Authors: Lesa Henderson
His wife
. She was very pretty, her light coloring complimenting Lee’s dark good looks. Megan had the sudden desire to wait inside the deli for her number to be called.
As soon as Lydia had Megan’s sandwich ready, she headed out the door and down the street. Only a block away was a riverside park complete with picnic tables—her dining spot for the day. As Megan sat at the table munching on chips and the freshly prepared sandwich, she enjoyed the antics of three feuding squirrels. There seemed to be a debate as to who had acorn rights.
She sighed in frustration as her thoughts drifted back to Lee. The frustration was directed at her thoughts for betraying her yet again. Why had she been disturbed upon seeing him with his wife, disappointed even? She knew he was married. A moment of attraction meant little. He was still a stranger, a man in whom she was not the least bit interested. She was not sure she could ever again be interested in another man because that would mean she would have to trust and her experience belied men’s trustworthiness. The image of the tall blonde woman filled her mind again, unleashing a torrent of unbidden memories.
The years fell away as quickly. She was a little girl again, standing quietly in the hallway, just outside the master bedroom of her family’s large two-story Atlanta home.
The tension in the house was tangible, even to an eleven-year-old. Her heart thumped erratically against her ribcage as a sickening knot formed in her stomach. Nervously, Megan wiped sweaty palms down the front of her pants as she stood outside her parents’ bedroom listening to the raised voices coming from within.
There was no need to press her ear to the door; her parents were not expecting her home until sometime later and were not making any effort to keep their discussion quiet.
“I don’t know how to explain it to you.” Her dad’s voice was filled with misery.
“Explain?” her mom questioned sadly. “What possible explanation could there be? You are leaving your wife of eighteen years and your eleven-year-old daughter for your secretary who is seventeen years younger than you.”
Megan sucked in a sharp breath, clamping a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out and letting her parents know she was listening. Immediately, tears squeezed from beneath her tightly closed eyes and streamed unbidden down her flushed cheeks, soaking her cotton shirt.
“I’m confused, Helen. I’m torn between you.” Megan heard her father say.
“Yes, well in this instance, you can’t have your cake and eat it, too, Ray. If you had stopped seeing her three years ago, like you promised you would—”
“I did fire her,” he offered.
“You put her out of your office but not out of your life, or out of your bed,” she interrupted hoarsely. Megan could hear the strain in her mother’s voice.
“I…I suppose I should leave.”
Megan began trembling as she heard her father retrieve a suitcase from the closet and throw it on the bed. Then she heard drawers being opened and the rustling of clothes.
Megan remained frozen to the spot. Horrified.
This can’t be happening!
There was a deafening silence coming from the room. No voices filtered through the door. Now, the only noise was the sound of drawers being opened and closed, along with the rustling of a suitcase being quickly packed.
Finally, her mother spoke. “So you’ve made your choice. You’ve chosen this woman over your family.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
The suitcase snapped close.
Megan’s heart skipped a beat.
“No,” her father said. “I’m not making my choice. I just need time away. Time to think.”
“Are you taking time away from her, too? Or just from your wife and daughter?”
There was no answer.
“You must love her very much, or at least I hope it’s an emotion that strong, for you to be throwing us away.”
“Please, Helen.” He sounded almost distraught. “I am not throwing you and Megan away.”
“Really? Have you even considered how this is going to affect your daughter, Ray?”
“I’ve considered little else. I honestly don’t want to hurt the two of you. I just feel like I need to do something for me.”
Megan was unable to believe what she was hearing.
Her father was leaving!
What about her? What about her mother? Who was this woman stealing her daddy away? Didn’t she know he had a family? Didn’t she care?
Another thought occurred to her. What had they done to make him want to leave? To make him go to this woman instead?
“Very well then. Go.”
When the door was suddenly opened, Megan saw her mother standing with a stiff back and a chin tilted up. When her parents realized she was standing there, her mother shook her head sadly and her father seemed to be grasping for words. Her father set the suitcase down in the hallway as he came to her.
“I’m sorry, pumpkin,” he mustered.
Megan opened her mouth to speak but no words formed. Her father leaned over and kissed her on the forehead.
“I love you and will give you a call in a couple of days to see how you’re doing.” He picked up his suitcase and walked determinedly down the stairs. For a number of seconds, Megan remained numbly rooted to the spot in the hallway and watched as her father reached for the doorknob; it was almost like she was dreaming.
