Page 7 of Rescue Them

“Nope.”Lyle set Daisy down and jumped up.He checked on the beans.They were done, so he finished them up and brought everything to the table.“It’s not very fancy.I’m not the world’s best cook.But I made this before, so I hope you like it.”The last thing he remembered was the dressings for the salad, and then they sat at the table, with the dogs lying under it.

Dinner was fun and light.James made him laugh, and they ate and talked until the food was gone.Lyle refilled their glasses, and they continued talking about everything… and nothing.It was a weird combination, and yet it worked.Nothing seemed off limits, and Lyle even found himself sharing stories about when he was a kid.

“What were your parents like?”James asked.

“It was just Mom and me.My father… or the sperm donor, as my mother referred to him, didn’t stick around much after my birth.He wanted Mom to give me up for adoption, but she told him to pound sand and took me home.We lived with my grandparents for a number of years.They lived upstairs, and Mom and I lived in the walkout basement of the ranch home.I think it was stressful for Mom, but I loved having Grammy and Gramps upstairs.If Mom was working, then I’d stay with them.”Lyle sighed.“I was fourteen when Gramps died, and seventeen when Grammy passed.That was really hard.Mom still lives in the house, only she moved upstairs.She isn’t home a great deal, though.Mom got promoted a number of years ago and she travels a lot.”

“That must be tough for her,” James said.

Lyle shook his head.“She loves it.Last month she was in Kuala Lumpur for a couple of weeks, and then she went on to Singapore and eventually Hong Kong.Right now she’s in Japan.She loves her work, and travel is something she always wanted to do.Later in the year she’ll be in India.Then she’ll be home for a month before heading to Europe.”

“What does she do?”

“Mom was always into fashion, and she scouts trends and sources manufacturing for Saks.Europe is usually where new things come out of, but a lot of trends have come from Asia recently.So she scouts what’s new and helps get those designs and colors into the stores before anyone else has a chance to catch on.That way she keeps the stores on the edge of fashion where the prices are highest and people will pay just to be ahead of the pack.”

“Sounds like a lot of pressure,” James said.“Though she must really love it.”

“She does.And I don’t think Mom sees it as pressure.She has an eye for what’s coming.So for her, being there where trends start is important.I went with her to Tokyo two years ago, and she spent a lot of time walking outside, making notes on what people were wearing and what new types of stores had opened.Then, when we went to India, she found quality manufacturers to make what she wanted.”

“Sounds like she has real talent,” James observed.

“She really does.So what about your family?”Lyle asked, and James sighed.

Chapter 4

JAMES SHOULDhave known that asking about Lyle’s parents was going to lead to questions about his own.“Let me see.My mother has been married three times.My biological father was her first husband, so I’ve had two stepfathers.The first one was a real piece of work.I hated Henry with a passion and stayed away from him.The guy was nice enough, I suppose, but he wasn’t my father.After my dad died, Mom remarried within a year, so I don’t know if she really loved him or what.The thing was, my dad had passed away, I was still dealing with it, and Mom moved on right away.That stank.But then, Henry had money, and when Mom found out that he had this thing for strip clubs and hookers, she made sure she had solid grounds and divorced him, taking a good share of his money with her.Then she married Grant.He’s a nice man, he’s good to my mom, and they live in Oregon, just outside Portland.”

“Is he rich like Henry?”

James shook his head.“No.He works in technology and did very well.They live a good life.Mom is happy and I’m happy for her.But I’m not really part of their lives anymore.If you know what I mean?”He bit his lower lip.

“Grant lost his first wife to cancer, so he brought two younger kids into the relationship.Roddy is twelve and Violet is nine.Mom and Grant spent a lot of their time with the kids because they’re still raising them.I know Mom adores both of them, and they have their own life that centers on the four of them… and I’m here.”He set down his fork.“The dinner is really good.”He realized he had eaten most of it and not said anything.“Thank you for this.I eat way too much warmed-up food and frozen dinners.”

“I’m glad you like it.I’m not a fancy cook or anything.”Lyle looked down at the table.“Mom taught me what she thought I needed to know.She always said that I’d never starve if I knew how to cook, at least in a basic way.”He finished his dinner and set the plate aside.“Do you see your family?”

“About once a year, usually at the holidays.I fly out and spend the winter break with them.It all depends on the break schedule like that.Since I left home for college, I’ve pretty much been on my own, sort of.When Mom divorced Henry, she took part of her settlement and put it in a college fund for me.I got scholarships for a lot of my undergraduate work, so I’m using the funds she put aside to pay for law school.Hopefully I can graduate without too much debt.I work to try to feed myself and have some spending money….”He shrugged.“I suppose we’ll have to see how things work out.”

“How are things at the shelter?”

“It’s always… difficult for Mitchell.He does a lot with the dogs, and he works full-time at his practice.His partner helps, and Daniel has worked there off and on, but he goes to vet school, so he’s really busy too.Sometimes we get volunteers who help out.I work a few days a week.He doesn’t have a lot of resources for paid help.Last year, Mitchell was able to get a grant to help with some of the expenses.”

“Maybe I could volunteer to help sometime,” Lyle said with a smile.

A dash of excitement ran through James.“That would be great.Mitchell always needs the help, and if you came in when I was working, I could show you around.”

Lyle nodded and seemed kind of excited about the idea.“Don’t people pay to adopt the dogs?”

“They do to a degree.Mitchell’s goal is to find the dogs good homes.Sometimes people can easily afford to help out, while other families aren’t able to.So he’s waived the fees more than once.Mitchell has taken in snakes, turtles, tortoises, and even a tiger once, because they needed a place.We don’t have any large, exotic animals right now, but Mitchell has the facilities should the need arise.”

“That’s cool.I know Corky trusted him and was a supporter of the shelter.She always said that I should get a dog and told me that the shelter would be a good place to find one.But I always thought I was too busy.”He got up from the table and put some food in each of the dog dishes.They hurried over and began eating.“Corky said to feed the dogs after you ate.She said that way they thought they were getting what you had.I’m not sure if that’s true, but she told me that her dogs didn’t get people food.”

James snickered.“I don’t know about that—maybe they didn’t getmuchpeople food.”They all turned to watch the dogs, their tails wagging as they ate.

“I keep wondering and worrying what I’m going to do if Debbie gets the dogs.These four have been together for quite a while, with the younger ones living with the others all their lives.Separating them just seems cruel.”

“I don’t think she cares,” James said.“She was way more concerned about how much she could get for them.I suppose Corky didn’t leave a lot in the way of an estate, and now Debbie is trying to get whatever she can.”

“Maybe.”They watched the dogs as they ate and then came back, settling near their feet.“I just think they’ll be happier together.I know the law sees dogs as property..So there’s nothing I can do if Corky wasn’t specific about her wishes.”