Holiday Homecoming

Meredith ordered while Grandpa said, “The usual,” before shuffling off to the bathroom, looking as if he could topple at any minute. Keith stayed close behind.

Looking around the Drug and Dine, Meredith noted that not much had changed. Keith stocked a little bit of dry goods and a whole lot of tourist paraphernalia. The only things completely new were all the cell-phone displays.

She wondered how much the Gesippi library had changed. It was housed in three rooms under the courthouse. It had half windows that started at the ceiling and that teased with just a little natural light. But Agatha Fitzsimmons, who’d once managed a library in Washington, D.C., had made it something special. During her teens, Meredith had spent a lot of time perusing the young-adult section. Agatha had also made sure a good number of animal books were on hand for a questing Meredith.

Agatha had to be about the same age as Grandpa, if not older.

Unfortunately, while Meredith had been a favorite hometown girl, Jimmy had been a favorite hometown boy. Agatha, who’d not had any children of her own, had attended the high school’s Friday-night football games just to cheer for Jimmy.

When Jimmy left and Meredith came in to show off her engagement ring from Danny, Agatha had called her a stupid girl.

That was the last time Meredith had traipsed down the stairs to the Gesippi library. It wasn’t until many years later that Meredith realized Agatha had been right.

Grandpa returned. “Food not here yet?”

“No.”

“Penny for your thoughts.”

She couldn’t tell him the truth, couldn’t tell him that Jimmy’s presence in town was making her uncomfortable and bringing forth memories she’d tried to bury for so long.

Memories of a love that wouldn’t stay buried.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE MEDICAL CLINIC was the first house on a residential street. A big golden retriever was asleep on the porch. He, too, wore a big Santa hat. “That is Zeus,” Grandpa introduced.

The living room was the reception area. “Each of the bedrooms functions as an examination room,” Grandpa informed her. “I’ve been in all of them.”

It hadn’t existed during Meredith’s youth. When she’d broken her nose, thanks to a horse merely lifting its head, she’d had to go to Adobe Hills, a good fifty miles to the east. When Grandpa was young, though, Gesippi had boasted a small hospital. It had also had a working copper mine. The old hospital, built in nineteen hundred and twelve, stopped taking patients in nineteen hundred and thirty-two and was now a restaurant, aptly named the Hospitable; the copper mine gave tours to tourists.

“This is a good place,” Grandpa said. “You’ll like Doc Thomas. Just eight years ago, he moved from Phoenix and retired.”

“Only it’s not so quiet and I didn’t get to stay retired.” Doc Thomas looked old enough to retire, thanks to a white beard and thick white hair. But he didn’t act old enough. His smile appeared genuine and his eyes danced. He wore bright green tennis shoes and a T-shirt advertising The Rolling Stones. He was Santa on vacation.

“You should be a movie star,” Meredith said.

“I get that a lot. Then people find out what I really do and the questions start coming.”

“People want free advice,” Meredith guessed.

“Yup. They’ll say, ‘Hey, Doc, I got me a cold,’ or ‘My sides been hurting, right here. Do you think...?’ Or my personal favorite, ‘I’ve been throwing up in the morning and don’t want my coffee. You don’t suppose...’”

Grandpa finished up, “So he decided to open a clinic and now he isn’t quite so retired.”

“Not when I have a fool like you for a neighbor,” Doc Thomas agreed. “What were you doing chasing down a dog at your age?”

“Seemed like a good idea at the time,” Grandpa mumbled as the doctor led him down the hall to one of the bedrooms.

There was no receptionist to hand Meredith a three-page form to fill out. She could sit on the couch and thumb through one of the magazines, read the Christmas cards taped to the wall or...

“Grandpa, I’m going to run an errand. Call me when you’re finished.”

“I want to be finished now,” Grandpa called back.

* * *

JIMMY MURPHY SPENT his morning working with his dad and decided no way would there ever be a documentary about the plight of sheep. So he spent his afternoon researching wolf dogs and keeping up with what was happening at Nature Times. More to the point, who was getting the assignment that should be his.

No, not entirely true. Part of him was grateful when his boss suggested he take some time off, for Briana’s sake. Now he could pick her up from school.

