Pinups and Puppies Page 3

  “I’d be happy to whip something up for you if you ever need it. Or,” she said, smiling wider, “if you’re ever downtown on a Saturday, we have a booth at the farmers’ market. Organic dog treats, oils, eggs, soaps, fresh flowers. Whatever we’re experimenting with at the time.” There was no mistaking the invitation in her smile.

  Why not? I didn’t know anyone around here. I’d grown up on the move. Daddy’s last post had been at Travis Air Force Base in Vacaville, which is where I graduated from. Matt went to college in the nearby Bay Area and, after graduating, he’d stayed. We’d bought the house in Hayward because it was close enough to our parents, who’d decided to remain in Vacaville, and to Oakland, where Matt’s gallery was. If I was going to stay in the area permanently, it might be nice to have some friends. And Dinah sure seemed friendly.

  “Sounds good.” Smelled good, sounded good. Looked good. I’d definitely be visiting her booth.

  Dinah licked her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes. “Am I going to see you again? Transports, I mean,” she laughed, her cheeks going red. “That was a little forward. I meant will you be available for transports in the future?”

  Dinah was flirting with me. Truthfully, I was kind of thrilled and felt myself slipping back into that awkward space where I probably looked like Patrick from SpongeBob when he meets the undersea princess. It was also refreshing. My time in the service had been a series of covert missions to meet up with women. I’d been very careful.

  Or so I’d thought.

  “Yeah, I think so. This was fun.”

  I bent down once more and Prudence put her paw up to the crate door. “Take care, dear Prudence.” I put my finger up to the cage and Prudence licked it through the bars. It broke my heart to walk away, but I honestly didn’t know which end was up right now. It wasn’t the right time. And that just sucked.

  This is it. There was no more delaying the transfer of my precious cargo. I offered to carry the crate out to Dinah’s car and she thanked me. We exited the terminal doors and I followed her over to a light blue Subaru Crosstrek. Dinah popped the hatch, and I saw she had a dog area cordoned off in back with a couple of small crates.

  “Oh, here,” she said. “Let me transfer her so I can give you back your crate.”

  “Sure. The lady in Fresno, Billie, she let me take it. I should probably get my own if I’m going to keep this up.”

  Dinah smiled and took the leash from me. She clipped it onto Prudence’s collar and carefully lifted her out, setting her gently in the cargo area.

  “So you’re thinking about it?”

  I grinned. “I’m thinking about it.”

  “Great.” Her smile...it did...things to me. I couldn’t believe I was a grown-ass woman getting butterflies from her smile.

  Turning to look at Prudence sobered me. I might have been reading too much into the situation, but she seemed to be watching me as though she was waiting expectantly for me to take her home. Part of me said I should be.

  “Let’s get a look at these little puppies, shall we?”

  I swallowed back my sadness as I watched Dinah carefully lift the two pups out. “Awwww, look at you two,” she said in a voice full of wonder.

  She turned around and showed me the bundle. Inside were two tiny pups, no bigger than a handful each. They made little puppy squeaks and Prudence pranced over to supervise.

  “Don’t worry, little Mama. I’ve got just the thing.”

  Dinah opened one of the small crates and inside, she had several little fabric boxes. “These little dividers work perfectly with cloth diapers. That way, they’re snug as a bug when we take the corners in the car.” She placed the puppies together in one of the dividers and then carefully placed it into the back of the other crate, then she led Prudence inside to check out the arrangements. She folded up the blanket and put it back inside the borrowed crate, handing it to me.

  “If you ever want to check in on her, you’ve got my number,” Dinah said as she handed me the borrowed crate. “Thanks again, Marianne. It was great to meet you.”

  “You, too. See ya around.” Lame, Cross. Totally lame.

  Dinah held eye contact as I walked backwards toward my pickup. I waved before turning to unlock the door, my heart pounding.

  It was going to be a long week waiting for that farmers’ market and an excuse to see her again.

