Nathan smiled as he turned the truck into the driveway, the exhausting 2-day drive finally at an end. He glanced over to the sleeping girl in the passenger seat and grinned. It was remarkable how much of an impact she had made on him in such a short amount of time. After the deaths of his grandparents, he felt lost and alone, and life had lost all meaning. And then, when he was at his lowest point, she showed up on his doorstep, orphaned after the death of her - their - mother, who had abandoned him nearly twenty years earlier.
The movers were already there and the truck halfway unloaded by the time he pulled up to the house. Valerie was instructing the men on where to set the boxes and overseeing the arrangement of the furniture. She waved as he drove around the side of the house towards the barn in the back. It was good to finally be home.
The barn was in fair shape. True, it needed some work, but it would do until spring came, when the weather would ease up and he could have it up to standard. Using the money Mama and Pappy had left behind for him, he wouldn’t have to work for quite some time. Even this house was paid for with cash. He planned on eventually starting his own business, once the house back in Winter Creek sold, but there was no rush. He had all the time he needed to make their new home perfect.
Nathan pulled the truck up alongside the building and put it in Park, being as careful as possible to avoid waking the sleeping child. Walking around to the rear of the truck, he opened up the trailer and stepped inside. The horses were restless after being cooped up for the majority of the past 48 hours, and he whispered soothingly to Cheyanne, patting and caressing her neck before moving on to Apache. The stallion was the more ornery of the two, and more likely to act out over being the last one to get out into the fresh air and open space.
He led Apache through the barn and out into the paddock, letting the stallion free to roam around the space to get his energy out and explore his new environment. He pulled the gate closed behind him and returned to the trailer, taking Cheyanne by the reins and letting her free to join her companion. Walking back into the barn, Nathan set about setting up the stalls for both horses, making sure they both had proper accommodations before turning his attention to a third stall where he intended to house a pony for his little sister.
Once he was satisfied that everything was in order, he decided to head back to the house and help Valerie with getting things inside of the house situated. Just as he was pushing the barn doors closed, a voice came from the fence separating his property from the neighbors’.
“Hi, I’m Petra, what’s your name? Are those your horses? We have horses, too, are you moving into that house? It’s been empty a long time, as long as I can remember since we moved in. We live over there. That’s a big barn for only two horses, do you rescue abused and neglected horses, too?” Nathan turned to see the nearly breathless little white-furred, black-spotted mink looking up at him, rocking back and forth on her paws as she continued to speak. “That’s what we do, we nurse them back to health and find them a good home. We have a Clides-tail, an American painted horse. I don’t know why they call it painted, it looks like normal colors to me, I thought he would be like pink and blue, like they painted him or something but Daddy said it’s because he of the way he has so many different colors on his coat…” She trailed off as if lost in her own thoughts at the moment.
Nathan chuckled at the little one’s exuberance, “Well, ain’t you the cutest thing? Yeah, I reckon it is a big barn, but I’m planning on getting a third horse here sometime soon. You say your family rescues horses?”
“My daddy takes care of them during the day because he can’t work or drive, because he has… epabel… ecalept… excaletic seizures. He got hurt really bad in the head by a ‘splosion. We have two right now, but one of them is going to a new home this weekend. Do you have any kids? Mostly it’s just me and my sister, but her boyfriend comes over and stuff, but most of the other kids are back in town and can’t come all the way out here to play. Are you married? My Mommy and Daddy have been married a long time, ever since before I was born...”
“Okay, Pet,” an older male voice said, bringing the small mink’s chatter to a sudden stop. “Let the man get back to what he was doing.” It was obvious that the older mink was her father, with the same white fur with similar black spots. The deep, furless vertical scar over his left eye, and the blank emotionless look on his face gave him an imposing appearance. “I’m really sorry if she was getting in your way. She’s a little rambunctious at times.”
The Australian Shepherd smiled and walked over to the fence dividing their property. “No problem at all, Sir. Actually, I’m thankful my sister will have someone close to her own age to play with. We don’t have any family left, and we just moved two thousand miles here to be closer to my girlfriend’s folks. Still, her sister is thirteen, and probably ain’t interested in hanging around a seven year-old.” He held out his paw and said, “Nathan Shepard. Nice to meet you.”
