I soon heard a voice and then footsteps coming up the walkway along with the jingling of metal. As I walked back inside the house, I went to the front door to unlock it. Trailing behind David was a big black dog with icy blue eyes. With his tail wagging and his tongue lolling out of his mouth, he made his way toward me.
“Say hello to Max,” David said, a smile forming on his face.
“Hi, Max! Aren’t you a handsome boy?” I reached down to pet him and he jumped up, licking my face.
“He’s friendly too,” he winked.
“Who does he belong to?”
“Us.”
“Really?” I replied, my eyes widening.
“Yeah, he was hanging out in the yard of the guy I bought the truck from.”
I gazed over his shoulder at the beaten-up truck parked in the driveway. “That old thing?” I pointed. “That jalopy is yours?”
“Ours,” he replied proudly. “Now, we don’t have to borrow Slim’s truck or take the bus when we want to go to town.”
I stood there, shaking my head. “Is it reliable? It doesn't look as though it would go very far.”
“Don’t worry. I’m going to have a mechanic check it over this week. Besides, Max didn't have a problem with it. He loved hanging out in the back and going for a ride.”
“I better not see him riding in the back of that thing; it’s way too dangerous,” I fumed. “He could fall out.”
“But everyone does it down here. I’ve even seen them transport horses in the backs of their trucks.”
“Please don't tell me these things.” I cried out, putting my hands over my ears. “How can people be so careless?”
I glanced down to see Max sitting there, panting heavily, and staring up at me. “I promise you, boy, I will always protect you,” I said softly, patting his head.
20
David
I retrieve the groceries and the large bag of dog food from the truck. As I make my way along the walkway back toward the house, I sense something’s off with Val. I thought she would have been more excited about the dog since all she ever talks about is safety. I expected a different reaction.
I have another surprise in store for her but decide to save it for later. I am slowly learning that Val doesn’t like too much information thrown at her all at once. I have the feeling she is overwhelmed with the move and I’m hoping she isn't having second thoughts. I don't know what I’ll do if she leaves me. I will do everything in my power to make sure she stays.
I have to act fast and put things in order, so she won’t have any reason to leave. I want to make things easy on her, so she can have time to focus on her writing.
“Here, let me help you,” she says, reaching out to carry a bag of groceries.
Max circles around us, whining and sniffing each bag, anxiously waiting for his food. Val finds one of the plastic bowls I bought and fills it with kibble. When she places it on the floor, Max starts crunching away. She unpacks the remaining items, lining them up on the counter.
“Peach wine?” she questions. Holding the bottle up in front of her, she examines the label. “I've never seen this kind before.”
“Yeah, there are all sorts of cool products here. It makes shopping very interesting.” I watch as she stares at the bottle, a blank expression frozen on her face as if she’s trying to avoid me.
“You can open it if you want,” I suggest.
A half crooked smile forms on her lips as she places the wine on the counter.
“Okay, what's going on? Did something happen while I was away?”
Hesitating, she gently strokes the top of Max’s head as he sits next to her panting.
“I talked to Cindy today,” she replies, lowering her gaze.
“Oh, really? What did she have to say?”
“She was worried about me because she hadn’t been able to reach me.”
“You still have your phone, right?”
“Yeah, but it was turned off.”
“Why did you shut it off?”
"I didn’t. That’s the strange part. If I did, I don't remember.”
“Listen, we've had a lot going on. You’ve been busy since we arrived. Maybe things have been a bit overwhelming for you.”
“Yeah, it's going to take some time getting used to being here. Everything is so different.”
I watch as she struggles to open the bottle.
“Here, let me open it for you.” Gripping the bottle, I twist the cap off while she reaches into the cabinet for wine glasses.
“Twist off,” she remarks, raising an eyebrow.
After filling both glasses halfway, we retreat to the living area. Val takes a seat on the futon, crossing her legs underneath her and slowly sips her wine. She avoids looking at me and focuses her attention on Max, who lays peacefully beside her on the floor. I see he’s made himself right at home.
But back to Val. I sense something is bothering her. She appears melancholy and on the verge of tears. I hate when women cry. I need to avert her sadness.
“So I was thinking. Maybe you'd like some help around the house.”
“Help?” she scoffs, her eyebrows scrunching together.
“You need to understand something. It’s customary to hire a local woman to help the lady of the house.”
“With what?”
“With the basics, you know, cooking and cleaning.”
“But this place is so tiny,” she says, waving her hand above her. “It's barely big enough for the two of us,” she gazes at Max, “er, three of us.”
“Then maybe we have her come a few days a week to start.”
“Does that mean we’ll have to interview someone?”
“Actually, I already have someone in mind.”
“Oh, who?”
“Her name is Conchita. She’s a friend
