Walking the Dog Read online

  Looking at Edwin through slightly blurry eyes, Doreen held her breath. Judging from his red face and the tremor in his hand as she returned his handshake, the poor guy felt awful.

  “It’s okay, really, I’ll be fine,” she said tightly, trying to smile. “My name is Doreen McCullough. I think your dog is just being friendly. He probably smells the other dogs on me.”

  Edwin remained in a crouched position. To dispel his embarrassment, Doreen tried to think of something to say.

  She cleared her throat. “Nice schnauzer you’ve got there. I’ve got one, too. I know how energetic they can be.”

  Edwin blinked and stared at her. “You’ve got a standard schnauzer? They’re not a common breed.” The redness in his face had started to subside, but the heat and color returned when he glanced down the aisle at the mess Dozer had made. “I thought I had him tied securely outside. I guess I was wrong.” He felt like an idiot hunched over holding Dozer’s collar, but he was too nervous to trust the dog to stay calmly at his side without being held. Caught in a spot, he forced himself to face the proprietor, chancing his wrath for the mess. “I’m really sorry about this. I’ll take care of everything as soon as I take care of the dog.” He turned to Doreen. “Would you mind holding him while I go outside and see what happened to my leash?”

  “Sure.” Doreen studied the excited dog and decided he couldn’t really be so badly misbehaved all the time. She watched Edwin walk toward the door, checking back over his shoulder many times, watching her hold his dog while he stepped around the mess. As soon as he disappeared through the door, Doreen let the dog go. She stepped in front of him, squatted, and looked him straight in the eye, resting her hand on his forehead to make sure she had his attention before she spoke again.

  “Bulldozer, sit,” she commanded in a stern tone.

  The dog sat. Doreen smiled.

  Bulldozer whimpered, but did not move, even with his master out of sight.

  Doreen grinned triumphantly at Bill, who was scanning the strewn contents of the display rack and his entire selection of scratching posts on the floor.

  “I think there’s hope for this dog,” she said, optimistically.

  Bill’s gaze was now on Edwin, who had reappeared and now stood barely outside the doorway. Edwin bent at the waist to pick something up off the ground, straightened as he examined it, fumbled with it, and dropped it, then hunkered down to search once again for whatever it was.

  Bill sighed. “Yes, but is there hope for his owner?”

  two

  Edwin found the leash still firmly tied to the bike rack, and the reason that Dozer was not attached to it. The ring that was supposed to hold the tags and fasten the leash to the collar lay bent and broken on the ground next to the leash. Edwin picked it up, then tried to twist it back into shape with his fingers. When the jagged metal jabbed his palm, he flinched and dropped it. He picked it up again, then stared at the broken piece of metal in his hand. That dog had more strength than he thought to break something he couldn’t even bend. At least he was in the right place to buy a new collar. He picked up the scattered dog tags, flipped the broken piece into a garbage bin, and shoved Dozer’s tags in his pocket as he opened the door with his other hand.

  On his way through the store, he slowly and carefully picked up the merchandise Dozer had knocked over, taking great care to rearrange everything in neat rows. He righted the cat-scratch display, carefully replaced all the dog toys that had fallen onto the floor, and stacked everything else neatly where it belonged.

  ❧

  Bill and Doreen watched from a distance. Doreen felt torn between helping poor Edwin and dutifully standing beside his dog, knowing that once she moved, his dog would follow. So far, Bulldozer remained still, but she knew he wouldn’t last much longer.

  Bill smiled and whispered to her, “You know, Doreen, part of me wants to go help the poor boy, and part of me is enjoying watching him put everything back so neatly. I think it’s straighter and more organized than it was before his dog knocked everything down. Maybe I should hire the boy. Or the dog.”

  Doreen blushed, because she was enjoying watching him, but for a different reason. “Bill!” she admonished him in a stage whisper, “I hardly think he’s a boy!”

  “I know,” Bill whispered back, leaning forward over the counter, “but no matter how old you get, you’ll always be Marie’s little girl to me.”