Just before three, he found a parking place outside Gesippi Elementary, where he could see Briana when she exited, and took out his notes about wolf dogs. Then he called his boss and gave an enthused three-minute spiel on his idea for a new piece.

“Wolf dogs would be a small draw.” Thom Steward, Jimmy’s editor, didn’t even pause before answering.

“That’s because not many publications even bother to mention them. We’d be one of the first.”

“You’re grasping at straws. I can’t take this idea to our producers. I’m glad you are taking a break, you can do better than this.”

It had been three years since any of Jimmy’s ideas had been turned down. He was good at his job, dependable, and had the kind of relationship with Thom that if the editor didn’t give him an assignment, all Jimmy had to do was shoot off an idea. Thom had rejected Jimmy only once, and that was because someone else was already doing the story.

“I’ve been researching the problem, and wolf dogs suffer the same fate as big cats and monkeys. They’re taken as pups, raised, and then when they grow into their own, many are abandoned.”

“How is that a story?” Thom asked.

“No one I know of, in North America, would abandon their pet lion on public land. But, because these animals are part wolf, they’ve easier to walk away from. That’s my angle.”

Finally Thom hesitated. “Okay, it’s Christmas and I’m feeling generous. Send me a proposal. I want to see some footage, though. You’re gonna have to sell me on this idea.”

Jimmy agreed and promised him a solid pitch before New Year’s. It was the first time Jimmy had ever ended a conversation with Thom feeling less than talented.

And there was no one he could complain to. His crew was in China, and while they liked and respected him, if they thought their bread and butter was with the new guy, they’d be polite at most if he called and did some digging.

His brother might have listened had the wedding not been in just over a week.

From his car, he could see the comings and goings of Gesippi’s townsfolk. He watched as Meredith hurried down the street and went into the courthouse, most likely heading for the library. She wouldn’t get anything from Agatha on wolf dogs that he hadn’t already gotten.

He’d first fallen in love with Meredith because of an animal: a silly goat that escaped its pen nearly every day. Zack had been thirteen, Meredith twelve. The goat, aptly named Stupid by Jimmy, had a favorite fence spot, one that ran between Meredith’s grandpa’s land and Jimmy’s uncle’s. Stupid wanted whatever was on the other side. He’d stick his head through the railing, and then because of the way the fence was built, he wouldn’t be able to get his head back out.

The first time that had happened, Jimmy’d been mad, especially when Meredith, all wild blond hair and know-it-all opinions, had easily helped Stupid get free.

The next time, he’d let Meredith help, understanding even at fifteen that it was better to have Meredith on his team than to try to compete with her.

Maybe a similar approach could work for him now....

* * *

GESIPPI’S COURTHOUSE WAS in the center of town. Meredith remembered her third-grade teacher marveling that it had been built in 1899. Apparently being built in 1900 just wouldn’t have had the same distinction. The town’s budget had been stretched too thin during the construction. There had been plans for a split staircase and an outdoor pavilion. Today, there was a single staircase and instead of a working clock, there was just a clock facing. The time always read six o’clock. Back then, that was when work started, and if one was lucky, it was when work ended.

Meredith took out her cell phone. It was two-fifteen. She had forty-five minutes until Agatha locked the door and turned the sign to Closed. But Meredith might only have ten minutes before Grandpa called her to come pick him up at the doctor’s. She hurried up the front stairs and opened the door. The front entry was empty except for a sign that gave directions to the different offices and goings-on. Meredith turned left and went down some narrow stairs painted concrete blue. There were posters on the walls, some older than she was. All advertised books and some were signed by authors. Before she reached the bottom, she could hear voices. One she immediately recognized as Agatha’s, the other voice sounded as if it belonged to a girl.

Stepping into the main room of the library was like finding a lost treasure, one you didn’t realize the value of until you held it again.

Even the smell was magical.

“I’m telling you,” an indignant voice declared, “she took a book without checking it out.”

“It’s fine, dear. I know her father. We’ll get the book back.”

“But—”

“It’s more important that a child reads than it is for a book to rest on its assigned shelf just because of the rules.”