  Chapter Four

  Dinah texted me the next day, which set off a series of exchanges that made her all the more attractive to me.

  You had me a little flustered yesterday, and I forgot to take a picture of you with Prudence for our website. She says hi, by the way.

  She sent a picture of Prudence with her puppies, who looked a little more awake than they had yesterday.

  “Oh, my heart.”

  The little scruffy mama sat up proud as if to say, “These are my children and I will fight to the death to protect them!” She was such a tough little cookie. I wished I’d given in to my desire to pick her up and snuggle her in my arms, but I’d been trying not to get too attached.

  I showed Nell the picture. Big mistake.

  “She’s so cute! Auntie, how could you let her go?”

  I’d been asking myself the same question for the past twenty-four hours.

  “I know, but is it fair for me to adopt a dog now when I don’t know where I’m going to end up?”

  Nell rolled her eyes and went back to her homework.

  “What?”

  She slammed her pencil down. “Didn’t you always used to say, ‘where there’s a will, there’s a way?’ Because the way I see it, if you want something, you can make it happen.” She gave me a hurt look and picked up her pencil as if to say the conversation was over.

  Uh-uh. There was more going on here than the dog.

  “Nell, babe, what if I have to take a job away from here? Would that be fair?”

  “You don’t have to leave. There are jobs here. Grandpa said so.” She didn’t look up from her work, and her voice was barely above a whisper.

  I sat down next to her at the table where she was studying and rested my chin on her shoulder. “Even if I took a job here, babe, flying often means being away overnight. What would I do with her then?”

  She sat up and stared me down. “If you stay here, you have me,” she said. Her chin trembled as she spoke, and I recognized the look of fear.

  Nell had struggled with abandonment issues for a long time after Matt and Zack adopted her. She’d been in and out of foster homes for two years prior to her adoption as her mom struggled with addiction and mental health issues. She’d specifically had a hard time with my visits. For the first year, every time I left, she’d be a sobbing mess at home, and at school she’d end up in the office for starting trouble in class. Matt shared it all with me, and Nell and I had instituted our Sunday Night Skype sessions so wherever I was, we could talk. If I had to miss one, I’d give her notice and we’d catch up as soon as we could afterward.

  I hadn’t realized just how important I was to her, but when I did, I worked hard to assure her that she was just as important to me, too, and made sure to be there for her when she needed me. Like now.

  I opened my arms to Nell and she gave me a tentative hug at first, then once the tears started, she held on tighter.

  “I’m sorry,” I said and squeezed her.

  “I love having you here. I don’t want you to go away again.”

  I took a deep breath and realized my little existential crisis was affecting more than just me. “I don’t want to go away either. I promise, I’ll keep looking for something here, okay?”

  She took a couple of deep breaths and wiped her tears. I recognized it the moment her mood shifted from sad to crafty.

  “What about Prudence?”

  I put her in a headlock until she started squealing loud enough to bring Zack running in.

  “Man, you scared me. I thought Milo had finally had enough of your suffocating snuggles and was eating your face off.”


  “I’m just fighting back against her evil powers of persuasion here,” I said, letting her go and running away to escape retribution.

  “Daddy, tell her she needs to adopt that cute little mutt. Look—oooo wait, who’s this?”

  I snatched the phone away from her and looked. Dinah had sent another picture, this one with her holding the puppies up next to her face.

  “Wait! Is that the lady from Goth Dog? I think I’ve seen her with Tammy before. Damn, Auntie. She’s hot.”

  A wrestling match ensued between the three of us that only stopped when Matt came in and pulled us apart with the announcement of dinner. The Cross family never hesitated to run for the table at chow time.

  Thanks for the pictures. I really appreciate it. Please keep me posted. I miss that little mutt already.

  I’d made arrangements with Billie to bring her back the crate on Wednesday, but the weather wasn’t ideal for flying, so we postponed until after the storm blew through. The change in plans left my days open for contemplation, which failed to be productive.

