Page 41 of Always Another Sunset

“Yes,” she said. “I believe she is.”

Ridingin the jeep’s passenger seat as JC drove them to the park to meet the man who claimed Roxie was torture. As much as Bella knew it was inevitable, the fact they were about to lose the dog hurt. When JC called her Gracie, there was no doubt in Bella’s mind the name was one Roxie knew. Especially after JC walked onto the patio and called the name to see how the dog would react. The excitement in Roxie’s step as she went outside to join JC was unmistakable. To make matters worse, Bella thought the animal looked around expectantly as if hoping to see another human who would have shared that name with her two new friends.She was raised and loved by someone else,she thought.We knew that all along, but that doesn’t make this any easier.

As they approached the small park at the edge of JC’s neighborhood, JC glanced at her. “I love you,” she said. “And I’ve loved sharing Roxie with you. Every minute.” Bella’s voice caught in her throat. There was so much about Roxie that she loved but having her be a part of their shared world was the biggest.

There would be no replacing her specialness, not even if they went forward and got a puppy or a rescue from a humane shelter. “I love you too,” Bella said. “You were so brave that day, rescuing her from traffic.”

JC smiled. “I was probably a little crazy,” she said. “But I acted on instinct.”

“And that’s just who you are,” Bella said, looking at JC as she pulled them into the parking lot. “A good person, and I am so lucky.” JC blushed at the words, but Bella meant them more than she realized. Having JC in her life was lucky, and she didn’t want to lose her.Not like we will lose Roxie,she thought.I can’t take what I have for granted anymore. I need her.

Before she could voice her intense revelations, JC nodded toward a parked truck at the edge of the lot. “I think that’s him,” she said. “He said a blue truck.” As if hearing her, a man stood from where he leaned against the hood of an older model Toyota pickup. From the jeep’s description JC gave him, he clearly recognized them enough to wave as they drew close and parked. JC got out first, but Bella hung back. She simply wasn’t ready to face the reality of the situation yet. “Hi, are you Tony?” she heard JC ask.

Tony held out a hand. “I am,” he said. “Thanks for meeting me. I know this must be hard.”

“More than I could ever imagine,” Bella heard JC admit as she shook his hand. “But I called her Gracie as you suggested, and she seems to know it.” Without saying anything else, JC opened the back door of the jeep. Bella turned to watch Roxie, who waited almost reluctantly as Tony came into view. Roxie didn’t move for a moment, and then slowly her tail wagged. It picked up speed as the man drew closer.

“Hey, Gracie,” Tony said. “We’ve been worried about you.” Bella’s heart broke a little as the man scratched Roxie behind the ear. The bond was there, and there could be no doubt Tony and Gracie knew each other. “Dad will be so happy to hear you’re okay.”

“So, if he’s your dad’s dog, where is he?” Bella blurted. She knew it was rude, but things didn’t seem fair at the moment, and she hated it.

She watched as Tony’s shoulders slumped a little and immediately felt horrible because clearly something wasn’t right. “He had a stroke a couple of months ago, and he’s in a special care facility,” he said. “I wanted to bring him, because I know he misses Gracie so much, but they said he wasn’t ready.” Tony ran a hand lovingly over the dog’s head. “He will probably have to stay in a place like that from now on.”

“But Roxie… I mean Gracie… can’t stay with him then, can she?” JC asked, and Tony shook his head.

“No. She was staying with me,” he said, studying Roxie’s face. “She’s such a good girl, but I travel every week for work, so I had to board her, and I know she hated it.”

Bella looked at JC, and their eyes met, and she knew they were thinking the same thing. “Then, can she stay with us instead?” Bella asked, not bothering to beat around the bush. “There is always someone with her, and she seems very happy.”

Tony glanced between them, uncertainty on his face. “But I’d like to take her to visit my father sometimes,” he said. “So, how would that work?”

“We can make that work,” JC and Bella said in unison, and then everyone was silent as the situation set in. Only Roxie moved as she wagged her tail. Bella held her breath while she waited for Tony’s answer.

Finally, the man smiled. “I think that will work fine,” he said. “I can tell Gracie is happy, and if you’re willing to do that for me, please give her a good home. I know my father will like that.”

41

After riding home in near silence as they both absorbed the news Roxie could stay with them, JC let out a long deep breath when she pulled into her driveway. Her fingers were entwined with Bella’s, and at the sound of her sigh, Bella gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Everything is okay now,” the woman said in a relieved tone of her own. “And we are home again.” She glanced into the backseat. “And we have Roxie.” JC knew she was right but couldn’t quite shake the feeling of unfinished business. But it wasn’t necessarily with Roxie.

She followed Bella’s look into the backseat to see the sweet face of the black and white dog that somehow had stolen their hearts. “You’re right,” she said. “Do you think we should start calling her Gracie?” She glanced at Bella. “Now that we know?”

Bella nodded. “Absolutely,” she answered. “That would be better for her since she knows it.” She smiled. “And less confusing when she visits Tony’s dad.”

“Yes, you are right,” JC said, refocusing on the dog. “Are you okay with that too, Gracie?” Gracie surprised her with a little yip of acknowledgment, making JC and Bella laugh. “Sounds like a done deal then,” JC reached for the door handle. “Now, I think I hear a beer calling my name.” As the three of them trooped in the front door, JC brought up the rear. When she watched Bella turn in the living room to give Gracie a rub behind her ears, her heart was full of happiness. It was a scene she couldn’t get enough of, and although things might seem rushed, JC knew in that instant what she wanted to do. It was time to follow her heart and hope her instincts were right.

As she opened her mouth to tell Bella how she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her, the woman looked up from loving the dog and caught her eye. “In all of this with Gracie, I haven’t had a chance to tell you my news,” she said, making JC pause, and Bella kept talking in the gap. “You’re not going to believe it, but the producers of the Hallmark Channel want to make my novel into a movie for television.”

JC blinked with surprise. “Bella, that’s incredible,” she said, forcing herself to share Bella’s excitement and not let any disappointment about her missed opportunity to propose a future together show on her face. “When did you find out about it?”

Beaming, Bella moved closer. “Hanna called while I was waiting for you to come home earlier,” she said, wrapping her arms around JC’s shoulders. “She was checking my mail, and there was a letter in the mailbox that made her curious.”

Not quite following what happened precisely but beginning to absorb what the opportunity could mean for Bella, JC put her arms around Bella’s waist. “And the letter was from the Hallmark Channel?”

“Yes,” Bella replied. “Well, from their production company, but the interest is clearly outlined in the letter. I have to call in the morning to set up an appointment to discuss it with one of the company’s producers.” She let out a nervous laugh. “Of course, I’m scare to death.

Her mind whirling with how the turn of events might impact the two of them, JC nodded. “Of course,” she said, looking into Bella’s eyes. “This is a really big deal.” The joy that JC saw on the woman’s face was enough to convince her that any declarations of affection needed to wait. “We have to celebrate. Should I get us some champagne?”

Bella laughed. “Let’s not go too far yet,” she said, but her voice was filled with delight. “Nothing has even been discussed. But JC, what if…” She bit her lip. “What if they really do make it into a movie? I’ll reach so many new readers.”

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