It was a conversation Meredith might have had with Agatha back when she’d haunted the library.

“Someone’s here,” the young voice said.

“Good.”

“But we’re only open for thirty more minutes.”

“Ah, Jessica, when you let go of your love for rules, you’ll be much happier.”

“Or not,” Meredith said, stepping into the center of the room where a girl of about twelve was bent over a library cart. Agatha leaned on the cart, looking at a book that had seen better days. She hadn’t changed at all. Agatha was about a foot shorter than Meredith and so slender she could probably nap on one of the library shelves and not fall off. Her hair was shoulder length and not even Grandpa could remember when it hadn’t been pure white.

“Two old friends in one day,” Agatha said. “Jimmy still emails me. You I have to keep track of on YouTube. I liked what your zoo did with Crisco the bear. That was quite a story.”

“It was,” Meredith agreed. “We suspect someone wanted to harvest his organs and that’s why Crisco was taken from his mother. A dried gallbladder can sell for five figures overseas. The paws are worth money, too.”

The young girl looked interested. “Really, why?”

“Mostly medicinal reasons. Some people believe the paw will make you healthy, while the gallbladder...” Meredith paused. The gallbladder was especially tempting to males in some cultures. But Meredith wasn’t sure she needed to share that.

“What do you mean?” the young girl queried, obviously of a different mind-set.

“Jessica,” Agatha said quietly, “since we’re only open for a few more minutes, and since I have Meredith here to help, you can leave early.”

“But this lady doesn’t know what to do.” Aghast at the prospect of leaving her job to someone ill-qualified, the girl forgot about the bear’s gallbladder.

“Oh, trust me, she knows,” Agatha said. “Meredith was you fifteen years ago.”

“Has it been that long?” Meredith whispered.

“Yup. One day you were my helper. The next day you’d discovered Jimmy Murphy and suddenly the library was a distant memory.”

“The man who was just here,” the girl said.

“Yes, now scoot. Meredith and I have some catching up to do.”

The girl wasn’t happy, but she knew to mind Agatha. With a quick hug to Agatha, she was out the door and stomping up the stairs.

“Did you come by to see me or do you have the same question as Jimmy?” Agatha nodded toward the cart, and as if she’d never been away, Meredith took a stack of books and headed for the shelves. Though she used to recognize by title where they belonged. Now she had to use their call numbers.

“Originally, I just wanted an answer to the same question, but now I realize seeing you is more important.”

“Glad you’re finally starting to put your priorities straight.” Agatha didn’t sound convinced, not completely. Changing the subject, she added, “I’m also glad you’re here to stay with Ray. He needs you. Something’s been bothering him these last few years and it’s not because he’s missing his wife or his absent son.”

“Yes, I’m seeing that.”

“You take care of him. He’s precious, you know.”

Meredith did know. Her grandparents had sacrificed to help raise their grandchild, help pay their way through college, and more.

All without complaint. If they’d not been willing to help, her life would have been very different. She’d have married Danny and stayed in town, the dreams of her siblings more important than her own.

Grandpa had paid her tuition, every dime. She was paying him back but knew that he put her money right into Zack’s and Susan’s college fund.

It probably only helped a little.

“Ray actually got a library card right after you went to college. Did you know that?”

“I didn’t realize he liked to read,” Meredith confessed.

“It was only on the one topic,” Agatha shared. “He went through all my books on Native Americans, especially those dealing with the Tohono O’odham and Akimel O’odham tribes.”

“That’s strange.”

“I figured he must have watched a documentary on them or something and become interested. I enjoyed researching the subject for him. I’ll miss that.”

“What?”

“I’m retiring next year.”

Meredith’s hands stilled. The book she’d been shelving was stranded in midair. Too many things were changing in her life and too quickly.

“You’ll hate it.”

Agatha chuckled. “I’m sure I will, but it’s time.”

Meredith finally shelved the book and then quickly worked through the ones still on the cart. Finished, she started to move the cart but stopped when she noticed Agatha was using it to hold herself up.

“Let’s sit for a minute,” Meredith suggested.