  I took my easel and some paints out to the hangar, turned on my space heater and listened to SiriusXM 1st Wave while I set up a little art corner. The rain came down steadily and the pitter-patter sound of it hitting the metal building eased some of my stress. There in my little hideaway, I could forget about what I was supposed to be doing—starting a new life—and just be myself. I could paint, listen to my music, and commune with Siouxsie.

  I’d also brought a small bookcase and some periodicals and reference books to keep here, including a book Dad bought me with stories about people and their love affairs with their Cessnas. As I was setting the books on the shelf, a magazine slid out. I set down the stack I’d been working with and picked up the one that had fallen.

  A wave of warmth rolled through me, giving me a pleasurable jolt.

  It was a program from the Reno Air Races. Dad had given me a bunch of his old magazines to use for painting inspiration, and this one in particular provided a whole lot of it right now.

  The cover had two P-51s parked noses in—and standing between them, wearing a jumpsuit unzipped low enough to show a red and white polka dot top, was Dinah. She wore red high-top Chucks, her nails were painted deep red to match her lipstick, and her hair was styled just like a model from the 1940s.

  Inspiration indeed.

  I carried the magazine reverently over to my easel and swung the arm at the top to the side so I could clip the magazine there.

  An hour later, I had a rough sketch of the photo going when my phone buzzed.

  My friends’ band is playing tonight at the Bistro on B Street. Mostly ’90s stuff but they play a few of the older tunes if I ask nicely. Want to meet up?

  I’d been typing her an affirmative response when Dinah’s subsequent texts came through.

  Some friends from the shelter and Goth Dog will be there too.

  We’re having our board meeting right before.

  It seemed she was doing her best to not overtly ask me out, but the fact that she felt the need to explain herself made me a little giddy.

  Dinah had obviously been thinking of me.

  Sounds cool. What time?

  Totally nonchalant here. I looked from my phone to my easel and laughed. Yeah, I’d been thinking of her, too.

  Eight?

  I texted her that I’d be there and stood up to stretch my back. It was three o’clock. I had five hours. I thought about staying and painting more but my focus was interrupted. Now I had a million thoughts running through my mind that seemed of crucial importance:

  What should I wear?

  What were the other folks like?

  Was this a date?

  Was it just friends hanging out?

  What should I wear?

  I was so fidgety at dinner that night, Nell kept looking at me funny.

  “What?” I finally asked her.

  “What yourself? You’re the one shaking the table.”

  “I thought that was Milo scratching,” Matt said, looking under the table to find the dogs were not even in their usual spots waiting for scraps.

  “Nothing.” The more I protested, the redder my cheeks became. “Just antsy. I was going to run the trail today but it was raining too hard. Missed my workout, that’s all.”

  I hid behind my hair and shoveled in a bite of brown rice. It was too quiet. I looked up to find three pairs of eyes watching me curiously.

  “What?”

  Zack cleared his throat and Matt covered his mouth. Nell was the only one brave enough to speak because she knew she was my favorite.

  “You just seem a little anxious, Aunty Em. We may have a bet going.”

  “Excuse me,” Matt said as he picked up his dish and practically sprinted for the kitchen.

  “Get back here, traitor.”

  Matt backed his way into his seat and placed his plate down on the table carefully, refusing to let go, as though he could protect himself from harm with it.

  “Good. Now, what’s this bet about?”

  “Well, I simply think you’re antsy being stuck in the house,” Zack said, exaggerating his innocence. “But my dear husband and your beloved niece think you have a date.”

  I paused with my fork pointed at Matt. I tried to play it cool, realizing my own actions had betrayed me. “What makes you think that?”

  “You had clothes laid out on your bed when I came down to get you for dinner,” Nell offered.

  “You were playing Spandau Ballet when you pulled up, rather than that death metal you listen to now.”

  “It isn’t death metal. Ghost is really quite melodic. I mean, sure, they’re Satanic and all, but they sound like the old tunes. You should listen—”

  “You’re not denying it’s a date, Aunty Em.”

