For Keeps (Aggie's Inheritance) (24 page)

Stunned, Tavish couldn’t move. As if on auto-pilot, he began his rehearsed speech about the wonders of puppies and the responsibility for people to care for unfortunate animals. Aggie rushed up to the porch and dragged him away, apologizing profusely. Her heart wanted to lash out at the woman who berated her child, but she knew it was wrong. A few children gathered around the gate, some whispering loudly, but Aggie didn’t pay any attention to them.

“
In the van, Tavish. Let’s find another neighborhood.
”

Their next house was almost a success. After finding row
s
of tree-canopied streets, she pulled up the van to one corner, and helped him put a bag of pet supplies in the wagon. This time, she suggested putting two puppies there. It couldn’t hurt, and maybe seeing more to need homes would elicit sympathy in the hearts of the people behind the door.

At the first house, a man opened the door, took one look at the puppy, and asked how much they wanted for it. Tavish handed him the bag of food, asked if he wanted a boy or a girl, and raced to the van to retrieve a boy, but by the time he returned, a woman stood there.
“
Sorry, but we can’t have a dog. Greg always forgets how allergic I am to them. I’m sorry. I hope you find homes for your puppies soon.
”
The door shut firmly behind her.

Undaunted, Tavish pulled the wagon up and down the streets, stopping at every house, always polite, ever patient, certain that he’d find homes. Aggie, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. The sight of a cat strolling down the sidewalk sent the injured puppy running back down the street, his tail between his legs and howling with fear. Aggie tried to chase him, but the dog raced into the street, narrowly missed by a passing car. The driver pulled over and helped take up the chase. With no one watching the van doors, the other puppies tumbled from their rolling prison and wandered through the neighborhood, sniffing fences, marking territory they’d never see again, and making friends with the children who found them.

As it happened, two of those children were allowed to keep their new canine friends, and at that news, Aggie called it a day.
“
Come on, Tavish. I’m hungry, I’m tired, and I need a bath.

Luke says:
Hey, I heard you adopted a few more orphans.

Aggie says:
Six, to be exact. However, two have been placed in homes. Four to go.

Luke says:
Well, I’m glad to hear that. How is everything else?

Aggie says:
So-so.

Luke says:
Want me to ask around and see if anyone wants one?
”

Aggie says
: Sure! Don’t you think Meggie’s pups exhausted your list of canine fanciers?

Luke says:
Nah. She’s purebred as were her pups. They were sold before I bred her.

Mibs says:
Well, then. Find me homes, Sherlock.

Luke says:
Mibs again, eh?

Mibs says:
Only when I talk to you. It gets confusing for other people.

Luke says:
Well, you don’t HAVE to…

Mibs says:
Are you complaining?

Luke says:
No…

Mibs says:
Then find me owners, and you’ll add another hero star to your list.

Luke says:
What kind of dogs are they?

Mibs says:
Well, definitely black lab and then something that has white in it.

Luke says:
Standard mixed pups. Great. People love those dogs. I was afraid you’d say Chow or Pit or something.

Mibs says:
I’m not up on my dog breeds, but I’m pretty sure neither of those are in these poochies.

Luke says:
Have they had their shots?

Mibs says:
I doubt it. The kind of people who would let a box of puppies fall off a truck and just leave them don’t seem to be the kind of people who get shots first.

Luke says
: I’ve got some parvo and rabies here. I’ll bring it over on Saturday and whatever you have left will get them. It might be easier to give them away if you can say they’ve had their shots.

Mibs says:
Thanks.

Luke says
: Are you keeping one?

Mibs says:
I keep trying to convince myself to say no.

Luke says:
Tavish loves animals, Mibs. If you can stand it, I’d consider it.

Mibs says:
But we’ve already got the kitten.

Luke says:
Well, for the boys I knew growing up, a kitten just isn’t the same as a dog.

Mibs says:
I’ll think about it. Maybe if we have one we can’t get rid of or something. I want to try at least. I think.

