Page 8 of Rescue Them

“Yeah.But a letter from the lawyer must give you hope.I doubt he’d send one if Corky hadn’t mentioned you in the will or done something to make her wishes known.”

“I just don’t want to get my hopes up,” Lyle told him.The dogs all began running through the room and up to the front door.“Do you mind if we take them for a walk?They need to go out.”

“Of course not,” James said.Lyle cleared the table and put everything away.

“I have ice cream for dessert.We can have it when we get back if that’s all right.”Lyle started the dishwasher running and then put leashes on the dogs.They each took two and headed out for the trail to the park running behind Lyle’s building.

“I love this time of day,” he said.“As soon as we get under the trees, the air seems cooler.”Lyle led them to the back of the parking lot and down along a path that intersected with the trail to the park.The dogs all seemed to know where they were going and pranced as they moved.They were so cute, but it was Lyle that held James’s attention.“They love the park.”

“What about the ducks and geese?”

Lyle chuckled, his eyes lighting.“Daisy will go after them with a vengeance.The others will ignore them until Daisy gets going, and then it will be full-on doggie pandemonium.So I walk them on the other side of the road.”They crossed the bridge at the back of the park, and all the dogs took some time to watch the water.Lyle leaned on the railing, and James did the same.

He lightly bumped Lyle’s shoulder and got a bump in return.Then Lyle turned toward him, and his smile was warm and bright.Lyle sighed as though he were releasing tension.The dogs lingered around their feet as James leaned a little closer.

Lyle’s smile slipped away and his eyes grew darker.He leaned in as well, and James took that as permission.He drew closer and was just about to kiss Lyle when the dogs began barking.He groaned and turned as a man approached with a large poodle.

“Calm down,” Lyle told them, and they moved off the bridge and farther down the path before heading onto the grass so the dogs would stop their noise.

“I think they want to play,” James said.

“Maybe.But they do that with almost every dog, and I’m not sure how they’d react, especially if one of them feels threatened.They’d close ranks and would probably all attack.”He snickered.“Can you imagine the news story?An incident in LeTort park where a pack of King Charles Spaniels attacked a standard poodle.”

Having calmed down, the dogs sniffed around the grass.They continued down the path and then along the drive, staying away from the ducks.Daisy tried to pull Lyle over, wanting to chase them, but he kept hold, and eventually they moved on and down the way.“I usually take this walk every night.We can take the other bridge, but the dogs don’t like that one because of the metal grate they have to walk over.”

“We can go the long way.I’m not in a hurry.”The truth was, James liked spending time with Lyle.They continued along the side of the park road.The dogs seemed happy, and every now and then he and James would share one of those glances that made James’s heart skip a beat.

They continued their walk on the sidewalks once they left the park.Lyle seemed happy, and so did the dogs until they began barking.A woman walked toward them, and the closer she got, the more agitated the dogs became, growling and clustering near their feet.

“Taking Mom’s dogs for a walk,” Debbie said, smart enough to stay far enough away that the dogs couldn’t get close to her.They were not happy at all.

“Of course.They like it and it’s good for them.”Lyle looked at her like she was a little nuts.“I got a letter from your mom’s lawyer asking to meet on Thursday.I don’t know what it’s about, but….”James liked how Lyle let the implication just sit there.

“I don’t know what Mom was thinking, but I’m not going to just let her give those dogs away to anyone.They were the only thing she had of any value, and she’s just going to give them to you?”Debbie shrugged.“What I want to know is how you’re going to pay the estate taxes on them.”

James cleared his throat.“That’s the thing.The estate pays the taxes.So if there are taxes to be paid, it will come out of the estate.Usually the state takes that right off the top, before any bequests are made.”

Debbie’s mouth opened and closed like some kind of fish.“You mean I’d still have to pay the taxes if she gave them to you?”she snapped.

“No.I mean Corky’s estate will have to pay them.”James liked the fact that she had no idea what was really going on.With things like this, the state made the rules, and she should have done her homework.“Now, we need to finish our walk and get the dogs home for the evening.”

“Yeah.I’ll see you on Thursday,” Lyle added as they continued down the walk, leaving Debbie behind.“Is that what really happens?”he asked James.

“Yes.The estate pays the taxes out of the general estate funds, and any bequests are made after that.So depending on what assets Corky had, they may be used up to pay the overall taxes.Now, the rate at most is 15 percent.So we’re talking a few thousand dollars here.It’s isn’t like there are millions involved.And if Corky’s lawyer is handling the estate, then he’ll deal with all these kinds of things.Debbie isn’t going to get much choice or input.”

“So I don’t need to worry,” Lyle said softly.“It’s not like I have thousands of dollars lying around.”

“Nope.Just take care of the dogs and you’ll see how things work out when you meet with the lawyer.Feel free to ask him any questions, but you also have the right to know who he works for… just in case there are any issues.”

“Huh?”Lyle said, confused.

“What I mean is to make sure you know who is paying the lawyer.If it’s the estate, then the lawyer has the duty to do what Corky wanted.But if this is Debbie’s lawyer and he’s there to see to the estate on her behalf, then it’s another issue altogether.So ask him who is paying his fees.”

Lyle nodded.“Got it.But I didn’t think Corky had all that much money.I mean, she moved into the small place next to mine.She didn’t own a home or anything.So I suspect that she had the dogs and whatever was in the townhouse, maybe some savings… and that’s it.She was older, so who knows.”

There was little use in speculating about the details of Corky’s estate.Lyle would know soon enough.What worried him was Debbie’s sense of entitlement.She seemed determined that the dogs were hers, and she was going to sell them off if she got the chance.Hell, James suspected that if she had gotten her hands on the dogs before Lyle, they would have been sold and delivered to their new owners right away.That woman was a real piece of work.

They continued walking the dogs back toward the townhouse, and once they reached it and Lyle unlocked the door, the pack rushed inside and looked all around as if to make sure everything was where they left it.“Would you like some ice cream for dessert?I know it isn’t fancy, but I can get some if you’d like me to.”