“No!” Megan cried hoarsely. “No, Daddy. Please don’t go.” She was finally able to mobilize her legs, but she did not recall going down the steps. Her objective was to reach her father and convince him to stay. She’d beg and plead if she had to. Throwing herself bodily into him, she squeezed her thin arms around his waist as tightly as she could.
“P-please, Daddy, don’t leave us. We love you. I love you, Daddy. D-don’t do this.” She was nearing hysteria, hiccoughing as she talked, frantic to stop what was beyond her control.
He knelt down. “Honey, don’t do this; I love you. This won’t be forever…just for a while. Besides, Daddy will still be seeing you. I just need some time for me right now. Understand?”
Of course not.
She could only shake her head that she didn’t. Her father kissed her on the forehead a second time and walked out of their home.
Megan collapsed into a heap on the floor, crying to the closed door, “Daddy…Daddy, please. Come back! Don’t leave us!” Her body was racked with sobs. She felt her mother’s arms go around her. Sitting on the marble floor in the foyer, her mother rocked her as when Megan was a baby, stroking her hair and murmuring soothingly, their tears mingling.
Megan shook herself from her reverie and wiped the tears from her face. She was still sitting at a picnic table in the riverside park but the squirrels were long gone. It was disconcerting that some memories still had the power to make her cry, to make her feel like that frightened eleven-year-old. She wasn’t sure what had brought on the unwanted recollection, unless it was seeing Lee with his blonde wife.
Megan glanced at her watch in disbelief, realizing an hour had already passed. She had been away from the cabin the entire morning and Sir would most definitely be in need of a walk. Quickly, she gathered her trash and tossed it into a nearby bin before making a hasty walk to where her vehicle was parked.
Well,
she thought with a twist of humor,
I’ll have to thank Lee and his wife for a little extra exercise for the day.
Chapter Five
As Megan walked up the front steps to the cabin, she noticed the door was slightly open.
“Oh, great!” she muttered. In her haste to get to the post office, she must not have made sure the door was closed tightly behind her. The door being open meant only one thing—Sir was on the loose! He would never have been able to withstand the temptation of the door being open and the great outdoors beckoning him. He would have taken the advantage to roam without ever looking back.
Megan dashed up the stairs, taking them two at a time, to her bedroom. She made quick work of changing into a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt and hiking boots.
She needed to be prepared since Sir could be absolutely anywhere. As adorable as he was, Sir was a rambler and had an amazing penchant for getting into the most outlandish predicaments. She grabbed some of his favorite treats as she located his leash and bounded out the door.
It was nearing dusk, when a downhearted Megan came driving back up to her cabin,
without Sir
. Her search efforts had been fruitless.
First, she had hiked every direction of their favorite trails. When that had turned up nothing, she hiked back to the cabin and climbed into her SUV, driving down all the little side roads that twisted and turned like a huge pretzel. Some of these roads were too steep and long to cover by foot and she didn’t want the sun to go down while she was out searching. The area was known to have bears roaming the woods and the possibility of one waking from its long winter slumber created some concern as she had no intention of coming upon one accidentally.
Now, she sat dejectedly on the front steps with her arms propped on bent knees and her chin resting on her forearms as she watched the sun set. Any other time she would have been delighted at the bold display of color, but right now, she was deflated. For all of the walking and driving, she hadn’t seen a single sign of Sir. She’d acquired a few more bruises while on those trails and ended up a sweaty, exhausted, miserable mess.
Commanding tired, aching muscles to cooperate, she stood, stretching wearily, and gave it one last try.
“SIR—” she called hoarsely. Still, there was no response. No familiar bark signifying her faithful companion had heard his master’s voice. At a loss as she contemplated what else to do, Megan walked inside, disappointment filling her heart.
Inside, the house was too quiet. Megan went to the kitchen, knowing it was time to make dinner, but once there, couldn’t even think about food. Too tired and worried about Sir, Megan skipped her evening meal, passing his empty bowl on the way out of the kitchen. She opted for a soak in a bathtub filled with warm bubbles as she sipped a hot cup of chamomile tea. Once she was dressed in a worn but comfortable jogging suit, she grabbed her afghan and a pillow. After getting a fire going in the fireplace, she settled down on the couch in order to be near the door if…when Sir returned from his adventure.
She lay watching the dancing blue and red flames blazing in the fireplace, as she prayed.
