Rescue My Heart (17 page)

Her eyes
narrowed.
What’s Felicia up to? She wants
money from Hack? She’s going to marry him so she can start her own
clothing line? That’s terrible. He needs to be warned. Nothing I
can do. I’ll be accused of being jealous. But I have to save the
man I love, don’t I?

Questions with no answers went round
and round in her mind. She finished her drink, chewed her lip, but
still didn’t know what to do. The emotional morning had exhausted
her. Stretching out next to the new pug, she draped one of her own
afghans over Alfred and herself, closed her eyes, and was soon fast
asleep.

Chapter Eight

A call to Helen to set up a time to
turn Alfred over revealed that her friend was going to be away for
a few days. Rory smiled at the thought of having Alfred for a bit
longer. She planned to spoil him shamelessly.

Christmas music played while Rory cooked. She fed her visitor
bits of fresh-cooked chicken and beef. Huddled with both pugs on
the sofa, she watched
It’s a Wonderful
Life,
accompanied by a big bowl of
popcorn. Rory tried everything she knew to raise some Christmas
spirit in her heart, but nothing worked.

She had postponed writing while Alfred
was visiting. Days without Hack dragged on endlessly. While she
made sure Alfred took his medication, he rallied one day and moped
about the next. He wasn’t able to jump up onto the couch by
himself. Rory lifted him up and back down again. She didn’t want to
leave him alone, afraid he’d fall.

She
wrestled with the knowledge that Felicia was up to no good.
Should I tell him? Shouldn’t I tell him?
She paced, cooked, cleaned, but still had no
answer. Cooped up day after day, Rory succumbed to
depression.

At war with herself over whether to
call Hack with questions about Alfred or to leave him alone to
catch up on his work, her indecision only added to her frustration.
Alfred didn’t want to leave her lap, so she spoon fed him. Baxter
was jealous, vying for her attention. She allowed him close until
he snapped at the older dog.

Then, Hack called, solving one
dilemma. “Hey, calling to check-up on Alfred. How are you three
doing?”

“
One minute, he seems
better, the next minute, he’s worse,” Rory said, bursting into
tears.

“
He’s suffered from
neglect. You’ve gotta be prepared for the worst.”

“
He’s such a sweetie.
Wants to stay curled up next to me.” She wiped her eyes with a
tissue.

“
I know how he feels,”
Hack said.

Rory ignored his suggestive comment.
“Isn’t there more medicine we can give him?”

“
I don’t think so. Give
him another day then bring him back if he’s not doing well. We’ll
run some tests.”

“
Okay. Thanks for
calling.”

“
Sure. Are we going to
continue your book?”

“
I want to have a couple
of days with Alfred. Maybe we can save him.”

“
Let me know.”

“
Will do.”

“
Rory,” Hack called as she
was about to hang up.

“
What?”

“
Don’t count on saving
him. Okay?”

“
I can’t help it.” She
hung up, anxious to end the discussion. She didn’t like the note of
doubt in Hack’s voice. She was rapidly becoming attached to Alfred.
It was her mission to save him. If he died, well, she couldn’t
think about that.

Alfred’s breathing, though better, was
still labored, and he wasn’t eating much. She turned down an
invitation to dinner with Shirley and Hal because she didn’t want
to leave the little rescue. As she sat on the sofa, she recalled
Felicia’s phone conversation again.

Wonder
if Hack knows about Felicia’s grand plan? If she’s successful, will
she dump him? Nah, who kills the money source, right? Can I tell
him? No way. He’ll hate me for busting his dream. Is marrying
Felicia his dream?
Exhausted between worry
about Alfred and worry about Hack, she gave up, decided it wasn’t
her business, and that she should simply shut up.

About ten the next morning, Hack
called again. Reluctantly, she recounted Alfred’s lack of
improvement. “He’s the same,” she said.

“
Bring him in, Rory. We’ll
do some tests.”

“
And if it’s too late? If
he’s too old?”

“
We’ll cross that bridge
if we come to it.” Rory bundled up Alfred and hit the street. He
walked too slow, so she carried him most of the way.

Hack was waiting for her. He took the
dog in the back then returned to speak to her. “We’re drawing
blood. Go home. Get some sleep. You look beat. I’ll call you when
we have the results.”

She nodded. “He’ll be okay here with
you, right?”

“
Of course.”

“
And the
money?”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about
the expense.”

“
Why couldn’t Alfred be
like Sammy?”

Hack shrugged. “Go on. Take care of
yourself.”

Rory wandered home. Baxter met her at
the door with his usual, enthusiastic greeting, as if she’d been
gone for weeks and weeks. Rory opened a book, hunkered down under a
blanket, and patted the sofa next to her. Baxter jumped up and
cuddled into her knees.

Once
they were comfortable, Rory got lost in a romance written by
a
Facebook
friend. She finished it, yawned, and within minutes was
sleeping peacefully next to Baxter, who snored
contentedly.

The phone call that woke her up was
Janice, not Hack. “How’s Alfred doing?”

“
Not well,” Rory said,
stifling a yawn. She went on to explain.

“
Did you call
Helen?”

Rory recounted her conversation with
Helen. “She’s coming day after tomorrow.”

“
Good. She’s done this
before. No one likes to do it, but she can handle it.”

Rory was torn between wanting to keep
him and not wanting to make the decision to end his life. “If I
can’t keep it together for Alfred on his last days, what good am I?
Should I even be doing pug rescue?”

“
Oh, God, Rory! Please
don’t give up. We need you. Sometimes, we can’t get there in time.
It happens. Look at the pugs you’ve helped. Look at Sammy, who’s
happy and living in Connecticut. You’ve helped a lot of pugs in the
short time you’ve been with us.”