“Brent Fletcher,” he replied. “Welcome to the neighborhood.” The mink smiled, but the forced expression didn’t ease the look of intense concentration in his eyes. “We’re the closest thing for about two miles, so feel free to come over if you need anything.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, thanks,” Nathan replied. “But yeah, we picked this place on account of how out of the way it is. I’m kinda used to the wide open spaces and country air, and wasn’t about to settle down in no city.”
“Nafan…” a little voice called out wearily. The two men looked over to the truck as Piper climbed down onto the ground wiping her eyes groggily. “Ah we almost dere?”
“C’mere, Sweetie,” her older brother said, kneeling down. She walked over and hugged him with her little arms, and he picked her up. “Guess what?”
“What?” she asked.
“We’re here. Over there,” he pointed to the house where the movers were unloading the last of their possessions. “That’s our new home. And this is the barn for Apache and Cheyenne. And this,” he turned so that she was face-to-face with the mink. “This is our new neighbor, Mr. Fletcher. Why don’t you go on and say hello?”
“Hewwo, Mistah Flecthah,” she said sweetly, the excitement of finally being at her new home shaking her out of her drowsy state.
Just as Brent began to smile at her and return the greeting, the younger mink blurted out, “Hi, I’m Petra but everyone calls me Pet, What’s your name? I’m seven years old, how old are you? Do you go to school? I go to a private school, Spin... Sfin... Spinx? I forget how to say it, but it’s really fun, maybe you’ll go there too. That would be so cool. You talk funny, do you have a speech inp... impe...”
As the girl tried to remember the word her father glanced down at her and let out a hushed, “Pet.” which made her fall silent again. “You have to forgive her, she doesn’t know when to stop.”
Piper squirmed in his grip, and Nathan set her back down. The two girls ran off to play, and he just shook his head in amusement. “Kids. They make friends almost instantly,” he chuckled. “Probably a good thing. Piper’s gonna be at Sphinx starting next week. I’m supposed to be heading into town tomorrow to finish up the paperwork.”
A genuine smile rolled across Brent’s muzzle as he watched the two girls. “Friends are one thing Petra is never short on, even if they don’t want to be.” He looked back at Nathan as he said, “That is a good school system, worth the tuition. Both of our girls started there this year. We usually ride the buckboard in in the mornings. Gives me a chance to get things done in town. So you say your girlfriend is from around here?”
“Yes, Sir,” Nathan answered. “Attended the same school system, graduated from Chimera Prep and got her degree in pediatric nursing from UNHM. She just got hired on at Chimera as the school nurse. Her Daddy’s some kinda big shot politician ‘round these parts, from what I understand. Never met him, but that’s bound to change sooner or later. How about you?”
“Just my wife and girls here with me, the rest of the family is spread across the nation. One of the effects of being a military brat growing up, and joining the service myself.” Brent shifted slightly, almost like he was trying to piece together how to say something. “Melissa, my wife, is a psychologist. Works with children and trauma victims, in town. I’m just a disabled vet doing what I can to stay out of trouble.”
“Well, I reckon it’ll be a bit before I’m ready to get work here,” Nathan said. “Probably a month or so while I file the forms with the city and state and get my business up and running. Until then, I’ll be around most of the time, if you want some company.”
“A little company never hurts,” the mink replied. “The horses may be good listeners, but they’re shit for conversationalists.”
“Speaking of which, Petra says you rescue horses?” Nathan asked.
“Yeah,” Brent replied, “Easier to deal with than people. And I can’t stand to see how some of them suffer.”
“I can only imagine,” Nathan said, shaking his head. “Well, the reason I’m asking is we’re looking for a pony for Piper. It’d be nice for her to have a horse of her own when we go riding, and I like the idea of giving a good home to one that needs it and giving him or her a better life as opposed to just buying from a local breeder.”
“Well,” the mink said as he tilted his head in thought, “There is an auction in the next day or two. It’s an estate sale, so they should be in fair condition. They have two smaller breeds that I saw when I looked them over. Was actually kind of tempted to get one for Pet.”