Lord, I know this may be selfish but I really need Sir back. Please…
Her eyes gently closed as the exhaustion of the day overtook her.
****
Just after the first rays of sunlight peeked over the crest of the mountains, Megan woke to whining and a scratching noise coming from outside. It only took a moment for Megan to realize what it was. She bolted to her feet and ran to the front door. She flung it open and much to her delight, Sir was waiting there for her.
He wasn’t standing with tail wagging and strings of drool hanging from his oversized jowls. Instead, he was lying on the porch, whining. Megan knelt beside him, wanting to throttle him, and yet at the same time, concerned that he wasn’t himself.
“Sir, I’m so glad to see you. You scared me to death; please don’t ever do that again,” she praised and reprimanded at once, gingerly running her hands over him. When her hands reached his hip, he yelped and Megan came in contact with something wet and sticky. She gasped in shock at the sight of her hand covered in a sticky red substance.
Sir was bleeding!
Megan examined his wound more closely. It appeared her beloved pet had been shot! She jumped to her feet, talking fast, “Oh no! Sir, you’re hurt.”
As Sir began to stir, she realized she was getting him excited. Taking some deep breaths, she forced herself to calm down and talk softly. “Stay here boy; I’m going to get some clothes on and take you down to the clinic.”
She gently backed into the house before letting her fear overtake her as she ran to the bedroom, praying all the way—both for Sir and to figure out a way to get him into her car. As she got back to the door, she saw an old blanket on the shelf above her coats. Grabbing it, she got it under Sir and used it as leverage to pull him across the porch. She pulled her car alongside and once again used the blanket to ease him into the car.
Racing down the road toward town, she once again found herself praying.
When Megan pulled to a screeching halt in front of Wolff’s Veterinary clinic, she expelled a sigh of relief. Every muscle in her body was shaking with fear and the exertion of getting Sir’s one hundred and fifty pound body into the back of her vehicle. One thing was for sure, it had taken some doing and she was covered in sweat, dirt and blood.
“Finally! Hang on, Sir, we’re here; Alan will help you.”
As she threw the vehicle into park, she honked the horn fiercely. When this did not get the desired result, she persisted, laying on the horn again. This time, Cindy stuck her head out of the emergency room door.
Megan jumped from behind the wheel and gave a rushed explanation.
“Cindy, it’s Sir. I think he’s been shot!” She was helpless to stop the flow of tears that began. She was attached to this large, overbearing, lovable dog.
“Stay with him; I’ll be right back with help!” Cindy assured her before running inside. Only seconds went by, before Cindy came running back out, followed closely behind by none other than Lee. If Megan had not already been in a fair amount of shock, she would have been utterly flabbergasted. However, her concern for Sir overrode all other emotions at the moment.
Greg, Alan’s intern, came out of the clinic pushing a gurney. Cindy gently nudged Megan away from the vehicle while he and Lee looked in the vehicle and assessed Sir’s situation. Megan was unable to hear their mumbled comments and stood there wringing her hands.
Cindy wrapped an arm around her shoulders, “It’ll be okay now, Megan.”
Lee stuck his head around the back of the vehicle and said, “We need to get him inside.” Together the two men lifted Sir onto the gurney. Sir must have been unconscious by this time because he did not yelp, whine or make even a peep.
“Don’t worry; I’ll take care of him,” Lee assured her as they wheeled Sir inside the clinic. With tears in her eyes, Megan could only nod.
Turning to Cindy, Megan finally thought to ask, “Where’s Alan?”
“Up at the Bailey place. There’s a problem with one of their horses and they couldn’t bring her in the trailer,” Cindy explained.
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry, Meg, next to Alan, Lee Grainger is the best there is.” Cindy squeezed her shoulders and then led her inside the waiting room of the clinic. It was still early, so the room was empty.
Cindy looked her friend over. “Sweetie, you may want to slip in the bathroom and wash what you can.” Cindy referred to the blood on Megan’s hands, arms and clothing. Megan nodded and headed in that direction.
She barely made it to the bathroom and into one of the stalls before the nervous, delayed reaction hit her and she vomited. After washing her face, she was able to remove the blood from her arms and hands with relative ease. She doubted there was any hope for her clothing. Just as she was shaking her head helplessly at her reflection in the mirror, there was a knock on the bathroom door. Megan opened it to find Cindy standing there with a set of scrubs in her hands.
“Here, try these.”
Megan took them from her with a grateful smile. “Thanks.”
