AllFreeNovel
Share Us
No business at all. Sure, I thought Penny needed to go out, but the reality? I was curious. Nosy. I wanted to learn more about Dale.
My dumbass curiosity may have cost Dale his dog.
I continue running along the driveway, calling for Penny.
Nothing but ranch for miles and miles and miles. She could be anywhere.
“Penny! Please come! Penny!”
Dale was obviously here this morning. Penny’s full water bowl proved that. Where is he? He could be back in a minute or in hours.
I have no idea how long I have to find her.
I can go back to the house and get my car, but roads aren’t going to help me. Not on a ranch.
“Penny! Please come!”
I’ve run about half a mile down the road. I stop and rub my hands over my face. Now what? That sweet dog is out here alone, and it’s all my fault. All my fault because I went into his home without permission.
He’ll never forgive me.
I’ll never forgive myself.
I turn and run back toward Dale’s house and then another half mile down the road the other way.
No sign of her.
Tears well in my eyes. At first, the panic kept them away, but now they flow. What have I done?
Nothing else to do. I have to call the local animal control. Have to get others looking for her. Which means I need to go back to the main house and tell Jade.
Tell her that I broke into her son’s house and lost his dog.
I may as well pack up my bags. This internship will never happen now.
I run back to Dale’s house and through the gate into the back yard to take the path back to the main house, when—
“Here you go.” Jade’s voice. “Back home.”
Jade sits on Dale’s deck, a panting Penny at her feet.
“Penny!” I cry. “Thank God!”
Jade’s eyes widen. “Ashley, what are you doing here?”
I can’t help it. I burst into tears.
“What is it?” Jade ushers Penny into the house and gestures for me to follow. She grabs a box of tissues and hands them to me.
The tears of relief continue to flow. Each time I try to choke them back, they start again.
“My goodness,” Jade says. “Come on. You need to lie down.”
I shake my head vehemently. “The dog.”
“She’s fine. What’s going on here?”
I burst into more sobs.
This isn’t me. I don’t cry. Not like this. Never like this.
“All right,” Jade says. “Let’s make you a cup of herb tea. Maybe that will settle you down.” She sifts through Dale’s cupboards.
Already I know he doesn’t keep anything like herb tea in his house. Herb tea is so not Dale.
Jade finally gives up and pours me a glass of cold water. “Here.” She hands it to me along with a box of tissues. “Drink.”
I manage to choke down a small sip. Then I blow my nose with a loud honk.
“More water,” Jade says.
Penny pants at my feet, happy as ever. I look at her and burst into sobs once more.
Jade nudges the tissue box toward me again, and I take two, wiping my eyes and honking once more. Jade sits patiently, urging me to take a drink every minute or two.
Finally, I’m able to speak. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“I… This is embarrassing. I’ll be leaving first thing tomorrow.”
“Ashley, you’re not going anywhere.”
“I have to now. I’ve made a terrible mistake.” My eyes threaten to tear up again. I wipe at them with a soggy tissue.
“Come on,” Jade says. “It’s not that bad.”
“It is. I came over here to see Dale.”
“That’s no crime.”
“You told me to go slowly with him. But I wanted to see him. Needed to see him.”
“Needed?”
“It’s the same.” I blow my nose again. “The wildfire. The moth to the flame. It’s the same. I feel like I can’t even control it.”
She hands me a clean tissue. “Calm down. What happened?”
“He’s not home. But I saw Penny in the window, and I thought he probably slept in the vineyards and she needed to go out. So I went around to the back, and the door was open…” I shake my head. “I’m so sorry.”
“You went inside?”
I nod. “I was just worried about the dog.” It’s not a lie. It’s just not the whole truth.
“And…”
“I came in, made sure she had water. Then I let her out to pee. I didn’t realize I left the gate open. I’m so sorry.”
“She’s fine. She just came to the main house, so I brought her back.”
I nod again. “I was so scared. I thought… I thought… Dale loves her. He’d never forgive me.”
“Ashley”—Jade meets my gaze, her blue eyes serious—“what is this really about?”
“It’s about me coming in here. Dale isn’t home. I shouldn’t have done that. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“You were concerned about the dog.” She smiles. “Or is it more than that?”
She knows.
She knew this morning. Even if she didn’t, my wildfire comment made it more than clear.
