Moving On (11 page)

A happy whistle dropped into Anna’s open window just before footsteps passed on the street. It brought a smile to her lips and cajoled her into a lovely sleep.

Later, coffee still in hand, she greeted Margaret, Herman and the cone-collared Molly. She was proud of herself when a lesser fear hid behind her morning smile.
If you do something long enough, you believe it.

“Gladys is driving up the street, so I have to rush. Take care of my lovelies today.” Margaret beamed a smile.

“Of course. They’ll both be well taken care of,” Anna assured.

“By the way, Herman will take Molly’s collar off when she needs a drink. She’s had her breakfast.”

Anna’s smile didn’t betray her anxiety. The yard was secure. Molly seemed to obey commands.

Herman kissed Margaret’s cheek. “Go, dear. We’ll be fine. Don’t forget I need six pairs of black socks.”

They watched Margaret until the car pulled onto the road. Herman had a little smile on his face Anna noticed. “What?” she asked.

“Ever since she’s made plans to go into the city, I’ve hidden socks so she’d have a mission. Not that she needs one, but it helps.”

Anna shook her head and smiled, then addressed the dog in a strong voice. “Molly, where do you want to be while we work?”

Molly immediately trotted over to a throw rug in the path of a sunbeam.

While Herman sanded and stained little pieces of wood, Anna ran miniscule threads of wire before applying tiny pieces of eighties-style wallpaper and shades of paint on the bedroom walls and bathroom in the miniature house. As soon as the wiring was completed, she could put the rug into place.

During coffee break, she caught Molly eyeing her as she raised her cup to her lips. “Uh-oh. Someone is thirsty,” she said to the dog.

Herman began to fiddle with the collar while Anna filled the dog’s bowl with water from the refrigerator. Molly lapped it up with a noisy tongue, then nudged Herman. “Let’s keep the collar off while we go out on the deck and we can watch her,” he said. “If she’s sniffing around the yard, she won’t be thinking of licking her wounds.”

Anna rushed to the door. “Just wait until I close the gate between our property and the stairs. I wouldn’t want her to get it into her dog brain to explore the neighborhood. What would Nick say? He trusts us with something precious.”

“Precious, smeshious! Nick left this dog with his father without a backward glance. He’ll do it again, if you ask me. He just cares for things when they’re in his circle. Like this water problem. He may or may not figure it out, but after Jack gets home and we hire another man, Nick’ll be out of here, kicking the dust of Regina Beach off his heels.”

“Wow, Herman. That’s the most words I’ve heard you string together, and with your teeth in, too.” She didn’t want to hear about Nick leaving.

“I’ve been gaining weight so they fit better. I wanted to be my best so Margaret would leave with no worries.”

Anna touched his arm. “It must be nice to be with the woman you seem to have loved forever.”

“This little episode with my heart has made our time together all the more dear, not that either of us mentions it out loud.” Herman sipped his tea before he cleared his throat. “I’ve a feeling you’ve known your share of pain.”

“A dog bit me when I was a little girl.” Anna avoided looking at her neighbor.

“You’re not little anymore.” Herman said. He nodded toward Molly. “She’s a good dog.”

“Yes. And Nick’s trained her so well.” Anna absentmindedly ran her fingers through Molly’s black coat, warmed by the sun. “Look, I’m not even shaking.” Anna held her hand in front of her.

“There you go, Anna.” Herman winked.

“Okay, girl, let’s see what this lampshade is protecting.” Obediently Molly lay down, allowing Anna the opportunity to inspect her wounds. “You’re healing very well,” she crooned. “The area is nice and clean and you’re a good patient. Perhaps by Sunday your veterinary will allow you to skip the lampshade. But it is very fashionable for keeping the sun off your ears and out of your eyes.”

In response, Molly’s tail thumped against the floor.

Later, while Molly roamed the perimeter of the yard, Anna and Herman enjoyed the sunshine on the deck. When she looked over at the deck chair, Herman was asleep. She picked up the medical collar and motioned for Molly to follow her into the house.

She whispered to Molly, “Two bright women should be able to figure this out.” Kneeling eye-level with the dog, Anna wrapped the collar around Molly’s majestic head and clipped it closed. Another tiny bit of weight lifted from her shoulder as she stood. As if in agreement, a piece of hair fell across her forehead and covered one eye.

She smiled.
There are a few things unfurling in my life.

Chapter 9

Nick drove his truck to the field where the wells and pump houses stood. Walking the pipeline searching for anything unusual—a soft spot, some disturbed earth—Nick’s mind kept returning to a similar time when the bomb with ball bearings caused him serious injuries. He found himself reaching for his rifle, a reflex action, when his foot twisted on a clump of gnarled roots. But his hand gripped air.

I need to get my head out of the past.
Firmly he pushed the memories away and concentrated on the task at hand.

Maybe he was taking this to extremes, and Mayor Reginald was right after all. It could be as simple as too much runoff from the mountains or another well further up the line with a lower water level. Or the earth’s plates had shifted and closed off one of the supplies of water.

