Hound Dog & Bean (35 page)

Bean took a step. Reached out. Touched Hill.
Oh, God.
“You
are
real.”

“I’m real.”

There was another long pause—neither said a word.

Finally: “
Why
are you here?” Bean asked.

“Well. Ah. Well, I need a favor.”

“What favor?” Bean asked. His heart was slamming in his chest again, the way that only Hill could make it do.

“I went by my apartment. They took it away. Of course. They work fast. All my stuff was gone.”

“It’s all here,” Bean said. Mr. Martinez had called him and told him if he didn’t come and get the stuff, he would put it on the curb. Elaine had come to the rescue with her big van and along with Mara, they’d made short order of emptying H.D.’s apartment and bringing it all over here. “Most of it is in the basement. Not all of it, though.” He pointed to a hat tree by the door. It held all of H.D.’s hats.

“Oh.”

“You need it back?”

“Well. I need more than that.”

“What, Hill?”

“Well. I need a place to stay.”

A sob tore itself from Bean’s throat. “You-you need a place to stay?”

H.D. nodded.

“F-For how long?”

“Well, if you’ll have me, how about forever?”

Bean stood there for all of a second. Then he pulled Hill, dogs and all, into his arms. He held him tight. He was never, ever letting him go.

“Forever sounds perfect,” he said.

S
PECIAL
THANKS
to Gregory, Tyler, Randy, Mike, and Lacy at Oddly Correct Coffee for all their wonderful help with this book, and of course, for always serving me the best cup I’ve ever had! If ever you are in Kansas City, I highly recommend you check out Oddly Correct, the amazing coffee shop that in many ways is the inspiration for The Shepherd’s Bean. Their mission statement? “By sourcing, roasting and preparing amazing coffees, we strive to increase quality of life on both sides of the coffee cup.” If you love coffee and you drop by Oddly Correct, you will thank me that you did. I promise.

Here is their website: http://oddlycorrect.com/index.html

Make sure you check out their amazing video. See them make coffee just like Bean does! http://vimeo.com/43483768

Special thanks are also due to Amanda and Denise from Furry Kids Refuge. They are a no-kill animal group and go to extremes to make sure that they maintain this goal. They told me stories that had me gasping and crying at the cruelty inflicted on dogs and cats, but also incredible stories of the love behind the people who run Furry Kids Refuge—all for free. These people are amazing.

Here is their website: http://www.furrykidsrefuge.org/

And I mustn’t forget Andrew and the wonderful tour he gave me of Wayside Waifs. Like Furry Kids Refuge, they are committed to finding homes for all adoptable pets. WW is the largest pet adoption center in Kansas City, placing over 5,400 animals each year in forever homes. They have a large staff and countless volunteers. We almost got a dog! But my honey made me understand we are not
quite
ready for a second dog. And we aren’t sure Sarah Jane is either.

Here is their website: http://www.waysidewaifs.org

I
WOULD
also like to acknowledge the following books, each wonderful and amazingly informative. I dearly loved them all and could hardly put them down. With deadlines, I had to! I recommend them all.

Horowitz, Alexandra. Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, September 28, 2010

• Read this amazing delightful book and you will never look at a dog the same way again.

Pendergast, Mark. Uncommon Grounds: This History of Coffee and How It Transformed Our World. New York: Basic Books, September 28, 2010 (2
nd
edition)

• Read this book and be blown away how coffee went from the discovery by a shepherd boy all the way to a product that has dominated the economies of countries, and become the second most valuable legal commodity on earth.

Weissman, Michaele. God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, May 5, 2008

• Read this book and you will never look at coffee the same way again. And you will certainly understand why some of us won’t drink Folgers!

Also, the following movies and documentaries are simply amazing…. I am so grateful for having had them at my disposal.

Child, Dan (Producer and Director). Copyright ©2010, first aired 11/12/2011. Dogs Decoded. Melanie Wallace (Producer), NOVA. London, England: BBC, Additional Material ©2010, Boston, MA: WGBH Educational Fndn.

• This episode of
Nova
blew me away. It examines the special relationship that exists between human beings and dogs. As with Alexandra Horowitz’s
Inside of a Dog
, you will never look at dogs the same way, or doubt they are perfect companions, after watching this program. Miss it not!

Gimbrone, Nancy and Johanna Lack, Heather Lehr, and Ann Toler (writers). 6/6/1998. Big Dogs / Little Dogs. A&E Television Networks. An A&E film written by Nancy Gimbrone, Johanna Lack, Heather Lehr and Ann Toler.

• I will let IMDb say it all: “Man’s best friend comes in all shapes and sizes, from teacup poodles to mountainous mastiffs. This entertaining look at domesticated canines follows the history of the relationship between humans and dogs, traces the origins of the most popular breeds from big to small, features training tips from doggie experts, digs into the reasons behind Fido’s more peculiar habits and sniffs out the huge profits behind the billion-dollar dog industry.”

Wade, Cynthia (Producer and Director). Copyright ©2003. Shelter Dogs. Red Hen Productions.

• This heartrending and award-winning documentary tells the story of Sue Sternberg and all she does to try to save the dogs she adores and with whose lives she has been charged. However, it also argues that euthanasia can be a humanitarian gesture, especially with dogs that are unadoptable. Many times this is because of the original owner who never properly loved or cared for the dog. My heart soared with joy when a dog in this film finds a home, and I cried again and again when a dog had to be put down. I near died when Sue herself dug the grave for a dog that was euthanized. Powerful film. For more information, please see the website: http://www.shelterdogs.org/profile.htm.

B.G. T
HOMAS
lives in Kansas City with his husband of more than a decade and their fabulous little dog. He is lucky enough to have a lovely daughter as well as many extraordinary friends. He has a great passion for life.

B.G. loves romance, comedies, fantasy, science fiction, and even horror—as far as he is concerned, as long as the stories are character driven and entertaining, it doesn’t matter the genre. He has gone to literature conventions his entire adult life where he’s been lucky enough to meet many of his favorite writers. He has made up stories since he was child; it is where he finds his joy.

In the nineties, he wrote for gay magazines but stopped because the editors wanted all sex without plot. “The sex is never as important as the characters,” he says. “Who cares what they are doing if we don’t care about them?” Excited about the growing male/male romance market, he began writing again. Gay men are what he knows best, after all—since he grew out of being a “practicing” homosexual long ago. He submitted a story and was thrilled when it was accepted in four days.

“Leap, and the net will appear” is his personal philosophy and his message to all. “It is never too late,” he states. “Pursue your dreams. They will come true!”

Visit his website at http://bgthomas.t83.net or his blog at

http://bg-thomas.livejournal.com or contact him directly at [email protected].

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com

Also from
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HOMAS

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Also from
B.G. T
HOMAS

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com