He gestured to the empty duffel. “You want to throw that in the back?”

“Sure.” Somehow that felt like a mature thing to do because what I really wanted was to grip it to my chest.

“Woof.”

I turned to see James sauntering up the driveway with the cutest smoosh-faced little dog attached to the leash. I crouched to greet the dog because I remembered the effusive thanks I’d offered James over and over the day he’d let me move into his home.

Anything to delay my departure—even though I needed to get going. “Hello, Widget.”

She cocked her head.

James chuckled. “Our dog is infamous, is she?”

“Kevin mentioned her. I’m sure there is more than one French bulldog in Gaynor Beach?—”

“Several.” Colin chuckled. “But none quite so infamous.”

James shuffled past Widget—who continued to stare at me—and pressed a kiss to Colin’s cheek. “Drive safe, okay?”

Colin rolled his eyes. “This trip is just routine.”

His husband blew out a breath. “I should be going with you.”

“You have the meeting in San Diego with your new client.”

“Who could’ve waited a day.”

“Didn’t you say their network has some serious vulnerabilities?”

“Yes.”

“And didn’t they say they wanted an in-person meeting before signing the contract?”

“Yes.”

“So drop Widget off with Danny and the kids so she can play with Trouble, and head to your appointment. I’ll get the good news from Cedars and text you.”

James pursed his lips.

“I have Phillip to keep me company.”

That caught the taller man’s attention. His expression lightened. “Yeah? You’re hitching a ride?”

He directed the comment to me.

“Oh, I, uh, don’t have a car?—”

Colin waved me off. “He’s being a goofball and a worrywart. He always rests easier when I have company. Like I didn’t drive in New York City for years.”

“Amazing you’re still in one piece.”

“We have to go.” Colin pressed a kiss to James’s lips.

Widget woofed.

She and her human companion headed into the house.

Colin directed me to an electric SUV. “She’s a quiet ride.”

“Uh, sure. I don’t think I’ve ever been in one. Oh, maybe the cab I took on Friday.”

“Gaynor Beach cab?”

I nodded.

“Then there’s a good chance. Stow your bag and we’ll head out. You have the address where I’m dropping you?”

“Yeah.”

“Great. I like to leave plenty early, so as long as you’re not up near Burbank, I’ve got plenty of time.”

I stowed the duffel in the trunk and slid into the front seat. “Gardena.”

“Oh, perfect.” He backed out of the garage, hit the remote, then continued down the driveway. “So can I ask what you’re up to today? Not that you have to tell me…”

But, trusting him in a way I couldn’t explain, I did. The parts I didn’t mind people knowing, anyhow.