He wished Molly was by his side. He counted on her alerting him to things happening before he saw or heard them. There wasn’t anywhere to hide on this flat prairie.

Nick turned toward the sound of an approaching vehicle. The public health inspector waved. Janis had phoned Nick informing him Diane was on her way.

“I’m glad you came,” he greeted her, taking note of her sensible shoes. “You can help me walk this line.”

“I’m not sure walking the line out here is going to help. We identified a toxin but it appears to be from a source other than the water supply. We still don’t have a handle on exactly what it is, and it’s acting very strangely. A toxin appears in certain soil samples but stops before it gets to the reservoir.” She consulted her tablet.

“Does that mean we have to dig up certain sections and check for leaks?” Nick’s mind raced. “That could be the quickest solution.”

The health inspector advised, “Start this afternoon on the street where most people have symptoms.”

“I’ll have to contract the work. We’re still on winter staff.” Nick reached for his phone. “I’ll make some calls. I’ll make it happen.”

“You do that. I’ll keep working on my end to identify this situation. In the meantime, keep the boil water advisory in effect.” She got into her car and drove away.

Nick felt energized, no longer alone in this battle. It wasn’t his paranoia. He would have to find someone to welcome his B&B guests. Magdalena had everything ready, so it was just getting them settled. Margaret was in Regina, which left Anna and Herman. After he made a call to the contractor, he’d stop and see how they were doing and ask for their help.

He felt connected to Anna. Wouldn’t he know if they were half siblings? There had to be another explanation. He just knew she wouldn’t turn him down, and going for a drive would do Herman good. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? Margaret and Herman might enjoy a change of scenery while Herman recuperated. They might be persuaded to move to the house until Dad came home. They wouldn’t have to do anything except welcome guests and enjoy the tranquility.

He’d checked his email every day, certain his father would check in, but Jack hadn’t. All Nick had to go by was the itinerary indicating his plane would land on Sunday. Once Dad arrived, Nick was a free man.

Nick rounded the side of Anna’s house. Molly should have had her senses tuned to her surroundings and woofed a warning or a ‘glad-to-see-you’ bark.

Herman happily snored in the lounge in the sun, and music filtered through the summer door. Molly slept in a sunbeam, and Anna was bent over her work table. She had abandoned her buttoned-down look and her hair escaped its tight curls, gently spiraling down her neck, catching the sun. She swayed back and forth with the beat of the music.

“Skulking again, boy?” Herman mumbled.

“Just searching for my charm. I have to ask you and Anna for a favor.”

“Why don’t we go in and have some of that coffee I smell? You can dig deep for a smile.” Herman got to his feet.

Molly opened one eye and banged her tail on the floor when Nick stepped inside.

“What are you doing here?” Anna asked.

“A tiny emergency,” Nick said, smiling.

“What?” She seemed alarmed.

“Annie, let’s have coffee and some of Margaret’s muffins and sit for a minute so Nick can tell us what he needs.” Herman took the plastic wrap off the plate and pulled mugs out of the cupboard.

Molly yawned and stretched before she ambled over to Nick to get her ears rubbed. “Some guard dog you are,” Nick said. “Not even a peep or a raised eyelid.”

“She and I were in our own zone. I didn’t hear you either and I usually hear every car going down the road.” Anna dug out spoons and milk, butter and sugar.

“I have to gulp and run. The contractors are coming to dig up some of the lines, and guests are arriving at the B and B this afternoon. I’m hoping you’ll drive Herman and Molly over and be there when the visitors arrive. After they’ve deposited their bags and have the key, you can leave.” He looked at Molly. “Or I could keep her in the truck with me.”

“What time?” Anna asked.

“They’re not supposed to arrive until three, so perhaps go out about two-thirty. I’d contact them, but Dad doesn’t have that information, only the time they’re supposed to arrive.”

“Where’s Magdalena?” Herman wondered.

“Magdalena can’t get away this afternoon. Herman, do you know why Dad built a guest house on farm land and then went away?” Nicked rubbed the soreness from his leg.

“He was lonely out there, I guess. He didn’t know if you’d ever come home, so he made a decision. There are lots of long days and nights with only a dog for company.”

“And what is he doing now? He’s hardly been on a boat in this lake.” Nick pointed out the window. “All of a sudden, he’s on a cruise. Has he lost it?”

“Sorry, Nick. I don’t know. Your dad went real quiet. He even took computer classes at the outreach program at the school. He said, ‘You can’t be a farmer all your life.’”

“That’s not what he used to tell me all the time.” Heat rose in Nick’s face. He hadn’t voiced these concerns to anyone.

He turned toward Anna but she cut him off. “Nick, you said something about time constraints. Why don’t you head out? I’ll take Herman and Molly in my car and we’ll be there by two thirty. We’ll leave a note for Margaret so she won’t worry.”

His eyes narrowed at her sudden self-confidence. “And what happened to you and your fear of dogs? Has everyone gone mad all of a sudden?”

“I think you’re the one who’s losing it, Nick. I’ll need a key to the house. Is there anything else you’d like me to do?” Anna put her hand on his arm.

