A Heart for the Homeless by Annie M. Ballard

Author:Annie M. Ballard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Devon Station Books
Published: 2023-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Near three p.m. Chad called Dorie. By that time, she and Frou-Frou were out walking in the woods, and she’d brought Mallow and Custard along. The brindle was bristling in her crate in the back of James's van.

“Hey, Chad,” Dorie said cheerily.

“Hey.” His voice was flat and low, tired. “You got Frou?”

“Yep,” Dorie agreed. “I've got your boy Frou and a bunch more. How’s it going?”

“Can you keep him a while longer? A few days? I'm probably going to be tied up.”

She sat on a stump watching the dogs mill around. “Sure, Chad, whatever you need. How is Alice?”

Chad sighed and her heart squeezed in sympathy. “She's not so good. She's still unconscious. They think she had a stroke or something.”

“Oh, no. That sounds terrible.”

“Yeah. Nobody knows how bad, not yet. I just can't believe it.”

She groaned. “I’m so sorry, Chad.”

“I don't feel like I can leave the hospital, not really. I'm her only family.” His voice cracked.

“Well, don't you worry about the dog. Frou is fine with me and the gang. He can have a sleepover. Or three.”

“Thanks, Dorie. I really appreciate it. Nan will too, if—no, when she wakes up and I tell her.” His voice cracked again. Is he crying?

“I'll take good care of Alice's dog, Chad.”

“Thanks.” After a pause, he said, “I have to go now.”

“Okay. Chad, take care, okay? Good-bye.”

Dorie clicked off. Still thoughtful, she got up to walk with her horde. Poor Alice. And poor Chad. His only family member in hospital unconscious. For a moment she remembered what that had been like: cafeteria coffee, sandwiches from a vending machine, smell of antiseptic everything. Ugh. But Chad’s alone. At least when Mum was sick there were lots of us. Nobody was alone.

Calling to the dogs, she guided them all deeper into the woods. Mallow and Custard seemed willing to walk farther than usual with Frou on hand. No wonder Alice loves Frou-Frou. He's a good influence. Canine charisma.

Frou looked at her. “What?” Dorie demanded. “Can you read minds, too?” Frou-Frou stepped firmly to the rear, clearly pulling Dorie backward. “For Pete's sake, dog. Do you want to go home?” He whined a little, the first time Dorie had heard him make such a sound. “Okay, you got it. Come on, Mallow, Custard. The lord and master says we're going back. Let's go!”

She headed back to the parking lot. Before they arrived, she could hear the brindle complaining at top volume from the back of James's van. “Coming, we’re coming,” Dorie muttered. “Impatient, that one.”

But no. The brindle’s agitation was about the men leaning on the van. One had a crowbar and was prying at the tailgate.

“Hey! Hey you! Get away from there!”

Frou and the galoots barked, and Dorie dropped her leashes. The dogs ran for the van. Before Dorie could even get a good look, the men leaped onto big motorcycles and roared out of the lot.

Running toward the van, Dorie saw words finger-swiped into the dust. One of the words was a nasty expletive.

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