  With all the fuzzy mice and last rubber bone neatly back in place, Edwin returned to the counter. He grinned at Doreen and Bill, and scowled at his dog, who remained in front of Doreen, as good as gold.

  “You don’t deserve this, you rotten animal!” he grumbled, then smiled again at Doreen.

  Doreen couldn’t help but giggle. He was trying so hard. Edwin turned back to face her. “Doreen—may I call you Doreen? I meant it when I said I wanted to make this up to you. Does it hurt?”

  “It’s not that bad,” she said, smiling despite the numbness of her backside. She would simply sit cautiously, or remain standing as much as possible. “It’s okay, really.”

  Edwin refused to take no for an answer. Impressed by her forgiving demeanor, he became more determined to get to know her. “Can I at least buy you a coffee then?”

  “Buy me a coffee?” she parroted, then looked at Bill, who cleared his throat and turned around to straighten a display that wasn’t crooked. “Well, I don’t know. . .”

  Edwin wanted to convince her that his intentions were honorable, or at least most of his intentions were honorable. “Please, I have an idea. Why don’t you give me your phone number, and I’ll call you in a few days after you’ve thought about it. Nothing serious, just coffee, and if you don’t want to meet me, then I’ll never bother you again, no questions asked.”

  Doreen tilted her head slightly to study him. She usually socialized only with the young men from her church, whom she had met before or whose families she knew. Normally, she would never consent to go out with a stranger, but she felt herself weakening. She pulled one of her business cards from the small display on Bill’s counter and handed it to him.

  Edwin blinked as he studied the printed card. It featured a cartoon picture of an unhappy dog with its face pressed against a window, with “Walking The Dog, Ltd.” in bold type at the top, and “Day Care for Dogs” in small letters underneath.

  “Day care for dogs?” he asked incredulously. He stared at the name Doreen McCullough and the phone number at the bottom. “This is you? Is this for real?”

  Her eyes widened, and Edwin immediately regretted his response, which had not come out as he had intended.

  “Yes, that’s my card.”

  Edwin glared at Dozer, still sitting in front of Doreen, the longest he had ever seen his dog sit still. “It appears you have a way with dogs,” he tried to put on his most charming smile, hoping he hadn’t blown it with his lack of finesse.

  To his relief, she smiled back. “Well, I do handle dogs for a living, but in addition to that, I have a schnauzer, too, remember.”

  He flashed his best lady-killer smile. “Do you find your dog a bit difficult to handle at times?”

  “Not really. My Gretchen is just as bounding with energy, but I will say that she behaves better than your Bulldozer does.”

  Edwin lost his smile. He blushed, hating the rush of heat to his face. “I, uh, don’t think that’s all that difficult. . .” He swished his foot on the floor to buy himself some time to think. Most dogs were better behaved than his, and he knew it. “Maybe I could use your professional services, but in the meantime, the offer of going out for coffee is still valid.” Rather than look at her again for fear of being turned down, he bent to scratch Dozer’s ear.

  Doreen wondered what he was thinking. She pressed on. “It’s getting late. I’d better go.” She pulled her credit card out of her purse to pay for her new purchases so she could let Bill close out the register.

  Fitting his new collar around Dozer’s neck, Edwin clipped the leash on, and
picked up the bag of dog treats. He flicked her business card with a little snap, and tucked it into his wallet. “You’ll be hearing from me.” He winked as he called back to her, turned, and led Dozer out of the store.

  Whether or not he became a new client, Doreen anticipated going out for coffee with the man with the energetic dog. At the click of the door closing, Doreen turned to Bill. “Well?” she asked.

  Bill grinned back at her. “Well, what?”

  Doreen rested her hands on her hips. “Well, what do you think?”

  “He seems like a nice boy.” Bill’s eyes twinkled and the crinkles at the corners of his eyes became more pronounced with his teasing smile. “Overmatched, but harmless enough.”

  “Does he come here often? Do you know anything about him? I’m not sure if I should go out with him, because I’ve never met him before.”

  “What do you need to know?” Bill asked, his eyes not losing their teasing glimmer. “He spoils his dog rotten, he feels bad about you getting knocked over, and he pays cash.”