“Does she ride yet?” Nathan asked. “We’re still trying to teach Piper, but I reckon it’ll be easier on a horse more her size.”
“She’s never been on one alone, no… Well not without me leading it. But she is well-versed on the basics and does a lot of the care for our tenants while they are with us.”
“That’s good to hear. She seems like she takes her responsibilities seriously,” the canine man nodded. “I only just received custody of Piper, so we’re still trying to get settled in. But if she sees Pet working so hard, some of that work ethic could rub off on her.”
Brent’s face forced a smile as he said, “It’s one of the best ways I’ve found to redirect her energy to something productive. She took to caring for the real horses better than and toys or dolls. I thinks it’s the fact that she gets real feedback and the reward of their trust and excitement in seeing her.”
“I can tell already that we’re going to be great neighbors,” the Australian Shepherd said. “Alright, I’m gonna head in and help my girlfriend get the house situated. Maybe we can get the families together sometime soon for a nice home-cooked dinner?”
He smiled as he said, “That would be nice. If Petra is too much of a bother, just send her back this way. I’m sure the girls can find as much trouble to get into on this side of the fence.”
“Sounds good,” Nathan said as he turned back towards the house. “Piper, you and Petra stay close to the house now, you hear? I haven’t had a chance to look over the whole property just yet.”
“Okay, Nafan,” the little pup replied.
“And Mister Fletcher?” he added. “Thanks for your service.”
“Thank you,” Brent said in reply. “Behave yourself and listen to Mister Shepard, Petra.” He then turned and walked back toward his own barn.
~~~~~
November 25, 2013 Marblecliff, NH
“Rest assured, Sphinx and the rest of the Mythic private school system employ only the highest-rated educators,” the ornate dragon said proudly from behind his desk. “Your sister might be a little behind now, but I can promise that she will get the individual attention she needs to get caught up. We also have a speech therapist on staff that rotates between our schools. She’s here on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
“My girlfriend went to school here, and graduated from Chimera,” Nathan replied. “She says nothing but wonderful things about your schools.”
Looking over at Piper, Headmaster Ballard asked, “So, young lady, would you like to see your classroom?”
“Yes!” the little Australian Shepherd girl squealed, bouncing excitedly in her armchair.
“All right, then,” he said as he stood up. “Let me just tell my assistant to send my calls to voicemail, and we’ll take a brief walk. If you would please, wait for me out in the hallway, and I’ll join you in just a moment.”
The pair walked out into the empty corridor and waited for a minute or so until Mr. Ballard came out of the office. “Sorry about that. Miss Perkins is still pretty new and is still in the process of learning a few things.”
“It’s no trouble at all, Sir,” Nathan replied politely. “We’re all new at some time or another.”
“Yes, indeed,” the reptile said, stopping outside of a classroom. With a gesture towards the door, he said, “Here we are. Room one-sixteen. Mrs. Ashbacher’s class.” With a soft knock on the door, the Headmaster caught the attention of the sable woman inside as she addressed the room of children. The woman excused herself, and waved for them to come inside.
“Hello, Mrs. Ashbacher,” Jason said as he lead the brother and sister into the classroom. Twenty-two sets of eyes were on them as they entered, but Nathan couldn’t help but notice Petra sitting at her table, practically leaning across a rather annoyed looking white skunk girl as she waved her paws excitedly. Piper began to walk over to see her friend, but he pulled her back with a gentle squeeze to her paw. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a new student to introduce to you. This here is Piper Shepard. She just moved here from Canada. And this is her older brother and her guardian, Nathan. Piper, this is Melinda Ashbacher, your teacher.”
“Hello, Piper, it’s very nice to meet you,” the teacher said as she knelt down and held out her paw to the cub.
Piper shyly accepted the gesture and gave the woman’s paw a gentle shake. “Hewwo, Missus Ashbokkah.”
“I’m excited to have you in my classroom. I promise you, you’ll make some great new friends while you are here.” Standing up, she repeated the greeting with Nathan. “Mr. Shepard, it’s very nice to meet you.”
“Ma’am,” he said, giving her a firm pawshake, “it’s nice to meet you, as well.”
Looking over at where the little mink girl was practically bouncing out of her chair, the sable woman asked, “I take it you’ve already met Petra Fletcher?”