“No, it feels better to stand. I sit and my butt starts to hurt. If I’m standing, it’s my back, but I can handle that. Here, put this away too.”

It was an aged copy of Black Beauty.

“You checked it out five times,” Agatha said. “Remember?”

“I want to read it again. Maybe this time the fox will get away. Can I get a new library card today?”

“Just take it and make sure you return it. We won’t tell Jessica.”

Meredith’s cell phone beeped. After checking the screen, she tapped the answer key and said, “Grandpa, can I come get you now?”

“Better hurry before Doc decides to do any more prodding.” Something distracted Grandpa, and he hung up before Meredith could ask anything else.

“Ray’s gonna be okay?” Agatha asked when Meredith put her phone away.

“For now, he’s okay. Just forgetful.”

“Aren’t we all,” Agatha shared.

“Agatha, you never forget anything, so I do want to ask. Has anyone been looking for a dog, really a wolf dog?”

“No. Jimmy says he’s called the sheriff, talked to the newspaper editor over in Adobe Hills, plus his cousin who publishes the tabloid here. He had to promise to be interviewed for an article. Then, he even went driving around to see if there were posters up anywhere. Together we did an online search for wolf pups for sale. We did find some nearby, but no one answered the phone when we called. And no one’s reported a missing dog. I called a couple of librarians I know from Adobe Hills and Scorpion Ridge, but outside of a runaway Chihuahua, nothing.”

Recognizing she was at a dead end for now, Meredith helped Agatha close up the library, turning off lights, locking up, just the way she had more than a decade ago. Agatha lived just three houses down from the courthouse, so Meredith waved goodbye as Agatha walked home.

Meredith fought the wind as she got back into her brown SUV. There was a storm brewing, and not just in the air. Just what did Jimmy think he was doing, researching the wolf dog? He was going to make this a mission. That’s what he was going to do. Televise the plight of the wolf dog and the injustices it suffered. Get his stupid byline and then take off again.

Well, she wasn’t going to be his star of the month, and neither were Yoda or the wild wolf dog.

Grandpa and Doc Thomas were sitting on the porch when Meredith drove up. While Doc helped Grandpa down the ramp, Meredith opened the passenger-side door and took and stored the walker in the back. When Grandpa found his seat, she said, “Doc, I’d like just a moment.”

Doc Thomas met her at the end of the car. She shut the hatchback and whispered, “He’s not eating. Maybe four bites at breakfast and not even that at lunch.”

“You hear that, Ray. Your granddaughter says you’re not eating.”

“I eat when I’m hungry, and she hasn’t made me pancakes.”

“You’re going to need your strength during the next few months if you want to get better, Ray.”

To Meredith, Doc Thomas said, “His ankle’s fine. I took an X-ray of his spine, though, and I didn’t like what I saw. You watch him close. If he slows down anymore—” both of them looked at Grandpa, who was still settling himself into a comfortable position “—I want you to get him into Adobe Hills and to a specialist. I know he has an appointment in January, but it would be good if you can get him in earlier. If he’s to keep living on the farm in the middle of nowhere, he has to be able to walk—no matter how slowly.”

Doc Thomas said a few more things, mentioned rehabilitation and even surgery.

“I can walk,” Grandpa groused.

“At the moment,” Doc Thomas said so softly that only Meredith heard. His expression told Meredith a diagnosis she wasn’t ready to hear.

Yes, he was eighty-two, but, well, he was Grandpa. The thread that held the family together in so many ways.

As they drove home, he was quiet, too quiet, not even commenting on her driving. Usually he held on to the door handle and commented, “How fast are you going?”

Meredith kept shooting him glances, hoping he’d open up, tell her she was driving too fast or something. When he didn’t, she tried talking to him. “Do we need to fill a prescription?”

He nodded.

“You want to do that now?”

He shook his head.

She’d been communicating with animals for years now—spent more time with them than people, really—and was used to figuring out problems without the exchange of words. But Grandpa was about as easy to read as a hedgehog.

Either he was overly tired or something had upset him. Or maybe it was a combination of both.

“I just want to get home, Merry.”