“No. Magdalena has the beds ready, and she’ll drop off the breakfast goodies this evening when she comes by. You just need to welcome them and give them the rules of the house. Dad seems to be very set on handing out the rules. He made sure that was the one thing I understood. Oh yeah, tell them they can swim at their own risk. Dad thought they might be newlyweds.”

His phone rang. “Nick here.”

“The contractor has arrived.” Janis said in his ear.

“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” He pocketed his phone and pushed himself out of the chair. “Sorry. I’ve been apologizing a lot these past days.”

“On a talk show a couple of days ago, they said the art of apologizing is the new thing, so you’re up-to-date,” Herman replied.

“I know you’re worried about the water. We’ll be fine.” Anna held out her palm.

He looked at the stained fingers and back into her face, eyebrows raised.

“Key,” she prompted.

When he laid it on her palm, he felt his team growing. Someone had his back. He hadn’t had that since the day the bomb ripped into his leg. Nick turned toward the door and his duties.

Later, under the heading of keeping his eyes on every little detail, Nick watched the contractors unload the backhoe and trench cage. Less men were needed for digging a waterline than in the Kandahar region. Here the hard work was accomplished by machines. There, men handled picks and shovels for the most part, but they were digging irrigation ditches, not holes ten to twelve feet deep to a water pipe buried below the frost line on the prairie. Covering the water lines with large amounts of soil was the only way to keep the water flowing during the coldest winter months.

His mind drifted, remembering the play of flesh beneath denim, the light reflecting off soft curls. Anna was a beauty, and now she was in his father’s house where there was evidence of his handicap. Even though she had seen him before, it mattered more somehow. With his pants and boots on, he almost believed he was whole.

The water truck from the neighboring town arrived, and Nick had them park by the ball diamond where it was the most convenient for people to fill their water in jugs. Because the weather was warm, he ran an over-ground waterline to the seniors’ complex from the other part of town. They’d have to boil their drinking water, but if one of them forgot, he or she shouldn’t get sick.

Frail Mr. Weber waved at Nick from the bench in front of the Long Lake Lodge door. When illness struck those with compromised health, it wasn’t good. Nick was doing everything possible to keep them healthy on his watch.

Nick breathed a sigh of relief. Regina Beach was not the haunt for excitement, for changing world affairs, for understanding new civilizations, or experiencing different foods, textiles, animal husbandry.

Or even ditch digging.

When Anna opened the back passenger door, Molly’s tail was thumping hard enough to rock the car. She clung to Molly’s lead. “Slow down, girl. The place isn’t going to disappear,” Herman said.

Anna unlocked and opened the white metal door. Light streamed in the west windows as Anna, Herman and Molly walked into the B&B.

It felt strange, yet comforting to be in Nick’s house again. She checked on the guest bedrooms. Everything was as neat as a pin. The room she had stayed in was back to the way it was, without evidence she had once slept there.

Molly was dancing. “What do you think, can I let her go? Will she hurt herself?” Anna asked.

“How should I know? I never owned a dog,” Herman mumbled.

“I thought every man owned a dog at some point or other.”

“That’s the trouble these days—everyone assumes.” He scratched the stubble on his chin.

Molly looked up at Anna with a pleading thump of her tail.

“Besides, I’d say it was a medical call anyway,” he added.

“Where does Nick let you run, sweetie, so you won’t get into trouble?” Anna gave the dog a pat.

“I suppose you could do what you did before,” Herman suggested. “Take the shade off and put her in a fenced area around the pool. This way.” He led her down the hall, through a shower change area where Nick’s walker stood. Without further comment he slid back the bolt, and the summer door let in the warm spring breeze.

“Okay, okay, sweetie.” Anna unhooked the collar and Molly cavorted through the open door like a free spirit.

“Good idea to put Molly in this area. When I came here, she was out on the field with the equipment.” Anna watched the dog trot along the fence line.

“Molly was used to following Jack Donnelly on the field until he up and rented the land. Surprised everyone! He stayed long enough for Nick to arrive. It’s as if he took leave of his senses,” Herman mused.

Anna looked around. A professional touch to the décor was obvious. Everything matched or accented the color scheme, from the seat cushions to the towels. “This is fantastic. It’s like a whole other world.”

“I think Jack wanted to do something to tempt Nick to stay. Something that makes the land extraordinary and provides other options rather than being just a farmer.”

“I love the design. There’s a free flow, and these folding stacking doors are just the thing on beautiful days.” Anna opened the doors and rather felt like Molly with her nose in the air, deciphering the odors of spring—tulips, irises, lilacs, new growth. She watched as Molly searched for scents of strange animals that might have trespassed into her territory.

Anna and Herman sat in the sun on the two chairs beside the pool. Conversation dwindled, and she became aware of birds flying between the trees. Under one of them, Molly yipped her greeting at the resident squirrel.

The crunch of gravel under tires, and the dog’s excited barking at the front gate, brought Anna to attention. “I think we have company,” she said to Herman.

“I’ll stay back here out of the way until you greet them.”

“Chicken.”