“She’s our next-door neighbor,” the man said with a smile. “Those girls are like two peas in a pod. Is it alright if she goes on over and says hello?”
“Of course. Go on, Sweetie. I need to talk to your brother for a moment,” the woman said, and before she could finish her statement, the little girl was running full-speed towards her friend. Looking back at Nathan, she continued, “So, an older brother taking care of his little sister. That’s sweet, but generally has some type of tragic backstory. Since I’ll be taking care of her for eight hours a day, would you mind sharing with me so that I don’t say anything that bothers her?”
“I’m still kinda getting to know her myself, Ma’am,” he said. With a glance towards his sister and her new friend, he smiled when he saw the mink take her by the paw introduce her to everyone one the room. “She’s my half-sister, really. Our mama had me when she was young - real young - and she took off when I was seven. Never heard a lick from her since. Never met my dad, either, so our grandparents raised me up. Then, they both died within this past year. A couple of months later, a combination of Colorado and Canadian social workers show up at my door with Piper, all alone, lost and confused after our mama died.”
Melinda didn’t take her eyes away from the cubs as they walked around the room, Petra showing her all the art they had pinned up on the walls, but she softly replied, “You poor dears. All you two have is each other, huh?”
“No, ma’am. We also have my girlfriend, Valerie,” Nathan answered proudly. “She was my rock, and helped me get through losing Mama and Pappy. She grew up around these parts, and an old friend helped her get a job at Chimera Prep as the nurse. We packed up and moved here to be closer to her friends and family, and to make a fresh start.”
Just then, Petra came bounding up to them with Piper hot on her heels. “Mrs. Ashbacher, can we make paw turkeys we did last week? Piper didn’t get to make one and Thanksgiving is Thursday and it would be sad if she didn’t get to make one for Thanksgiving and she’s really good at art and stuff and it’ll be fun.”
“No, Sweetie. I’m sorry, but we have other lessons we need to do,” Melinda answered as she patted the little mink softly on the top of her head. “But if you want, maybe your dad and Mr. Shepard will let you show Piper how you do it over the break. How does that sound?”
“But,” the mink started to say, the look of disappointment painted all over her face. “Okay, Mrs. Ashbacher.” She turned and started to walk back to her desk as the slowest pace either of the adults had ever seen the girl move. Nathan thought he saw a brief flash of smug satisfaction cross the lips of the young skunk girl seated next to Petra.
“So, Piper’s first day won’t be until the end of the Thanksgiving break,” he explained as he turned his attention back to the teacher. “There’s no sense in having her here for two days and then giving her a long weekend. But is there any homework she should be working on in the meantime?”
“Hmm, yes,” the sable woman said as she returned to her desk. She opened one of the drawers and pulled out several sheets of paper, sorting them neatly and attaching a paper clip. “These worksheets should help me assess where Piper is in her education: where she excels, and where she may need some extra attention from me to help her catch up. Please don’t help her, as it might skew the results and hurt her in the long run.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, taking the offered stack of papers. “This will give her something to do while I get some work done around the house.” Holding out his paw, he said, “It was very nice to meet you, ma’am. Piper?”
“It was nice to meet you, Missus Ashbokkah,” the little cub said cutely, giving the woman a shy smile.
As she shook Nathan’s paw, Melinda looked down at Piper and said, “It was lovely to meet you both! I look forward to having you in my class, Piper. I hope you both have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I’ll see you on Monday. Bye!”
~~~~~
“You’re being very good so far, Piper,” he said as they got out of the truck. He took her paw into his as they walked towards City Hall. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but we’ll probably be here for a little bit. I really appreciate you being patient with me.”
“It’s okay, Nafan,” the pup smiled back at him. “I undastand this is impohtant.”
Just as they approached the automatic doors, a female bald eagle in an expensive looking gray skirt suit emerged carrying a plastic funnel and a rubber hose. “‘Ere, ya cen ‘ave dis. ‘Appy bertday,” she said quickly, shoving the hose into Nathan’s paws and the funnel into Piper’s. Before he could voice his protest, the strange avian woman was gone.
“It’s not my birfday,” the little girl said, sounding confused.