Rory couldn’t stop the tears. “I don’t
know why Alfred means so much to me. I haven’t known him long. He’s
so trusting. The way he cuddles up to me.”

“
You’re doing a lot for
him, even in the few days he’s with you. Remember that.”

“
Thanks. Gotta go.” Rory
closed her phone. She didn’t want to talk about it anymore. She put
another holiday movie on, cuddled up with Baxter, and tried to
focus on the screen.

Hack called. “It’s cancer. There isn’t
much we can do for him, Rory.” She broke down. He stopped talking
until she regained control. “What do you want to do?”

“
Someone’s coming to take
him. I’ll let her know.”

“
I’m sorry,” he said in a
low voice.

“
Thanks.” Rory hung up and
perched on a chair by the window. She looked out on her street.
Colored lights fastened on brownstones and in apartment windows
flashed, but they didn’t bring her any holiday cheer. Windows with
open curtains displayed lushly decorated Christmas trees. A dusting
of early snow made shrubs and evergreens festive.

A
heaviness weighed on her heart. She went to the kitchen.
I need comfort food.
She
pulled down a cake mix and raided her refrigerator for eggs and
milk.

* * * *

.

Hack reached for the next clipboard
from Mary. She held it firmly, staring at him. “What are you going
to do about Rory and that little old rescue pug she brought
in?”

“
Nothing. I’ve checked him
out. Nothing I can do.”

Mary frowned. “What about
her?”

“
What about her? What do
you want me to do? Wave a magic wand and cure the dog?”

“
Something.”

“
Wish I could help her. I
don’t know why she’s so attached to him so fast. He’s cute, but
still. She has to maintain some distance if she’s gonna do
rescue.”

“
Give her a hug. She needs
one.”

“
Don’t let Felicia hear
you say that,” Hack whispered.

“
What are you whispering
about over there?” The skinny brunette stood with her hands on her
slender hips.

“
Nothing. A patient,
that’s all. Here, Dr. Roberts,” Mary handed the records
over.

“
I’ve several more
patients to see, Felicia.”

“
Okay.
I’ll wait. Make a few calls. I’ve got a couple of magazines, too.”
She plopped her bony bottom into a leather chair and pulled out a
copy of
Vogue.

By seven o’clock, the clinic was
almost deserted, except for Mary, Felicia, and Hack. Mary packed up
her things, locked the switchboard, and grabbed her
coat.

“
Have a nice night,
Felicia.”

“
Same to you,” the
fashionista said, without looking up from her magazine.

Hack
watched from the examination room door.
We’re alone. Now’s the time to tell her, talk to her.
He approached her slowly. “Felicia, we should
talk.”

She looked up and smiled. “Exactly
what I was thinking.”

“
About our
engagement…”

“
I know. When the hell are
we going to get married already?”

Hack’s mouth fell open.
“Married?”

“
Yeah. I’ve grown used to
being your fiancée. Now, it’s time to become your wife. Let’s make
everyone happy, and tie the knot.” She pushed to her feet and
sauntered toward him.

He saw a lusty look in her eye, and
panic rose in his chest. “Our engagement was never
real.”

“
It’s become real. To me,
anyway. Let’s consummate it. Right here.” She started to unbutton
the blouse she wore.

“
Here?” His voice
squeaked.

“
Why not? Everyone has
gone home. It’d be so hot to do it on one of the examining
tables.”

Hack
backed up.
Holy hell, what’s
happening?
“This was never real,
Felicia.”

“
Tell your mother that.
Even your dad’s gotten used to us. Your brothers, too. I’m there
for every holiday.”

“
To make Mom
happy.”

“
What about you, Hack?
Who’s making you happy? That little dog walker? Nah. Come to me, a
real woman. I know how to make you happy.” She opened her top and
slipped it off. She was wearing a black, lace bra.

Hack
stared at her, but felt nothing.
No
hard-on? Her breasts are small, but not bad.

“
Live a little, Hack. You
must be horny as hell. We’ve never done it before. Let’s break the
ice,” she laughed at her own joke.

“
I had a very different
idea.”

“
Oh? Want to do it out
here? On the bench? It’s a little narrow, but I can make that
work.” She reached for the top button on his shirt.

“
No, I mean about
us.”

“
Take it off, Hack. Let’s
get a good look at the man I’m going to be living with.” He put his
hands on her arms and eased her away, but she shrugged him off and
continued to undress him.

“
I don’t think we should
get married,” he blurted out.

“
What? After all this
time? I want you. You’ve been teasing me long enough. Get
serious.”

“
I’ve never been more
serious.”

“
What happened? You used
to feel differently. That little bitch get in the way of our
engagement? I can sue her for that.” Felicia pulled his shirt open
and flattened her palm on his T-shirt-covered chest. “I hate these
things. Always takes so long to get a man undressed.”

“
There never was an
engagement. You can’t sue her for something that didn’t
exist.”

“
Oh no? I’ve got a ring,
and everyone knows we’re engaged.” She reached for the zipper on
her skirt. Pushing it down revealed her matching lace, bikini
panties. She went for Hack’s belt.

“
Why do you want to marry
me?” he asked, putting his hands on her bare waist.

A cold breeze interrupted the would-be
lovers, drawing their attention to the front of the clinic. Rory
stood in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest. “I know why
she wants to marry you.” After a moment of silence, she continued.
“She wants you to give her money to start her own clothing line.”
The words came out strung together, in a rush. Rory’s eyes were
bright, and her breathing shallow.