NEW YEAR'S DAY: A WELCOME CALL

It was long after dark when Jack finally rose stiffly from the hall floor. Bonnie stayed close at his heel as he went into the bedroom. Picking up the Beretta from the bed, he quickly removed the clip and ejected the cartridge from the chamber. Then he locked the gun and ammo in the steel box he kept in his closet. The key went into the top drawer of his dresser.

After that he sat on the bed, head hanging, exhausted. It was tempting to just lie down and sleep, but instead he eventually got up and went to the kitchen to make sure there was food and water for Bonnie. He let her out and then sat at the table as he waited for her to return. Feeling dazed and shaky, he laid his head down on his arms. When he heard her at the door, it took a couple of minutes to pull himself together enough to get up and let her in.

Wandering without any real purpose, he ended up in the living room and sat on the couch, grabbing the remote and switching on the television. It was set on the weather channel, and he turned the sound down very low and leaned back into the cushions, closing his eyes.

Bonnie whined and jumped up beside him, lying down and putting her head on his thigh. He let his hand fall to rest motionless on the back of her neck.

The ringing telephone woke him. For a moment, he didn't remember where he was, and he had no recollection of falling asleep. Beside him Bonnie stirred and yawned and settled again. He let his eyes close once more. The phone rang three more times before the answering machine picked up.

"Hi, Jack. It's Abby."

He opened his eyes at the sound of her voice.

"I'm just calling to say Happy New Year," she went on.

He struggled to sit upright and ran his hands over his face.

"It's a beautiful, clear night, so maybe you're out looking at the stars. Wish I was there with you."

What? He frowned. Her voice washed over him, but he wasn't able to hang on to all the words.

"I'm coming home in a few days. Probably Wednesday or Thursday. My Dad's doing well, my brothers have things under control here, and I need to get back to the clinic."

She was coming home. He got that much. With an effort, he got to his feet and headed unsteadily toward the kitchen where the phone was located.

"I guess that's about all I have to say. I'll give you a call when I get home. Okay." She hesitated a moment. "Bye... I miss you."

He made a lunge and grabbed the receiver. "Abby! Don't hang up..."

There was a brief pause before she replied. "Oh, Jack! You are there!"

"Mmm... Yeah. Hi. I was, um..."

"Were you sleeping? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"S'okay. Fell asleep on the couch. Gimme a sec." He cleared his throat. "Did I hear you say you're comin' home?"

"Yes. In just a few days."

He leaned on the counter, supporting himself on his elbows. "Mmm... okay. Tha's great... Sorry." He shook his head. "Can't seem to wake up..."

"Are you okay, Jack?" She sounded concerned. "Have you been drinking?"

"No. Haven't had anything to drink. Fell asleep on the couch..." He glanced at the clock—it was 9:35. "...an hour or so ago, I think. Let me get some water. Hang on." He dragged the phone over to the faucet, and filled a glass then moved toward a kitchen chair, but the cord was too short, so he sank to the floor in front of the sink, bringing the phone with him. He drank half the glass down, and took a deep breath. "Sorry, Abby. I was really tired when I fell asleep. It doesn't usually take me this long to wake up..."

"Are you sure you're okay? You seem... Is something wrong, Jack?"

He looked around the room. Bonnie had followed him into the kitchen, and lay on the floor in front of him. "I had kind of a rough afternoon," he admitted slowly. For the first time it occurred to him what he might have put Abby through if Bonnie hadn't intervened. She may even have been the first person to come to his house... The thought made him break out in cold sweat.

"You want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "No. Not right now. Not on the phone." Probably never. He struggled for something to change the subject. "So your dad is better?" The message she'd left was coming back to him.

"He's a lot better. The doctor said the break is healing very well, and he should be able to start rehab in just a few weeks."

"That's good news," Jack said. "How was the holiday with your folks?"

"It was great! Matt and Joe both came and brought their families! My nieces and nephews are growing so fast!"

"That's your two middle brothers, right?"

"Yes. Matt lives near San Francisco, and Joe's in Seattle. They each have two kids."

"How old are the kids?" Jack asked. Asking questions was easier—safer—than answering them.

"Matt's are five and three. Joe's are six and two and a half, I think. It was so much fun to watch them on Christmas morning!"

"I'll just bet it was."