Luke says:
Softy.

Mibs says:
Tina would say sucker.

Luke says:
I call ‘em like I see ‘em.

Mibs says:
So, how are your projects?

Luke says:
I have the roof on, the new cabinets in, and the countertops come tomorrow. All I have to do then is paint the outside, add a few plants, and get ‘er on the market.

Mibs says:
Will you finish this week?

Luke says:
Most of it. Planting will be done early next week, and then I have that deck to build over in Brunswick.

Mibs says:
Oh.

Luke says:
Now that’s a very curious word. Oh. What does
“
oh
”
mean?

Mibs says:
Sorry, I forgot about the deck.

Luke says:
Anxious to get that guest room done?

Mibs says:
And the basement, and the kids miss you. They’ve asked every day when you’ll be back. I think Laird misses having a project to do, but everything he asks to try, I don’t know if it’s a good idea or not.

Luke says:
Let him call me, and I’ll tell him.

Luke says:
Or, if you like, let me pick him up a couple of times. He can help me paint the outside of the house, plant those flowers, and work on that deck.

Mibs says:
Really?

Luke says:
I’d love to have him. He’s a good worker. I’ll pay him.

Mibs says:
You don’t have to do that, but I bet he’d love coming.

Luke says:
Actually, if you like, I’ll come get him tomorrow morning and he can help me clear away the overgrown weeds and plants in the front yard while we wait for counter guys.

Mibs says:
Why wait?

Luke says:
I had a choice between counters sometime tomorrow between jobs, or in two weeks at a specific time. I picked tomorrow.

Mibs says:
I’ll have him ready at eight; is that all right?

Luke says:
Perfect. Thanks.

Mibs says:
LOL. You thank me for letting you babysit my kid. That makes sense.

Luke says:
No, I thank you for trusting me with your son and for
allowing him to help me.

Mibs says:
Ok, ok. So I’m just a paragon of unselfish virtue.

Luke says:
LOL. Or something like that.

Mibs says:
Oh, did you hear? I figured out what Vannie was doing wrong on her zipper!

Luke says:
That’s great. What have you sewn?

Mibs says:
Did you hear? I figured out what Vannie was doing wrong on her zipper!

Luke says:
Not much yet, eh?

Mibs says:
Did you hear…

Luke says:
Great job, Mibs.

Mibs says:
Thanks. So, are you ready to tell me what Mibs means?

Luke says:
Nope.

Mibs says:
Am I going to be insulted?

Luke says:
Nope, well, I hope not!

Mibs says:
Is it a good thing?

Luke says:
It’s just an appropriate one.

Mibs says
: Ah well, I tried. I keep yawning, so I think I’ll go to sleep now. Thanks for everything, Luke. Sometimes I don’t know what we’d do without you.

Mibs says:
And your mom.

Luke says:
And we can’t imagine life without you and your kids, so it’s even.

Mibs says:
Well, this mutual admiration society must adjourn for the evening.

Luke says:
M’kay. G’night, Mibs.

Mibs says:
Nighters, Luke.

Changes

Saturday August 23
^rd

After two days of working with Luke, Laird showed a new confidence in his interactions with people. Aggie immediately noticed a similarity to the way Luke deferred to her, was ready to help, and sometimes anticipated her needs before she could identify them herself. It was as if, overnight, he left the little boy years behind and entered a new phase of young adulthood
--
about two years too soon in her opinion. However, when she asked Libby about it, the older woman had been firm.

“
Don’t discourage him, Aggie. The boy is testing new ground. He’s been watching, he’s had a chance to have his efforts validated in the past couple of days, and now he needs to be given the chance to find the balance on his own. If, in say a month or two, he has an unhealthy predisposition to ‘act grown up,’ then we can plan a way to balance him, but give him the chance to figure it out. I think we emasculate our boys when we jump in too quickly, trying to protect them from themselves.
”