Ch 14

"Help!" The flames were all around him. Smoke clouded his vision. "Help!" Dallas knew that voice. It was Johnny.

"Johnny, where are you."

"Dally, help!" Dallas rushed toward the voice coughing hard.

"I'm coming Johnnycake, hold on."

There was some rumbling and the roof caved in. Dallas dug his way out. He looked all around him. "Johnny, Johnny!" he called. He dug some more. He found him, Johnny. He was still as ice. His body was half charred. No breathing came. "Johnny, Johnny"

Beep, Beep, Beep!Dallas yawned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Darn Clock." he mumbled grabbing his crutches and heading downstairs. The first thing he noticed was that it was freezing; the second thing he noticed was that on the kitchen table was a larger breakfast then usual. There was bacon, eggs, toast, pancakes, biscuits, ham, muffins and sausage. There was even fried chicken.

"What's the occasion?" Dallas asked his aunt who sat on the corner drinking coffee. She smiled at him and hopped down.

"Happy birthday Dallas." His birthday, somehow he always managed to forget it was ever coming up. He was eighteen.

"So it is." George walked in covered in snow. "Bedded the animals down. Looks like you won't be having class today Carol. It's cold enough to freeze lava rock."

"I'll call the kids later. Besides if it's a snow day I'm sure they'll figure it out." Dallas smirked. He wasn't so wild about the brats his aunt had running around. He wasn't found of little kids. Not having them there was a great present.

"Sounds good to me." Dallas's aunt laughed.

"Does breakfast sound good too?"

"Yeha."

George cleared his throat loudly and looked straight at Dallas.

"I mean yes mame." he muttered.

"Good lets eat. I'll say the blessing." Carol said. They sat down. "Heavenly Father we thank you for the bountiful feast which we receive. I thank you for this young man we celebrate today and ask of you to bless his life and make it bountiful and full of cheer. AMEN!"

Dallas looked up. He rolled his eyes. His aunt could be so corny. Shrugging it off he poured maple syrup over his pancakes and took a bite. If he would ever say anything good of his aunt it would be that she was a great cook.

"Are you going to James's today? I'm sure he'll want to see you."

Dallas nodded. Except for all that religious fluff he tried to push, James was a pretty tuff guy.

'Well make sure to dress warmly and invite him for dinner. You can drive the truck. It's too cold to have Bullet out."

"Yeha okay," George eyed Dallas. "Yes mame." And they went to eating.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dallas knocked on James's front door. He shivered. It had gotten even colder. Soon James opened the door though. A wide smile appeared on his face. "Hello there Dallas. Come on in. I got a fire going."

With a relief Dallas stepped inside and allowed James to take his coat. They headed into the kitchen. James went over to the stove. "You want some cocoa?"

"Sure." Dallas said. It was chilly still and chocolate was one thing he never turned down. James fixed two cups and plopped down.

Dallas took a sip. "Ahh," he thought happily, "relief."

"Happy Birthday by the way."

"Thanks." James got up and went into the other room. He came back with a package wrapped in simple brown paper and handed it to Dallas. He opened it. Dallas immediately rolled his eyes. James had given him a bible, a bible.

"I know it's not exactly what you wanted but, well, you might find a use for it one of these days." James knew he wasn't winning the religious battle with Dallas but he hoped he would one day. "I have something else for you too. "

Dallas looked up. He followed James to the living room. In the basket there were three dogs but they looked more like wolfs. "They're part coyote. They're mother died and I got them last night. My guess is some dog got lose and had these little guys with her. Their mom was shot by some hunter. He found them yelping. They're only about five weeks old. I've got to feed them some milk and some solids every once in awhile I figure you might want to raise one. Dogs make great friends and truth is its going to be hard finding a part coyote a home."

As if on cue one of the dogs started to wine and the other joined in. "Food time. Want to help me?" Dallas nodded.

XXXX

After being fed the dogs quieted down for a nap. One had decided that the perfect spot was Dallas's lap. She just curled right up to him. Dallas tried to look exasperated with the pup but couldn't. "Well looks like this pup chose you."

Dallas shrugged petting the pup's reddish-grey fur. "Guess so."

"It will be good for you to take care of her. Usually pups don't leave their mother until weight weeks old but five weeks it will have to be. Besides raise a dog from a pup and it is the most loyal thing you'll ever meet. Your mom had this dog, Skipper, from the time she was six to right before she left here and he loved her. That dog followed her around everywhere she went."

Dallas laughed. He could imagine that.