All I Ever Wanted(114)

Okay, apparently my dog was just fine, so no excuse to see Ian. Drat. Last night, clearly desperate for affection, I’d scanned YouTube for huskies who could say “I love you,” and then tried to teach Bowie to do the same. “Say you love Mommy,” I said now as my dog wagged furiously. “I love you! I love you, Bowie!”

Rehrahruuu, Bowie attempted gamely.

“Good boy! I love you! Say you love Mommy!”

“Jesus, Callie, this is sick! Can’t you just find a prostitute like everyone else?” my brother demanded, stomping into the room

“You’re more and more like Noah every day,” I said. “Not that he ever encouraged me to seek out a hooker.”

“Just go to Ian’s and do him, for crying out loud.”

“And he never said that, either. But the spirit is the same.”

“When are you moving?” Freddie asked grumpily.

“I’m looking for a place this afternoon,” I answered. “Just keep in mind that Noah left this place to me, young man, and just because I’m renting it to you doesn’t mean you get to be all bossy like Hester.”

This got a smile. “Okay. You can stay as long as you want. Just try to be out by next week.”

As tempting as sharing a house with Fred was…well, it wasn’t tempting at all. And though I loved Noah’s place, I didn’t want to live there without the old grump.

One of Jody Bingham’s many hobbies was real estate, and she was taking me house-hunting after lunch. “Okay, Bowie, I have to go, buddy,” I told my dog. “I’ll find the bacon. And I’ll bring it back! Yes, I will! I love you! Can you say that back? I love you!”

Rrrroooruh! was the best he could do. That’s what I got for adopting a mutt.

The first place Jody took me was a condo. It had a lovely kitchen and a sunny little deck, but it was too close to the highway for me. The second place was basically a hovel, and the instant we’d opened the door, the odor had turned us right around. “Sorry,” Jody said. “This third one is a winner, though. From the sound of it, anyway.”

“How are you these days, Jody?” I asked as we drove north out of town.

She sighed. “Well, I’m fine. I really enjoyed sparking with your grandfather. Miss him more than I ought, probably.”

“Nah,” I said. “You miss him as much as you want.”

She smiled fondly at me, and a warm glow of affection filled my chest. Nice to have a new friend, even if she had pirated my bathtub.

The third place was just off a twisting little road up Mount Kiernan. It was indeed a winner—a tiny, fairy-sized house with faded green shingles and a blue tin roof, hidden in a clump of massive pines. Some brave little marigolds were still toughing it out in a pot by the yellow front door. Yellow was my favorite color…a sign, maybe? There was a minuscule front porch…big enough, however, for my rocking chair and a little table and a cuppa joe.

“Sold,” I murmured before I even got out of the car. There were no neighbors, just the pines and the view…woods and fields, the glint of Trout River to keep me company, the spire of St. Andrew’s marking my town.

The inside was snug and cozy, a far cry from Noah’s echoing forty-foot ceilings and arching beams. Ample counters in the small but well-designed kitchen, a little table overlooking the backyard, which was just a scattering of pine needles and a decrepit stone wall. Two tiny bedrooms (I could use one for a closet), a serviceable bathroom, a sleeping loft above. “I’ll take it,” I said, smiling at Jody.

“Excellent,” she said. “Callie, have you found a job yet?”

“Oh, I can afford it, don’t worry. I have savings,” I assured her. “And Noah left me a nest egg.”

“No, I was just wondering about work, if you’d found anything.”

I grimaced. “No. Not yet.”

She nodded. “Well, listen up. There’s an opening at the Senior Center. Director. Timmy McMann left for bigger and better things, so we’re looking. You’d have to deal with the town, draw up the budget, manage the entire staff of two, apply for grants…the usual garbage. But I think you’d be wonderful. Not nearly enough people use the place, and you’re good at drawing people to you. Care to apply?”

I blinked. “Um…yes! Thank you, Jody!”

“You’re a shoo-in with my recommendation, so make sure you want it, honey. The description’s online.”

And so it was a productive afternoon… I had a new friend, a new residence and, most likely, a new job. Noah’s was empty when I came home, as Freddie was out with Lily Butkes, Elmira’s daughter. I set my purse and keys in their usual spot and picked up the phone. Almost before I realized what I was doing, Carmella answered. “Georgebury Veterinary Practice, how can I help you?”

“Hey, Carmella, it’s Callie Grey.”

A second or two passed. “Hi, Callie,” she said.

“Um…is Ian there, by chance?” I could just about picture the index card taped to Carmella’s phone: Callie Grey—No. That and a picture of me with a big X through my face.

Another pause. “He is here, Callie, but he’s with a patient. Can I take a message?”

“Do you know if he’s busy later?” I asked, cringing. Hi. I’m pathetic. Want to be my friend?