Tess had grown up with dogs but hadn’t lived with one since Eli was born—Matt was allergic, and after he left, it just never seemed the right time to add more responsibilities to her plate. But she loved animals and was, in her heart, a caretaker. Her heart swelled, thinking of this dog outside, braving the storm on its own. She found a bowl in the cabinet, filled it with water, and set it gently in front of the animal.
“You take a drink, now,” she said. “You must be thirsty.” But the dog didn’t budge. It laid its great head on its paws and closed its eyes.
It probably needs to get warm, Tess thought. She eyed the animal. No collar. Its white fur wasn’t terribly matted but could use a little love and care. She noticed a slight hint of auburn running along the length of its back. Its ears were pointy and pink inside, and its snout was long. It had the look of a malamute or white German shepherd or even a white wolf, but Tess couldn’t be sure. She put it at about one hundred pounds. It wasn’t malnourished but wasn’t exactly carrying any extra weight, either.
What to do now? Tess headed into the hallway to the phone alcove and dialed Jim and Jane’s number.
“Hi, Tess!” Jane chirped. “We were just listening to a program on public radio. Do you need anything for dinner? Still want us to come?”
“Yes, absolutely, I still want you to come! I’ve already got the stew on the stove. I’m calling about something else. I have a visitor. Maybe a houseguest.”
“Oh?” Jane asked. “Someone from out of town?”
Tess smiled. “I’m not exactly sure. It’s a dog that was scratching at my kitchen door. It was freezing cold and tired and is now curled up asleep in front of my fireplace in the kitchen.”
“Smart doggie. Anyone would want to curl up in front of that massive fireplace,” Jane said, and Tess could hear the smile in her voice.
“I’m just wondering if you or Jim know of anyone who has a dog like this one—stark white, about one hundred pounds. Sort of looks like a malamute or a shepherd.”
“That’s not ringing a bell with me, but let me ask Jim,” Jane said. “Honey, do you know of anyone with a big white dog? Like a malamute or shepherd? A stray dog came to Tess’s door.”
“Wyatt Templeton has malamutes, but as far as I know, none are all white.”
“You heard that?” Jane asked Tess.
“Yeah,” Tess said. “And nobody else comes to mind?”
“Hi, Tess.” It was Jim, apparently taking the phone from his wife. “So, you’ve got a lost soul on your hands?”
Tess glanced over at the sleeping dog. It was breathing deeply, seemingly thankful to be safe from the storm. “A beautiful dog, yes,” she said. “He showed up at my kitchen door. So, you don’t know of anyone who has a dog like this?”
Jim took a moment before he answered. “Not that I can think of,” he said. “But when we come for dinner, I’ll take a photo of him and put it on the message board in the store. If anyone’s missing this dog, we’ll hear about it.”
“Great,” Tess said. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Hey, you’ll need dog food,” Jim continued. “I’ll pop down to the store and grab a bag for you. A leash, too.”
Dog food! She hadn’t even thought of that. She wasn’t sure how long she’d have this shaggy visitor in her household, but he’d need some food while he was with her. If she had a dog that was lost in a storm, she’d want whoever found him to treat him with the same kindness and love.
“You’re an angel, Jim,” Tess said. “Thank you so much. For everything.”
“That’s what neighbors are for. I was planning to go down to the store anyway to check on things. Make sure the pipes aren’t frozen and all of that. It’s no trouble to grab a bag of dog food. What time do you want us?”
Tess eyed the clock on the stove. The stew needed to simmer for at least another ninety minutes. “How about four? An early dinner.”
“Perfect.”
CHAPTER FOUR
For the rest of the afternoon, Tess sat in the kitchen jotting down ideas for her owner’s suite renovations while the stew simmered, filling the room with a delicious aroma of onions, thyme, and beef broth. The dog slept deeply in front of the fire. Tess wondered how long he had been out in the storm, imagining the poor animal huddled under bushes or next to buildings for shelter from those punishing winds and icy shards. She hated to think of him out there.