“I came back!”

“Months later you came back for a weekend. Within a year, nothing of yours was left in our apartment. We still had the paperwork that said we were married, but we didn’t have any of the investment. Laura, the longest we’ve been together in ten years was two weeks last year and that’s because you needed a rest after a grueling movie—and you stayed in my rental house next door. We just don’t have enough emotion to build a real marriage on.”

“I always felt I could come to you... You shouldn’t have let me go on thinking I could come back to you.”

“And I don’t know how you could have thought so. I’m sure you have friends you’re much closer to. I don’t even know your friends.”

“Is that important? Because I don’t know yours, either. I’m sure you have friends in that little town. I’m sure you’ve had women...”

He shook his head. “I haven’t. I haven’t been involved with anyone else.”

“Not even friends? No social life with women? Not even casual relationships that had potential if you weren’t married?”

“Laura, I haven’t thought of myself as married in a very long time. But I didn’t have any other relationships. If I had, I would have probably taken the next step and filed for divorce. I’m going to do that now. This is as unfair to you as it is to me. It’s good that you brought us to this crossroads. We either have to end it or try to breathe new life into it. I’m for ending it like two people who respect each other. If anyone can do it with class, you can.”

She just looked away and silently sipped her wine for a long moment. It was at least a full minute before she looked back at him. “I guess if you don’t love me anymore...”

“I have very tender feelings for you, Laura. We shared a special, magical time together that was over too soon. We’ve been friendly for years. Let’s not part on bad terms.”

“Yet, must we part at all? At least can’t we just go on as we are?” she asked.

“I realized something when you came to Virgin River this time. I realized I don’t want to be tied to a sinking ship anymore, and by that I don’t mean that you’re a sinking ship, it’s the marriage. Let’s let it go. We didn’t do the marriage very well. Let’s at least divorce well. So we can remain friends.”

“I guess I have no choice,” she said. “You’re obviously done with me.”

“Don’t do that, Laura. Don’t make it sound like the whole thing was my doing, that it had nothing to do with you. At least own your half of the failure of the marriage. That’s the least you can do.”

“It breaks my heart,” she said. “I have so many regrets.”

“You’re young, beautiful and talented. You don’t need to weigh yourself down with regrets. You’ll see—there’s something better waiting for you. All you have to do is be open to the possibilities.” He reached across the table and took her hand. “Laura, we both know it’s over.”

It was a very long lunch and when it was finished, Landry was exhausted. But by the time he was headed back to his truck, he was beginning to feel free for the first time in years. He hadn’t considered a marriage in name only had been holding him back, pressing him down. It was now evident that it had been the worst kind of ball and chain.

He headed back to Virgin River with a lighter feeling in his chest.

* * *

Kaylee decided on a second walk for the day and one of the reasons was she really enjoyed Otis’s company. She never had to call him. He seemed to know when she was passing the house and darted out to the road, then sat there politely until he was invited to join her.

The leaves were deepening in color and the changing colors were moving lower down the mountain. In another couple of weeks they would be resplendent with the magnificent beauty of autumn and the hillsides would be aflame with reds, oranges, yellows and even deep purple. The air was cool, sometimes downright cold in the mornings and evenings. She had to wear a jacket even in the afternoon, though it usually came off when the sun beat down.

She had no idea where Landry had gone but he did mention he’d be gone all day and into evening. She wanted to ask, was he visiting galleries? Did he have an appointment with a buyer? Was he seeing his wife? Were any of those possibilities any of her business? Absolutely not.

But there was no denying—the time she spent with Landry, however brief, was time she wasn’t mourning her mom. For that she was so grateful.

Otis would take regular diversions to the grassy edge of the road to make sure he watered the grass, but then he’d be right back at her side. If she said “heel” he didn’t leave her, so she experimented with that occasionally and was amused by the amount of power she felt. But then he did something he hadn’t done before. He darted into the trees with a couple of loud barks and disappeared!

She stood right where she was and listened; she didn’t know what to do. If she lost Landry’s dog she’d be mortified. She didn’t want to follow him. She stood paralyzed but in a moment he came bounding back, excited. He barked at her and she had no idea what that meant. Then he ran back into the trees. What if he’d cornered an animal? What if it was a bear? He came back again, jumped around in a circle, then ran again into the trees. “Otis!” He didn’t come back. “Otis, come!” she shouted. And she heard him bark.