Nate could only shrug, equally unsure of what to make of what had just happened. “That was weird. Maybe someone inside can tell us what’s going on?” He opened up the main door to the old building and stepped inside. Looking around, he quickly spotted a French Bulldog stationed at the metal detector. “Excuse me, Sir. A strange woman stopped us out front and gave us these,” he explained, holding out the hose and funnel.
“Was she a bald eagle? Nicely dressed, funny accent?” the officer asked with a slight cock of his eyebrow.
“Yes, Sir,” Nate replied.
Speaking into his radio, the officer said, “Judy, it’s Bill. I have a guy down here that needs to report a probable two-one-one. Usual suspect. Over.”
“Ten-five,” a female voice responded with a soft chuckle. “I’ll have him down in a minute.”
“I reckon you’ve dealt with this woman before?” the Australian Shepherd asked.
“It’s about a once-per-week thing,” Bill grinned. “And always the same victim.”
A moment later, the lobby elevator opened and out stepped a well-dressed kestrel. He looked in their direction and smiled, straightening his tie as he approached. As he drew near, he held out his wing and spoke, “Thank you very much for your patience; I’m sorry for any inconvenience. Can you tell me what happened, Mister…?”
“Shepard. Nathan Shepard, and this is my sister, Piper,” the man said, taking the offered wing and giving it a polite shake. “I’m not really sure what happened, Sir. As soon as we got out of the truck, a strange eagle woman came up to us and gave us these. All she said was ‘Happy Birthday’ before she walked off.”
The kestrel just chuckled and shook his head.
“If you don’t mind me saying, Sir, but you and everyone else seem to be enjoying this,” Nathan said. “Is there something going on I should be aware of?”
“Let’s just say that you walked into the middle of a feud, and I’m the intermediary between the two parties,” the man explained. “It’s certainly kept things entertaining around here. Anyway, I’m sorry for the inconvenience that my colleagues have caused you. What brings you to City Hall today?”
“My sister and I are new in town,” the Australian Shepherd explained, “and I’m interested in starting a landscaping business once we get settled in. I wanted to look into the paperwork involved, and see if anyone could recommend where I should look for some office space.”
“You should look into the old warehouse district,” the man replied as he led the siblings through the building. “It’s not a bad part of town, just a little run-down, but you can get the property relatively cheap compared to other areas. Plus, it’s relatively convenient to the port, if you’re having exotic plants shipped in.”
“Are there a lot of other businesses there?” Nathan asked.
“Some, though not a whole lot. The area took a big hit in 2007 after the economy sank and a lot of businesses shut down. There’s a fair amount of graffiti in the area, mostly from the same kid, but I hear he hasn’t been active for a while now. I’m trying to revitalize the area, and convince some of the larger e-tailers to open distribution centers here in Marblecliff,” the kestrel stated as they stepped through a doorway into a busy office. “Excuse me for just a moment. I’ll grab the paperwork you’ll need.”
“Nafan,” Piper said as she tugged at the sleeve of his coat. “I’m hungwee.”
“Just a couple more minutes, Sugar, I promise. You want anything special?” he asked.
“Pizza!” the little pup said excitedly.
“I think we can manage that,” Nathan said with a little chuckle as he watched the feathered man let himself behind the counter and exchange a few words with one of the clerks in the back of the office. He returned a minute or so later with a small stack forms.
“Here you go, Mister Shepard,” the kestrel said as he held out the documents. “That should be everything you need to get your business up and running. I’m sorry again for the trouble my colleagues have caused you. Is there anything else I can help you with this afternoon?”
“No, Sir. You’ve been very helpful. Can I get your name?” the Australian Shepherd replied as he took the forms and held out his paw. “I’d like to speak to your supervisor and tell them how you helped.”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary,” the man said with a slight grin. “But it’s Steven Archer, if that helps you any in next year’s election.”
~~~~~
“Velcome to Blackfoot Custom Autos! How may I help you?” a pregnant Samoyed woman asked from behind the desk with a thick Soviet accent.
“Hello, ma’am,” Nathan said with a tip of his hat. “I just bought that F-250 out here, and I reckon I’ll be using it for both work and as my daily driver. The thing is, it’s a work truck, and ain’t designed to be very kid friendly.” With a smile and tilt of his head towards Piper, he continued, “This little one here tends to get riled up without any entertainment.”