"Oh, and Robby and his girlfriend Heike announced their engagement—so there's going to be a wedding in about eight months. I told you about Robby, didn't I? He and Heike met when they were in high school—she was an exchange student. They've been in touch ever since."

"Yeah. I remember. She's from Germany."

"That's right." There was a brief pause. "What have you been doing? Did you go anywhere for Christmas?" she asked.

"Not really. Went to a hockey game one night. When are you coming home?"

"Wednesday or Thursday. It depends on which day Alan can bring me down. He's pretty busy with Dad laid up." Jack knew that Alan was Abby's twin. He and Robby, the youngest brother, both lived on the ranch and worked with their father. "Or I might catch a bus if I can get into the city," she continued. She didn't own a car—in fact, she didn't drive. He'd been surprised when he found that out.

"How do you get around?" he'd asked.

She had laughed. "Buses. Taxis. Ever heard of public transportation? I also walk a lot. And I have a bike for good weather."

"Listen," he said to her now. "I have nothing better to do, why don't Bonnie and I come and get you?"

"Oh, I don't want to..."

"You're not inconveniencing me," he interrupted. "I want to see you," he added seriously. The way he was feeling today, he really needed to see her.

"I'd like to see you, too," she said softly. "Okay. Yes, come on up to the ranch. You'll like my folks. Dad will want to show off his horses. Maybe you can even stay overnight," she suggested. When all she heard then was silence on his end, she hurried on. "That's up to you, of course. If you'd rather not—it's not that far that we couldn't go back the same day..."

"Uh... yeah. That's..." He changed his mind mid-stream. "Hey, why not? It would be nice to meet your folks. I can bring a sleeping bag and crash on the floor somewhere."

"It's a Bed and Breakfast, Jack," she laughed. "There's plenty of beds. And the Holidays will be over, so it won't be all that busy."

"Okay. Sounds good. When should I come?"

"Most of our guests will be checking out Tuesday, and things will settle down. So... how about Thursday?"

"That's four days away," he said without thinking, then tried to cover his disappointment. "Sure. That'll be fine," he said cheerfully, then bit his lip as she remained quiet for a minute. Crap, her instincts were too damn good.

"It is four days, isn't it," she said, as if it hadn't occurred to her. "That's a long time. I don't think I want to wait that long to see you. Come Tuesday instead. It may be a little busy around here, but by noon it'll be calming down..."

"Abby..."

"Please, Jack?" She allowed a faint note of entreaty to color her voice. "It's been more than two weeks, and I've missed you," she admitted.

He closed his eyes and swallowed the lump in his throat. "I missed you, too," he said softly. "Okay, Tuesday it is. How do I get there?"

She gave him directions. "Take the Lunenburg exit off the highway," she concluded. "There's a sign there for Sheldon Lake Ranch. You can't miss it. The road winds up into the hills, but it's only about three miles. It takes an hour and a half or so from the Springs."

"Okay. I'll plan to be there around one? Does that work?"

"Anytime will be fine, Jack," she assured him.

"I'll be glad to pitch in if there's work that needs to be done," he offered after a silent moment.

"Oh, Alan can probably find something for you to do! That's if my dad doesn't snag you first. Do you know anything about horses?"

"Uh...four feet. They go neeeiiiigh."

She laughed. "Oh, my dad is going to love you!"

"Well I grew up in Minnesota," he defended himself. "They had cars there, even back then. And the Air Force has jet planes, y'know."

She was still laughing. "Did you ever ride?" she asked at last.

"A few times," he said more seriously. "It's been a while."

"It'll come back to you," she said confidently. "It's one of those things you don't forget. It's easy."

"Huh! My backside probably won't think so!" he griped. Then his voice softened. "But for you I'll give it a try."

xxxxx

A/N – Many thanks to everyone for reading and for commenting—especially to the guest reviewers!

AND... To the guest who thinks I may be pushing it with Bonnie's ability to think – You may be right! LOL! But I can only beg your indulgence! I grew up with Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, and Bullet – dogs that were heroes – intelligent, brave, true, loyal, loving, strong, etc, etc, etc. In other words, better companions than most people! I'm having a wonderful time writing about Bonnie. And no, she's not an ascended being—but that's an interesting thought. (Can dogs ascend? Hmmm... ) Thanks so much for your comments! I'm gratified that you found the chapter heartwarming. I hope you'll continue to enjoy the story.