  Doreen frowned. “Bill! Get serious!”

  Bill shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know him either, kid. If you go out with him to a regular public place, though, he’ll probably be fine. You might even have a little fun. Besides, if he started having you look after his dog, you’d be seeing him in private anyway, so what’s the difference? You trust your customers at some point, don’t you?”

  “Well,” Doreen drawled thoughtfully. “I guess so.”

  “It’s up to you. He seems okay to me.”

  Doreen shrugged as she pictured Edwin’s playful grin in the back of her mind. The way their eyes had met was almost embarrassing, but he did seem like a respectable guy.

  “Who knows? He probably won’t even call. He only felt bad that his dog knocked me over. He’ll forget about me before the day is over.”

  “Maybe.” Bill shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe not.”

  ❧

  The next evening, Doreen sighed with relief as she delivered the last dog to its home. Her first day with Frank Chutney’s dog had turned out more hectic than anticipated. Chipper had not behaved as well as promised. Next time, before she took on another dog, she would be sure it was adequately trained.

  Back when she had had only a few dogs to care for, one or two running away from the group didn’t matter. Now that the ranks had swelled in number, one rowdy dog could be the difference between order and chaos.

  Because Chipper was a small dog, it was an easy matter to pick him up when he didn’t listen and carry him back to his assigned kennel in the back of the van. However, it was not a procedure she wanted to do often.

  She left a short note on Frank’s kitchen table, encouraging him to practice obedience lessons with his dog, and to call her if he needed help. Unless his master practiced basic obedience commands, Chipper would require more attention than Doreen had time for. Still, she could not afford to lose a paying customer.

  As Doreen drove home, her thoughts drifted back to Bill’s words. If Frank Chutney, her newest customer, requested a private consultation to learn basic commands to use with his dog, she would schedule an appointment for him on her property without giving it much thought. Therefore, she should have no qualms about meeting Edwin Olson, whom she also didn’t know, in a public restaurant. The only difference was that one was a client and one was only a potential client. But what could be safer than a public place?

  Doreen shrugged her shoulders as she turned into her driveway. Chances are he wouldn’t call anyway.

  When Doreen walked into the house Gretchen began to run excited circles around her, waiting impatiently for supper to be served. Doreen threw her a cracker and began to search the cupboard, hoping for something interesting but quick. Finally, she settled for macaroni and cheese with a fresh carrot on the side. She had no energy for anything more elaborate.

  With her less-than-gourmet supper in hand, Doreen headed into the living room to watch her favorite program. On her way to the couch, she noticed the light flashing on her answering machine. She put her plate down on the coffee table, pressed the button and waited for it to rewind, hoping for another new client.

  A male voice she didn’t recognize stammered, “Hello? Doreen? It’s me, Edwin Olson, uh, remember me? I’m the one with the, um, unruly schnauzer, uh, you know, at the pet store? Um, anyway, ah. . .man, I hate your answering machine. No, I didn’t mean that, I hate them all. I, um, oh, forget it. I feel like I’m talking to myself. Anyway, how’d you like to, ah, go out for something to eat or something? No, that came out wrong. I mean, you wanna go out with me some time? I mean, oh, never mind. I’ll call back later.” A fumbling noise was followed by a loud bang that sounded like he dropped the phone, and then a click as he hung up.

  Doreen bit her bottom lip. Did the man take lessons from his dog? She rewound the tape, wondering if he would have the nerve to call back. Would he realize that he hadn’t left his number? After his bold introduction yesterday, his stumbling message confused Doreen. “Wait a second. Why am I even thinking about this guy?”

  Dismissing her thoughts, Doreen relaxed comfortably on the couch and switched to her program already in progress. The phone rang just as she took her first bite of macaroni. Doreen answered with her mouth full and one eye still on her show.

  “Walking The Dog,” she mumbled, hoping it wasn’t obvious she was chewing.

  “Doreen? It’s me, Edwin.”