“Of course,” the woman said with an understanding smile. “I raised two boys. Zhree, if you count my husband, so I understand. Vell, ve offer a variety of entertainment systems to help keep your daughter occupied, and our professional team can install vhatever you vant vizhout it looking out of place.”
“Nafan, I’m bored,” Piper complained, tugging gently on the edge of his sleeve.
“We’re just gonna be a little bit longer, Sugar,” he answered, mussing with her hair. “I’m talking to the lady about getting a TV in the truck for you.”
“Here,” a male voice came from their left. A younger canine, a mix of Samoyed and possibly wolf, emerged from the shop. He was holding a pair of toy motorcycles in his paws and gave them a friendly smile. “Why don’t we have a race while your dad and my mom talk? That is, if you don’t mind, Sir,” he added.
“Actually, she’s my sister, but yeah, that’s fine with me. Behave yourself for the nice man, Piper,” the Australian Shepherd said.
“Okay,” the young pup said excitedly, following the teen to the waiting area to sit and play.
“Zhat’s my oldest son, Derek,” the woman said proudly. “He’s zhe lead designer here.”
“Seems like he’s pretty good with kids,” Nathan nodded.
“Vell, he has a younger brozher, and a little sister on zhe vay,” the Samoyed said as she patted her stomach. “I zhink he’ll make an excellent fazher someday. Now, vhy don’t you tell me a little about your business, and I’ll have Derek come up vizh some ideas.”
“Well, I plan on running my own landscaping business,” he began, “so I’ll be using the truck to haul a lot of plants, soil and tools, plus tow a trailer with some of the heavier equipment.”
“Very nice,” the woman said as she began typing up notes on a laptop. “Ve’re all about supporting zhe small and local businesses here. How many employees do you plan on having?”
“Honestly, not that many to start,” Nathan explained. “For now, it’s just this truck, so three guys with me on-site, and maybe one or two office and sales clerks. I figure no more than ten, once I get a second truck.”
“If I may, I vould recommend letting us install wifi in your truck, zhat vay if you are on site and realize zhat you don’t have somezhing, you can get online and find it,” the Samoyed suggested.
“That sounds practical,” Nathan agreed.
“And my son can install a convertible laptop in zhe back of zhe passenger seat,” the woman said. When Nathan gave her a confused look, she explained, “Vhen you sister is in zhe truck, it vould be like a TV screen, so she can vatch movies.” She picked up the laptop she was working on and folded it so that it looked like a tablet. “And vhile it is plugged in to zhe seat, it vill be charging, so zhe battery doesn’t die.” She took the laptop again and opened it back up to a normal configuration. “And zhen on site, you vill have a vork computer for invoicing, billing, and ordering supplies. Ve can even install a printer and credit card reader.”
“Never thought of that,” the Australian Shepherd said, scratching his chin. He was a simple man, but he couldn’t argue that everything the woman was suggesting wouldn’t make his fledgling business seem more professional. “Okay, I like those ideas.”
“How about for zhe outside of zhe truck?” the Samoyed woman asked.
“Sorry, ma’am? I don’t quite follow,” he answered.
“Vell, vould you like a custom paint job? Ve can either apply zhe name of your business to zhe outside, or go vild and cover it vizh an all-over design,” she explained patiently. “Or, ve can simply have large magnets made vizh your company name and logo so zhat zhey aren’t permanent.”
“A simple design with the company name will be fine,” Nathan responded. “I don’t really like the idea of magnets since I’ve seen those fade over time, and don’t seem as professional.”
“Okay, is zhere anyzhing else you vould like?” she asked.
“No, ma’am,” Nathan answered. “As near as I can tell, you covered everything.”
“Okay, zhen. If you could, please tell my son to come here,” the woman requested.
He walked the short distance throughout the showroom to the waiting area. He was greeted by a pair of toy motorcycles rushing across the tiled floor towards him, with Piper chasing after them, giggling and laughing as she ran. “Nafan, watch!”