  I chewed on a cucumber long enough to come up with a good retort.

  “She’s not denying it,” Matt said, finally letting go of his plate. “Who is it? Someone from the airport? Someone from the grocery store?”

  Zack shouted, “I call the airport!”

  “The grocery store?” I laughed. “Why would you think that?”

  “Because that’s the only place you go lately besides the hangar. I’ve never seen someone buy so little at the store. Who the hell goes to the grocery store and only comes out with bean sprouts and a bottle of Windex?”

  “I was making stir fry and cleaning the kitchen, what of it?”

  I couldn’t hide my smile, though.

  “Who is it?”

  I got up from the table with my plate, figuring I’d keep them in suspense as long as possible. “Wait—who thought it was a date?”

  They all looked at each other.

  “Nell and Matt,” Zack offered.

  I rinsed my plate and turned to find the three of them in the doorway. “Well, it’s not a date, I don’t think, so you lost. Pay up.”

  Zack did a very ’80s victory dance. “Pay up, sucka!”

  “But I did get invited out to join a lady I met and some of her friends for a night of music.”

  A chorus of ooooos was heard from the doorway.

  “Okay, but was it at the grocery store or the airport?” Matt asked before handing over his cash to his husband.

  I thought about it. “Technically, it was through Pawsitive Flight, but I guess the airport is right, too.”

  Matt whooped and did his own little shimmy that didn’t look like anything any sane person would call dancing. My brother was a nut, and I loved him dearly, insanity notwithstanding. He was the best friend I’d ever had, the one I’d confided in throughout my military career, and the one who’d seen me through the clusterfuck that had ended it.

  I’d allow him his weird gyrations.

  “Hey, Mattie? I don’t suppose you’d want to go a little old school on me, would ya?”

  He rubbed his hands together excitedly. “Just what do you have in mind, little sister?”

  Chapter Five

  At approximately
8:15 p.m., I pulled into the municipal parking lot off Main Street and sat for a moment to center myself. I was sporting a fresh black dye job to cover my natural chestnut brown, and I’d even put on a little makeup, something I hadn’t bothered with in years. Matt had tried to encourage me to go full Siouxsie Sioux with the eyeliner, but I figured I’d ease my way back into the scene. I’d been contemplating getting my ears re-pierced, as well as my nose, and possibly even adding some visible tattoos. I may not have wanted to retire, but I figured I might as well take advantage of some of the freedoms civilian life offered.

  I hadn’t explored downtown Hayward much. The area appeared to be trying really hard to take back some of its character. The old buildings, for the most part, were in good shape, their brick fronts well maintained. Lots of people strolled along the sidewalks and every parking spot was filled. There were many empty storefronts, however. I passed a bustling brew pub, a movie theater, a candy store and a vintage clothing shop. Farther down, I found a bookstore with a cool Black History Month display, and the music store had jazz instruments and vinyl albums of all the jazz and blues greats throughout the 20th century.

  Hayward was a diverse town, and there was a little bit of everything on display here, even the promise of revitalization. Matt told me the farmers’ market on Saturdays was busy, and there were several themed street fairs in the spring and summer with Aztec dancers, mariachi, and even a blues festival. There was also a small historical society museum downtown that would make for an interesting outing.

  I hadn’t ventured out a whole lot, probably because I was still deciding whether or not to stay, but I knew enough to know that this was the kind of community I’d like to settle in. Checking out the area would help me make a decision, I knew that, so perhaps not going out had been my way of avoiding that decision.

  Great, just what I needed, a little self-actualization on my way to meet a gorgeous lady I found intriguing. My timing was impeccable.

  The Bistro was a small bar with about twenty tables inside and a few more out on the sidewalk, surrounded by a low iron fence. Space heaters were strategically placed. Thankfully the rain had let up two hours before, and the forecast looked promising for the next couple of days at least. I wanted to be able to get the crate back to Billie in Fresno...and maybe sign up for another transport. The more I did, the more of an informed decision I could make.