Returning to the waiting room dressed in Cindy’s scrubs, Megan plopped into one of the chairs. Cindy joined her.
“What’s
he
doing here?” Megan asked.
“By
he
, I’m assuming you mean Lee? Well, right now, he’s taking care of Sir.” At Megan’s sideways glance, she amended, “Okay, bad timing for humor. Remember I told you, a couple of months ago, that an old friend of Alan’s from vet school was coming up?”
At Megan’s blank look, Cindy continued, “Anyway, Alan has been trying to get Lee to agree to come up. He has been practicing in the city and Alan wanted him to try Laurel Ridge out and consider becoming his partner. Alan has more work than he can handle anymore, and it’s keeping him away from me and the baby more often than not.”
Megan vaguely recalled the conversation from one of the evenings she had dined with them. They had mentioned Alan needing more help and something about an old friend but Megan had been distracted playing with the baby. So, Lee Grainger was
that
old friend. The subject of her thoughts chose that moment to walk out and Megan jumped to her feet.
“Megan, Sir has been shot and he’s lost quite a bit of blood. We need to get the bullet out immediately,” Lee explained carefully.
“Okay.” Megan didn’t hesitate. “Just…please, don’t let him die,” she choked.
“I promise to do my best,” he assured her, with a gentle smile before going to the back where Greg was preparing Sir for surgery.
In the waiting room, Cindy was talking to Megan. “How do you think he got shot?”
“I’m not sure. He was loose when I got home yesterday afternoon and was gone all night. I found him on the front porch this morning.” Megan shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know, maybe he wandered upon a campsite in the dark and scared the daylights out of someone. As large as he is, he may have been mistaken for a bear.”
“That’s possible, I suppose. I’d rather think someone shot him in what they thought was self-defense and not that someone was just being mean.”
“Me, too,” Megan agreed, in a shaky voice. “Do you think Lee will be able to save him?”
“I know Lee will do all he possibly can, but we can pray and ask the Lord to help Lee save Sir,” Cindy offered.
“You don’t think that’s silly...praying for a dog? Why would God care about my dog?” Megan asked in sincere confusion.
“Of course it’s not silly. God cares for all living creatures. He is the creator of all life. Haven’t you ever heard the scripture that tells us to consider the lily and the ravens and how the Heavenly Father cares for them? The scripture goes on to tell us how much more He cares for us as His children, but it also gives us an indication He cares for all living things. So that tells us He loves both you and Sir. What do you say?”
“Um—okay…I don’t suppose it could hurt, if you’re sure it’s not silly.” She loved that stupid dog and she didn’t want him to die.
“I’m sure.” Cindy bowed her head as she took Megan’s hands. Megan bowed her head as well and closed her eyes.
“Father, you know how much Megan cares for her pet, so I’m asking you, Lord, in Your son’s name, to be with Lee and guide his hands as he removes the bullet. Help Sir recover quickly and completely. We thank you for Your care of us and all that You created. Amen.”
Megan was amazed at how such a simple request, a simple prayer, could move her to tears. “Thanks, Cindy.”
“No problem.” Cindy smiled. “How about I get you something to drink while you wait? A cup of coffee perhaps?”
Megan smiled gratefully. “That would be great.”
After getting Megan her promised cup of coffee, Cindy was unable to sit with her as the phone began ringing and the office began to fill with pets and their owners, many of whom Megan knew.
As each new person came in with his or her pet, Cindy would explain that Alan was away and Lee was doing emergency surgery on Sir. Most of those who knew Megan also knew Sir, so Megan was continually being offered murmurs of sympathy and well wishes. She received them all with humble gratitude.
After what seemed like an eternity to Megan, Lee re-entered the waiting room. He looked down at Megan’s worried, tear-streaked face and smiled with warm compassion.
“He’s going to be fine. We removed the bullet and he’s resting comfortably.” A round of cheers rippled through the room, and without thought, reacting to the good news, Megan jumped up and hugged Lee. When she realized what she had done, she immediately pulled away.
“I’m afraid I got carried away, sorry. I’m just so happy he’s going to be all right.” She extended her hand. “Thank you. Thank you so much, Dr. Grainger.”
“No problem.” Lee laughed, shaking her hand. “Would you like to see him?”
“Yes, please,” she answered without hesitation.
“Follow me.” Next, he turned to everyone waiting in the room. “Folks, we appreciate your patience and will be with the rest of you shortly.”