She scooped both toys up and took them back to where Derek sat on the floor. They each held one of the motorcycles and fed a plastic cord with a pull handle through a hole by the back tire.
“Weady? One, two, free!” the cub shouted, and they both pulled the cords out, causing the back tires to spin rapidly. The toy bikes were set back down and shot off across the floor again.
“That’s pretty neat,” he said to his baby sister. “But it’s about time for us to go. Why don’t you give Derek back the motorcycles, and we’ll get ready to leave here in a minute?”
“‘Kay,” she said, her shoulders slumped in disappointment.
“You go ahead and keep them,” the teen said. “I never use them anymore.”
“Wow!” Piper exclaimed.
“What do you say, Piper?” Nathan reminded her.
“Oh! Uhm, thank you, Dewek,” she said sweetly.
“You’re welcome, Cutie,” the Samoyed boy replied.
“Your ma wanted me to fetch you,” the Australian Shepherd said.
“Ok, thanks,” Derek answered.
Back at the desk, the woman at the counter looked at her son and explained, “Mister Shepard is interested in hiring us for a small job. Vhy don’t you get his VIN so you can do zhe zhree-d mockups?”
“Right. It’s that gray F-250, right?” The teen said as he walked toward the door.
“Tak,” she said with a nod. Once he was outside, she continued, “My son will prepare a zhree-d render using a model of your truck. Zhat is vhy he needs zhe VIN. Ve’ll send you a few proposals and zhe prices, and let you decide. How does zhat sound?”
“You’re the professionals,” he answered, holding out his paw, which she graciously accepted. After a brief shake, he added, “I look forward to your call.”
They walked out the door just as Derek was coming back inside.
“Bye, Dewek!” Piper said, waving at the teen boy.
“Bye, Cutie! Have fun with the motorcycles!” the Samoyed mix said. As he got back inside, Nathan heard him begin to ask, “What? You’re not gonna start on the grandkids again, are y-” before the door came to a close.
“Piper, I want to thank you for being so good today while we ran around all over the place, especially at City Hall,” he said, squeezing his sister’s paw gently. “I think you deserve a reward. What do you think about going to the toy store before we go and meet Miss Valerie’s parents?”
~~~~~
Nathan pulled the F-250 into the driveway of a large, very well-kept Colonial home, easily spotting it by Valerie’s Subaru Forester in the driveway. He had to admit, he had suspected that she came from money when they’d first met and she was driving that Lexus, but the BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the open garage together probably cost as much as the house he’d just purchased. He pulled into the driveway behind Val and stepped out of the truck.
Across the street stood a massive mansion, which was slightly disproportionate to the other houses around it. An otter stood piling debris in the back of an old, beat-up Chevy truck. Just as he seemed to be about finished, an eagle and older badger stepped out the main entrance and dumped a wheelbarrow of scraps down into the pile. Nathan couldn’t be sure, but the eagle reminded him of the woman at the courthouse. The otter stopped for a moment and looked across the street at Nathan and gave a nod and wave before he returned to his task.
“Hurry up and get inside,” a hushed voice called from inside the garage. Turning his head, he saw an older Dalmatian man peeking out the door that lead into the house. “Those guys are always up to something. Hurry up, before they decide to include you in their pranks.”
He gave the man a quick nod and opened up the back door to the truck, gently cradling a worn-out Piper in his arms. The little pup had her plush dragon, Estrid, tucked under one arm while clutching her newest toy, a stuffed griffin, to her chest. Shutting the door to the truck, he walked up to where Valerie’s father was waiting for them. “Ever since those Dark Riders moved in across the street, this whole block’s been nothing but trouble. I left my car out once, and in the morning it was on blocks. They nearly burned down the neighborhood just to have a party, not to mention the indecent flaming bags of…” he trailed off as he shook his fist in the general direction of the house across the street.
As he stepped inside, he looked at the Dalmatian man and asked, “Where can I set Piper down for a nap? She’s tuckered out after all the running around we’ve done today. It’s been pretty much non-stop since ten AM.”
“End of the hall, the door on the left, in Valerie’s old room,” his host whispered back. “We’re all out in the family room when you’re done.”
