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“Rhonda, this is…” He hesitated. We hadn’t discussed what would happen if people saw us in public together, which was incredibly shortsighted and stupid. “Eve.”
“Hello Eve.” Rhonda’s hand was callused and felt like a leather glove in mine. It was a strong hand, and her eyes were kind as she smiled. If she knew who I was, she had hidden it behind a kind smile. “Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you as well.” I smiled, immediately feeling a warmth toward this woman – something that didn’t happen very often.
Rhonda turned, but instead of heading into the outbuilding, she strode toward the farmhouse. “He’s in here.” She waved over her shoulder for us to follow.
Gunnar and I trailed behind. “Eve?” I whispered and elbowed him.
He shrugged. “I think it suits you.”
Growing up, my mom had called me Ever, but other than the Ice Queen moniker given to me by the press, no one had ever given me a nickname. “I like it, Hardwood.” The playful nickname I’d given him in the winter came off my tongue easily.
“I hope he’s okay.” Gunnar sounded distant. I slipped my hand into his and gave it a squeeze.
“I’m here with you.”
He squeezed my hand in return. “Thank you. I’m not sure that I could do this on my own.”
The screen door squeaked as Rhonda held it open for us. The front veranda of her house had a porch swing, and several dog beds were strewn along its length. At the end, a big brown mutt with white spots wagged his tail excitedly as soon as he saw us.
“Norman!” Gunnar rushed to the dog before he could get up, and crouched next to him, gathering his face into his hands and planting a kiss on his wrinkled, furry forehead.
While he reunited with his dog, I pulled Rhonda aside. Gunnar had filled me in on the situation on the car ride to the country, but there were a few specific questions I had for her. Namely, whether she thought the dog would survive a knee operation. “How bad is it?”
Rhonda inhaled before responding. “It could be nothing. It could be…”
I nodded. “Can he get up?”
“He can, but I think it’s best if he stays off it if possible. He’s a good boy, but he loves the horses almost more than the other dogs. It’s hard to keep him calm. He needs a quiet place while he recovers, and someone to make sure that he takes it easy.”
“We will get it sorted.” The executive in me was already working out different solutions for Norman.
Gunnar stood, and Norman tried to do the same but his rear leg shook. Gunnar ordered him to lie back down. “Thank you for calling, Rhonda.” Gunnar’s voice had a tremble to it. “We’ll get him in for an X-ray immediately and then figure out the next steps.”
My chest became heavy as Gunnar scooped the big dog into his arms. “I’ve gotcha, Pal.” He buried his face in the scruff of the dog’s neck.
Rhonda handed me a thick woven blanket and I rushed to the car to spread it over the back seat. After thanking Rhonda, we headed towards the main road, dust billowing behind us. Norman appeared oblivious to his ailment and seemed to be smiling as he panted and wagged his tail.
“Rhonda thinks it’s an ACL tear since it doesn’t seem to bother him when he’s not standing.” Gunnar wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know. I think he just needed to talk. He reached across my lap and popped open the glove box. “Can you reach his treats?”
I pulled out the bag and turned in my seat to dole out the stinky, heart-shaped treats. “Easy on the cookies. That dog can get fat just by breathing.” Gunnar laughed, but there was a sorrow in his voice that had been there since we’d left the farm.
Gunnar steered the car with his knee while he scrolled through his phone. “Gunnar!” I shouted as a deer leapt from the bush, its rear hooves narrowly missing the car. It happened so fast that Gunnar didn’t even have time to brake. “Give me your phone or let me drive. I’m not dying in this car.”
“Shit. Sorry, Eve.” Gunnar handed me his phone. “Can you find the vet’s number for me?”
“Sure.” I exhaled. My heart was racing from the shot of adrenaline that had just jolted my entire body. Norman continued to pant behind me like nothing had happened. “What’s the name?”
Gunnar chuckled. “It’s under ‘Vet’.”
“Of course it is.” I couldn’t help but smile as I scrolled through the V section of his contacts. There, just below a woman named Vanessa with a heart emoji, was ‘Vet’. Jealousy was foreign to me and the pang of seeing a heart beside another woman’s name in his phone shocked me. I swallowed and then tapped ‘Vet’ and put the phone on speaker, resting it on Gunnar’s thigh. I didn’t want hearty Vanessa in my hands.
To my surprise, Gunnar’s vet wasn’t willing to squeeze in an emergency appointment, even after I got on the phone and tried to strong-arm them into it.
“Do you have another vet?” I asked. “You should get a new one.”
Gunnar sighed. “They can’t fit him in. It’s not their fault. They’re going to do it tomorrow.”