She took a few careful, slow steps into the woods. Otis barked again and in another two steps she heard the faint sound of squeaking or peeping. Had he found some baby birds? If he found a batch of kittens, they would be going to the shelter. She wasn’t sure she had completely gotten used to Tux!

But there in front of her sat Otis. He was sitting beside a large half of a cardboard box and inside she saw the head of a dog peering out. A dog she didn’t know. She gasped and took a step back. The dog laid down its head. The squeaking continued and as she braved a step closer she saw that the source of the noise was puppies. She counted four of them. She didn’t dare get any closer for fear the dog would leap out of the box and attack her. Weren’t all animals severely protective of their young?

But the dog was a mama and she was lying down on her side with those puppies latched to her chest. And then she noticed that the dog was hooked up to a leash that was looped around a tree trunk. That dog wasn’t going anywhere. Upon taking another couple of steps closer, she saw that the dog was terribly thin; she could see her ribs. She was blonde, Kaylee had no idea the breed, but she had a long snout and big brown eyes. Sad eyes. She looked around for dishes of food or water but didn’t see any. She obviously couldn’t get away. Had this little family been left here to die? Now, who would do that with a no-kill shelter in the vicinity?

Kaylee pulled her water bottle out of her backpack and got down on one knee. “Hey there,” she said softly. “How are we gonna do this without a dish?” She opened the water, shaped her hand like a cup and poured a little bit of water into her palm. The dog lapped it up in a second, so she poured more. And she crooned, “That’s right, that should help a little.” After replenishing the water to her palm several times, the water bottle was empty. She tentatively gave the mama dog a gentle pat. “What am I supposed to do with you?”

The mother dog and her four puppies were too heavy in that box for her to lift them, so she went back out to the road. Of all days for Landry to be gone. She wasn’t sure who to call, but it didn’t take long for her to decide her wisest choice would be Jack Sheridan. He would at least know who could help her. She pulled her cell out of her back pocket and found his number.

“Hey, Jack, it’s Kaylee Sloan. I...ah...have a situation. I was taking a walk with Otis and he found a mother dog and four puppies. Tied to a tree.”

“You were taking a walk with who?”

“Landry’s dog. Otis. And Landry is gone for the day. He said he wouldn’t be home until late tonight. I don’t know what to do, but I think the mama dog and her babies were left to die. And Jack? I’m a little afraid of dogs. Okay, not a little. A lot. But she seems like a nice dog and I gave her some water. I don’t know what to do. Can you help me or tell me who to call?”

There was a moment of silence. “Where are you? I’ll come,” he finally said.

“I’m on the road that fronts Landry’s two houses. Maybe a half mile from his house. I’m standing out on the road.”

“I’ll be there in ten,” he said.

She looked at her watch, then stood on the road for a couple of minutes. Then she went gingerly back to the mama dog. Otis was in his down position, his front paws stretched out in front. He watched the mama dog closely, but kept his distance. Kaylee couldn’t resist slowly sneaking a hand into the box to touch a furry little puppy and when she did so, mama dog licked her hand. And then she was very brave—she picked up a puppy and held it close for a moment.

Kaylee went back to the road when it was almost time for Jack to appear. She stood where he’d be able to see her and when his truck came into view, she waved. He stopped and jumped out of the truck. “Come with me,” she said, leading him into the trees.

Jack was right behind her when she got to the dogs. “Holy shit,” he said. “Where’d they come from?”

“Well, if I knew that, I’d call the dog police and have them arrested,” Kaylee said. “Look how wasted the poor mama looks!” Then she became aware of how cold it was back in the trees and she pulled off her jacket, covering the dog, the whole litter and part of the mama.

“I don’t think she gave birth here,” Jack said. “I think she was neglected by whoever owned her and was moved out here after the pups were born. If she’d been here a long time that box would be chewed or crushed when she tried to get out or tried to get food. Here’s what we do—I called Lynne Murphy in Clear River and she’s open till six. I’ll help you put the dogs in your car and you can take them to her. We can’t leave them here. Lynne will have some options for you, but let’s make sure they’ve seen the vet.”