Nathan carried his baby sister to the specified room and nudged the door open with his boot. Stepping inside, he carried Piper to the bed and set her down gently. The little pup made a soft murmur and tossed slightly in her sleep as she attempted to get comfortable, clutching both of her plush toys to her small body. With his arms now empty, he took a moment to look at the room his girlfriend grew up in. The walls were white while the bedding and miscellaneous accents were soft pastel yellow and purple - Valerie’s favorite color combination. The furniture was made of solid wood, with a white-wash finish, and the bookcases were stocked with medical textbooks. Various academic awards adorned the walls while photos of friends and family sat in frames all around the room. He was even surprised to see a few cheerleading trophies.
Deciding he should join everyone else and let Piper nap, he stepped back out into the hallway, leaving the door wide open so that the little cub would be better able to hear his voice when she woke up. He couldn’t help but notice how immaculately clean the whole house was, but assumed that it would make sense since Valerie’s father was some kind of big-shot political figure. The family probably had to entertain guests quite often, and appearances probably mattered more than anything.
He found the family of Dalmatians gathered in what he guessed to be the family room. Valerie was curled up on a loveseat with her footpaws tucked up under her butt, while two other females, one older and one younger - Valerie’s mother and sister, he assumed - took up space on the couch, and her father was seated by himself in an armchair. As he entered the room, Valerie gave him a broad smile and patted the loveseat next to her.
The rest of the family turned to greet him. The older woman stood up and held out her paw. “Nathan, it’s lovely to meet you. I’m Claudia, Valerie’s mother.”
“Hello, Mrs. -” he began to say, taking her offered paw before she cut him short.
“Mrs. Nothing! You’re family,” she insisted. “Call me Claudia.”
“Okay, Claudia,” he said awkwardly, unaccustomed to referring to women he just met by their first names. “It’s nice to meet you as well... You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you,” the woman replied. He couldn’t escape the feeling as though she was undressing him with her eyes, but kept the notion to himself. Gesturing to her left, she indicated to her younger daughter. “This is Vanessa, Valerie’s sister.”
“Hey,” the teen muttered dismissively, her attention focused on filing her well-groomed claws.
“Hello, Vanessa,” Nathan said politely. Turning around, he looked at the family patron as he rose up from his chair.
“So you’re the young man that brought my baby girl back to the fold,” the Dalmatian man said, setting the newspaper down on the coffee table.
“Yes, sir,” Nathan answered, reaching out to offer his paw.
“You know she moved out to Colorado for a career in pediatric medicine,” the man said. “She deserves better than some school nurse job.”
“Daddy,” Valerie whined. “Not now.”
“It was her idea, sir,” Nathan said, lowering his paw back to his side after the friendly greeting wasn’t reciprocated. “Truth be told, we could afford for her to take time off from working while she established her own practice, but she insisted on taking this job until she gets things going here.”
“That’s my girl,” he said proudly, looking towards his daughter. “She’s determined to make her own name for herself, instead of riding the coattails of others” Looking back at the Australian Shepherd, he asked, “And what about you? What’s your plan? Are you going to sit back and relax on the hard-earned money of your relatives, or are you going to blaze your own path?”
Nathan could feel his hackles rising, but managed to maintain his composure. “I intend on starting my own business, sir. I went down to City Hall today and got the paperwork I need. I’m going to spend the next couple of weeks looking for some commercial space ideal for what I need.”
“And what type of business will this be?” the man asked.
“Landscaping, sir,” Nathan answered.
“You should see the work he does, Daddy,” Val spoke up from the couch. “Maybe he could redo the backyard -”
“I already have Jorge under contract,” her father said, cutting her short. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Shepard. Welcome to Marblecliff.” The tone of his voice told Nathan it was not a sincere sentiment, and was being spoken more so for appearance than anything.
“Thank you, Mr. Zaritzky,” he replied, turning around and sitting down next to his girlfriend. “It’s nice to be here.” He hated lying, so when he said ‘here,’ the Australian Shepherd referred to New Hampshire as a whole. He was actually quite ready to leave the Zaritzky household, but he wanted to be civil, for Valerie’s sake. Between the lascivious glances from his girlfriend’s mother and the condescending comments from her father, he made a mental note to himself to avoid returning, if at all possible.