  Doreen choked on her supper. Coughing and hacking, she tried to regain a professional tone. “Oh, Edwin.” She swallowed, trying not to make any rude noises into the phone. “I got your message earlier. How are you?” She raised one hand to her blushing cheek, grateful for the distance between them on the phone.

  Edwin gritted his teeth. He had sounded like a bumbling idiot earlier, and he knew it. There was nothing he hated more than talking to a machine, especially when he was already nervous and hadn’t anticipated leaving a message. He usually didn’t fall apart quite so badly, and he hoped to salvage a modicum of dignity so she would still consider going out with him.

  “I thought I’d call and see how you were feeling, if you were okay, and if you would join me for coffee or something this evening.” He tried not to gasp for air as he rushed everything he wanted to say into one breath. It hadn’t been that long since he asked a woman out, but he hadn’t been so jumpy since high school. He tried to stifle the fear that she might try to avoid him, now that she didn’t have to look him in the eye when she told him to get lost. While part of him knew a woman might be wary about meeting someone she didn’t know, another part of him was kicking himself for giving her an easy way to turn him down. A little voice in the back of his brain told him to shut up before he blew it completely.

  Doreen tried not to giggle. The poor man sounded as nervous as she felt. Although it was getting late, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. “I guess I can meet you somewhere for coffee. Where do you want to go?” She tried to sound more casual than her nervous stomach indicated.

  “You pick.”

  “Well,” Doreen drawled, “tell me where you live, and we can pick something halfway.” She forced herself to relax her tight grip on the phone, then shoved one hand in her pocket.

  “Why don’t you tell me where you live. I’ll just swing by. After all, isn’t the male supposed to escort the female?”

  Doreen fumbled with the phone. “Look, it’s late. I’d prefer to meet you halfway. Besides, my house is kind of hard to find in the dark.”

  He gave what sounded like a nervous laugh. “Oh. Well, as long as you’re not trying to avoid me, I guess we can do that.”

  Doreen unclenched the fist in her pocket, and switched to running her fingers through her hair. “So, can we just meet somewhere?” She didn’t want to sound timid or afraid, but she didn’t want to bruise his ego either.

  “Of course, of course. I live by the new mall,” Edwin stammered.

  “How about the Cafe House, then?” />
  “Okay, good. I know from experience that they have great chocolate cake.”

  Doreen didn’t know if her stomach could handle chocolate cake, but a cup of coffee would be fine. “What time is good for you?” Doreen untangled her fingers from her hair to check her wristwatch. “I was just about to eat my supper, but I could be there in forty-five minutes.”

  Edwin glanced quickly at his watch. “Sure. Sounds good. See you soon.” He heaved a sigh as he hung up the phone, and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans. He was ready to leave now, and he had a feeling the next half hour could be the longest thirty minutes of his life. He decided to walk Dozer around the block a few times to use the pent-up energy he had stored. I gotta take it slow, though; I don’t want to be all sweaty.

  ❧

  Doreen hung up the phone with a shaking hand, unable to believe she had agreed to go out with a man she had just met—at the pet store, of all places. Before now, she had only gone out with mutual acquaintances, men whose background she already knew and where there was already some relationship—not that she intended to have a relationship with Edwin. They were simply meeting for coffee, and then she would probably never see him again.

  She turned to retrieve her supper, left unattended on the coffee table for the duration of her phone call. Her hand froze in mid-reach. The macaroni was gone, only the carrot remained, and Gretchen, who was supposedly well trained, was nowhere to be seen.

  Doreen’s stomach rumbled as she stomped into the kitchen to make herself a peanut butter sandwich.

  ❧

  As Doreen pulled into the Cafe House parking lot, her doubts began to catch up with her. Edwin had seemed like a nice enough young man when she met him at Bill’s store, and he was cute over the phone, but what was he really like? And even though they had met just the day before, she started to worry that she wouldn’t be able to remember what he looked like. Images of the classic tall, dark, and handsome male, with emphasis on the handsome, flashed through her mind. Then she changed her mind, Switching the emphasis to tall. Next, she thought of his dark, dark brown eyes.