When they finally got to the farm, she helped him out, opened his walker and then followed behind him as he walked unsteadily to the front door. Pepper came limping from the side of the house, greeting them with a wiggling body. Then, with doggy wisdom, he slowed down even more to walk sedately beside Grandpa.

Grandpa didn’t even acknowledge him.

But she knew something was really wrong when he walked past the television and went into his bedroom and shut the door, leaving both Pepper and her in the living room.

Meredith tried to soothe Pepper. “Come on, boy. I really need you with me, and Grandpa wants time alone.” She spent the rest of the late afternoon and evening walking Grandpa’s land. She found the remnants of a tree house and an old shoe that had probably belonged to Zack. By the time she headed back to Grandpa’s, melancholy had set in. She’d started off looking for the wolf dog but, if she were honest, she’d ended up looking for Jimmy.

She just wasn’t sure which Jimmy she was searching for, though: the idealistic boy from her youth or the man from yesterday who asked too many probing questions.

CHAPTER SIX

“DADDY, I REALLY need a Rainbow Loom,” Briana said Thursday morning as Jimmy drove her to school. “And not for Christmas. I have to get it before then.”

He had no clue what a Rainbow Loom was. “You need it for school?”

His daughter looked at him in disbelief. She’d been in school for just a couple of weeks and already she had a list of things a girl simply must have. He should have waited until after Christmas to enroll her.

“No, it’s this thing that makes bracelets out of rubber bands. I could make you a bracelet, maybe a million, and in your favorite color. You could wear them to work. I could even, if I hurried, make one for Aunt Holly and the bridesmaids for her wedding.”

“We’ll see,” he said.

“The bracelets could be my wedding present to Uncle Danny’s new wife.”

Briana was the flower girl, and she was taking her role seriously.

“We’ll see,” he repeated.

Briana rolled her eyes in a very adult manner. She had quickly learned that “We’ll see” meant her father had no clue what she was asking and was not about to commit.

Gesippi Elementary School was situated behind the courthouse. A two-story redbrick building, it housed grades kindergarten through eight. Briana was well aware that she’d missed out on some important first-grade girl fads as well as all the kindergarten ones. She’d been schooled, for the last year, by Jimmy and by his coworkers. All adults. Consequently, she could read and write and knew how many still pictures it took to achieve one second of video. She could also help out with a Foley session, use a pocketknife and climb trees like a pro. But none of these accomplishments helped her fit in with six-year-old girls, so she was making up for lost time.

“Grab your backpack,” he told Briana as he entered the school circle. He might have only started doing this a few weeks ago, but he knew the drill. When it was his turn to pull up to the curb in front of the school, Briana needed to jump out and Jimmy needed to move on. There were cars behind him and slow parents were frowned upon.

Once Briana was safely dropped off, he headed to the diner. He wanted to sit by himself, drink coffee and do some more research on his laptop for his pitch to Thom.

The wolf dog photos he’d found so far on the internet made him want one; the stories he was reading convinced him not to.

It had been a long time since Jimmy had felt a real connection to the animal he was covering. For the last few years, he’d been more concerned about the set—be it studio or in the wild—than about the animal.

Hopefully, his passion for this subject would put him back on his game. Sometimes, late at night, he worried that writing articles and putting together documentaries was the only thing he was good at.

He’d not been the best husband.

He’d have to try a lot harder to be the best dad.

If he failed at this documentary, too... No, not happening.

What he needed to do to strengthen the proposal for his boss was to meet a wolf dog. He’d prefer to meet the one from Tuesday night. But first he had to find her.

No one had reported a wolf dog missing, at least not that he could find. Meredith had been optimistic when she’d speculated that the wolf dog had escaped by accident, but they both knew it was more likely that she had become too much of a handful for her owners and been abandoned.

As he drove through downtown Gesippi, he called the number he and Agatha had found for the man who sold wolf pups. No answer, no answering machine.

The Drug and Dine was busy. There was a line at the cash register, so Jimmy didn’t bother Keith and headed for a table by the window. The please wait to be seated sign was for the tourists, anyway. The table closest to him was filled with mothers laughing over morning stories about children who didn’t want to go to school. Jimmy was sure he heard the term Rainbow Loom bandied about.