Tucker raised an eyebrow. “You shouldn’t look quite so happy about that.”
“Maybe not,” he said, “but the dog would be perfect to assist on that problem, and we might get a stay on the kill order because of it.”
Then Tucker realized what Badger meant. “You got a point there,” he said. “I’m on my way. See if you can get us a stay order on the euthanasia.”
“Confirm or deny the facts as we know them ASAP,” Badger said, “and let me know when you arrive.”
“I’ll be on the next flight out,” he said. “So it all depends on the flight time.” He lifted his hand and said, “Nice job for me, by the way.”
“If you say so,” Badger said. “We’re just grateful to have somebody on the animal’s side.”
“I’m always on the animal’s side,” Tucker said. “The real predators in the world are the two-legged ones,” he said. “The four-legged ones? Well, their behaviors are simple. It’s the humans in the world you must watch out for.”
And, with that, he turned and walked out.
Chapter 1
Tucker exited the Miami airport the next morning, breathing the heavy air inside. “Certainly not my favorite place,” he murmured. Still, it was a far cry from where he had been and where he would have chosen to be, if he had a say. But he was here for a job and his sister Molly’s wedding, and that’s what counted. At that thought, he heard a honk, and he looked out to see a white new model SUV, pulling toward him, and his sister waving frantically from the inside of the car. He smiled, raced to the passenger side door, and hopped in. “Wow,” he said, “that was good timing.”
“Of course it was,” she said. “I’ve been tracking your flight the whole way.”
“I could have just gotten a rental car here and driven straight to my hotel. A little happy to see me or something?”
“Or something,” she said with an impudent grin. “Plus I happened to be down here picking up my wedding dress. As it is, I’m cutting it close, with the wedding in just two days.”
“You couldn’t find a wedding dress you liked near you?”
“The designer’s a friend of mine,” she said. “So I came down here to have her do it. And it just so happened to be that you were flying into Miami, so I arranged to pick you up at the same time.”
“So you’re not staying in Miami?”
“I’ll head back to St. Pete’s Beach this afternoon,” she said, “and then I’ll see you there tomorrow.”
“Yeah, I’ve got to get a rental vehicle. I would have gotten that at the airport, but you stopped that.”
“We have a company truck for you, if you want to use that locally,” she said. “You’re okay to drive?”
“Yes. I’ve told you that many times. I’m fine to drive. I’ve been driving for a lot longer than you have.”
“Sure, but then I didn’t lose body parts and go through multiple surgeries,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re like now.”
“I’m fine,” he said with a smile.
She gave him a searching glance and then returned her attention to the traffic. “How have you been?”
“I’m fine,” he said with that same neutral tone he always used.
She nodded. “Of course you are,” she said. “You’d never tell me if you were anything other than that, would you?”
“Because nothing’s changed,” he said. “What’s the point of belaboring the fact?”
“You look better,” she said abruptly.
“You didn’t see me before,” he said with a half laugh.
“Other than initially in the hospital, no, but you’re better than I thought, than I expected,” she said. “You’ve got good color in your face. Your eyes are bright. You’re standing tall.”
“And all those things matter,” he said with a nod. “Still hasn’t been an easy journey, but I’m here.”
“And that’s what counts,” she said. “We thought we’d lost you there for a while. Of course it didn’t help that you wouldn’t let any of us come see you.”
“You all came and crowded me right after surgery,” he said. “I didn’t want to see anybody at that point in time, thanks.”
“Yep. I know. Rodney and I probably came on a little too strong, didn’t we?”
“You think?”
“Hey, it is what it is.”
“Did you have to bring Rodney’s mom and sister too?” he asked in a mocking tone.
“They were coming with us anyway,” she said. “So we just thought that everybody could go to the hospital.”
“I can’t believe they even let you in.”
“We lied,” she said cheerfully.
He groaned. “Well, it didn’t help my healing in any way.”
“And that’s why we left,” she said, “and it was very hard for me to do. I hope you appreciate the fact that I was looking out for you.”
“Of course,” he said gently. With just the two of them, it was not hard to see that that had been her motivation. He had just wanted them all to go away and let him sink back under the cloud of drugs. “And it wasn’t an easy recovery,” he said. “We did stay in touch, but I didn’t really want any visitors.”
“And I never really understood that, but, any time you got sick, you always wanted everybody to go away. You were like an animal, holed up to either live or die, and you wouldn’t come back out again until one or the other had happened,” she said, shaking her head. “When I get sick, I want to be held and cuddled. I want somebody to look after me.”
“That’s why we’re so different,” he said with a smile. “You’ve always been like that, and I’ve always been like I am.”
“I know,” she said, “but, for somebody like me to be around somebody like you and to not be able to help, it’s really frustrating.”
“Which is also why you weren’t supposed to come,” he said, “because you knew I wouldn’t want you there, more so because I just wanted to focus on my healing and either live or die, as you so eloquently put it,” he said with a note of humor. “Or I would be unconscious. Regardless, I didn’t want you there while I was trying to get back on my feet. It was a journey I had to take alone.”
“But you see? I don’t agree with that,” she said. “You didn’t have to be alone at any time.”
He laughed. “Having to be alone is a very different thing,” he said, “than choosing to be alone. That’s another thing entirely.”
“Right,” she grumbled. “And, for you, it’s always choosing to be alone.” She shook her head. “You know that’s not normal, right?”
He smiled. “It’s normal for me. It’s even got a name. Introvert.” It was an old argument that they had had—but not recently. “Anyway, once I was back on my feet and was capable of letting you guys know I was doing okay, I did contact you. We’ve been in touch ever since.”