What a surprise to see that he had wallpapered Nora’s room while I was away with pink rosebuds and pink stripes. It was so lovely.
We are truly a family now.
Priscilla
Ashley smiled. Perry was a good father and husband to Priscilla. Why had she doubted him? Because he was jealous of Travis, was that reason enough?
With Tootsie still being entertained by other dogs, and the dog owners recognizing that she wanted to be left alone, Ashley read further into the journal. There were entries about the various changes in baby Nora. Priscilla bragged about her as though she was the smartest, cutest, and most exceptional baby ever to have been born. Ashley guessed most mothers felt that way whether today or in 1918. But she didn’t have time to read more; it was getting dark, and Kia was home alone making dinner. It wasn’t very hospitable to leave her guest doing all the work.
“Tootsie, come,” she said, and she came, stood to be hooked to the leash, and off they went home.
When she got there, the front door was open, and she had warned Kia to keep it locked. There were voices coming from the kitchen.
“I told you to leave. I’ll call the police. They’ll put you in jail,” Kia was saying.
Ashley backed away and dialed 911 as she headed out the front door, but Tootsie pulled away from her and started barking.
“Whose mutt is that?” Ken’s voice boomed.
“It’s Ashley’s.”
Suddenly, Tootsie yelped. “No, leave her alone,” Kia yelled.
Ashley ran back into the house. Ken had kicked her dog and Kia was pulling him away from Tootsie. Ashley jumped on his back and pulled him down to the kitchen floor next to the dog. Tootsie bit him.
Ken grabbed for the dog, but Kia stepped on his hand. Ashley picked up Tootsie and ran her upstairs to her bedroom and locked her into her crate for safety.
“Momma will be back in a minute,” she promised. She got her gun from the case and ran back downstairs. By then, Ken was back on his feet and was dragging Kia by one arm to the door. She was digging her heels into the hardwood, but that wasn’t stopping him.
“Stop or I’ll shoot,” Ashley said when she was halfway down the staircase.
Ken looked up. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“You’re in my home. My friend, my dog, and I are in danger. If I kill you dead, I walk off scot-free. I know the law, and I know how to use this thing. Let her go or I’ll prove it.”
Ken let go of Kia’s arm and she ran to the staircase and sat one step under where Ashley stood. She was weeping uncontrollably. Just then, they heard a police siren coming down the street.
“I’ll get you for this,” Ken warned as they took him away.
“No, he won’t. They’ll be getting him,” Ashley told her. “Come on. Let’s go see how Tootsie is.”
Ashley ran upstairs and found Tootsie whimpering in the corner of the crate. When she took her out, she could see no sign of blood anywhere, but she decided to call the vet, who said they should bring the dog in immediately. They promised the police they’d come to the station to make a complaint and report as soon as they took care of Tootsie. Kia drove while Ashley held Tootsie on her lap telling her what a good puppy she was.
After an x-ray and careful exam, the veterinarian said she had a fractured rib, which hadn’t punctured her lung, and that it would heal. He wrapped it and prescribed pain medication for Tootsie.
“She’s lucky it wasn’t worse. People who are cruel to animals should have done to them whatever they do to the animal. Keep her in her crate while you’re at work, so that she doesn’t walk around much, and it will take her three to five weeks to heal. Until that time, let her decide how much exercise she wants. Don’t push runs on her. Start with walks and go for short distances at first, so she doesn’t tire.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Ashley said.
“Bring her in for another x-ray in four weeks, so we can be sure she’s properly healed, okay?”
“I will.”
She carried Tootsie to the truck, and Kia apologized over and over for what Ken had done to her dog.
When they got home, Ashley took Tootsie to her room, gave her the medicine and some water, and let her sleep in her bed that night and every night until she was healed.
Chapter Twenty-five
During the four weeks of recovery, Kia moved into a shelter and from there quickly got into affordable, safe housing, and Ken had his court appearance. Ashley testified and pressed charges for animal abuse. Kia testified. Ken got a twenty-four month sentence less the one month already served and would have to complete an alcohol/substance abuse program and an anger management program while in prison or additional time would be added to his sentence. Although Ashley protested, Kia paid the $985 veterinary bill for Tootsie’s visit on the night that Ken kicked Tootsie. And she continued to work for Ashley and brought in an additional, very productive, reliable worker, who Ashley very much needed. Travis eventually returned to work, but Ashley also hired another employee because the business was prospering. The Manchester Union Leader and The Nashua Telegraph had each done feature stories about homes they had renovated in the area, so she had a waiting list of clients.
During all of her recuperation, Ashley kept Tootsie in bed with her at night, and she let Perry know that he should not disturb them. She realized he had hurt Travis, perhaps twice, and had said he would hurt Ken if Ken were to threaten Ashley. Would he, could he hurt anyone else?
One evening after Kia had moved out, Perry appeared. She immediately addressed her issues with him head on. “Please don’t come to me in my sleep and have sex with me. I won’t consider it consensual. I’ll consider it rape.”
“But I thought you enjoyed it.”
“I did, when first I thought it was all a dream, and then when I realized it was you, and I thought I was falling in love, but I know now I can’t love you.”
“Why not? I love you.”
“Because I’ve told you, I need a living human being, not a ghost to love.”
“Perhaps if you were a ghost, we could be together happily.”
Ashley’s heart skipped a beat. “Are you threatening me?”
His mouth dropped open. “No. No. That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. But certainly, if we were both specters, things would be easier, perfect really.”
“Well, I’m not ready to be a specter, a ghost, or anything of the sort. I want to be alive and well, and living my life. If you can’t respect that, you need to leave my house.”
“I can’t leave. My crazy wife buried my bones here. I’m stuck.”
“Then, I’ll bury them elsewhere.”
He stepped toward her, and she felt the breeze of him grow stronger, colder.
“No, please don’t. I love you. I need to be near you.”
“Stay since you must, but don’t approach my bed. Please respect that request.”
“I will,” he said and left her alone that evening and many others.
Ashley took Tootsie to work with her each day, so she could give her the medication on time and monitor her progress. She knew she was being a bit overprotective, but she didn’t care. Seeing her “baby” hurt by a cruel man like that had hit her hard and upset her so much, she didn’t want anything to happen to her and didn’t want her out of her sight. But knowing Perry’s cruelty to Travis, she didn’t want to trust him with her dog any longer either. If he could hurt a human, he could just as easily turn against her Tootsie as revenge for the things he didn’t like that she was doing. She couldn’t let that happen.