A Summer Love Chapter 7, by Pamela Tracy

Fifteen years ago, he hadn't been mature enough to fight for her.  He'd had too many doubts and wanted to make something of himself and then come back for her, a hero.

He'd been sent overseas and seldom made it home.  When he did managed to land on Summer Shore's soil, Jenny was always off somewhere.  First, she attended in college, graduating with honors.  Then,  she'd joined the Peace Corp and used her nursing skills in places where few nurses trod.  Last he'd heard, she was in Alaska working at a clinic in a rural area.

Looks like their dreams weren't all that different.  Too bad they couldn't have made something of themselves together.

Bending down, he rubbed his ankle.  The damaged ligaments had been reattached to the bone, and yes, the military doctors called him "good as new" but they'd not put him back into active duty.  He was good as new and a little  unstable - thus, his limp.

Truth was, Jake wanted to fulfill his twenty year commitment to the US of A.  To do that, he needed his ankle to fully heal, and the military doctors to verify that he was better than new.  One of his buddies had gone through the same type of injury and had shared the name of a specialty clinic up in Oregon.

But, Jake would need a good chunk of change for the therapy.  If he were the only owner of his childhood home and sold it, he'd be able to swing it.

Sitting back in the rocker on the wrap-around veranda, he stroked Ralph's furry head as he watched  Jenny shashaying up the walkway.  Why had she returned home?  Why hadn't she married? One thing for sure, she'd not changed a bit.

No, he had, and although his goal had been to come back a hero - for her - it looked like he might fail again.

I Blame it on the Dog

Pamela Tracy here.

A few weeks ago I wound up with some time between work (day job), soccer (ten year olds job), writing (early morning job) … well, the list could go on.  Let's just say I was coming off a seven book contract and taking a few weeks off before deciding what to do next.

Time off?

Free time.

What should I do?

Yes, we drove to another TOWN where I intended to adopt a midsize male puppy.
If you look closely, especially at the second photo, you'll notice that the paws on this
female puppy do not indicate midsize.

Her name is Lucy.  I'm pretty sure it's from the LEGO movie.  She is soooooo not what I intended to let my son choose.  She is sooooooo what we needed.

She likes to be around people and is very patience with my ten-year-old who has never had a dog before. 

It's been a learning curve.  My husband had one dog growing up.  It was giving to him by a family member who didn't ask his parents permission first.

Me, I grew up with dogs.  First with Chihuahuas and then with Shelties (my favorite breed) and after I moved away my parents raised pekinese. (Did I spell that correctly?"

When I was in college, I got a collie puppy.  Here's the truth.  I didn't give it the time it deserved.  I was going to school full-time, working full-time, and I had a boyfriend.  After two months, I gave the puppy to a good family.  It was the right thing to do.  But, I've always felt guilt.  This is why I think it's been thirty years since I've had a dog.

To my amazement, I am the one over the moon about Lucy.  Having a dog somehow completes us.  Not sure why.

According to Tyre the cat, having a dog does not complete us.  Having an only cat should have been enough.
Tyre is patiently waiting (on the bed where the puppy cannot reach him) for us to realize our error
and get rid of the dog.

  

I'm sure my next book will have a puppy, can't waste all this good research: potty training, buying the right bed, getting her to take the worm medicine, listening to my husband yell when there's a potty training fail, watching my son lay on the floor while the puppy jumps all over him.

Btw, Lucy is 1/4 German shepherd and 3/4 husky.

What animals do you have (and no, husbands don't count.