CHAPTER 3
It was after nine and Beth knew she shouldn't keep wandering around the streets of Seacouver
alone. She'd had a few tense moments when a couple of neighborhood punks paid her too much
attention, but thankfully a group of businessmen had chosen that moment to walk out of a nearby
pub and their presence diffused the situation. Still … it brought back bad memories … memories
of another dark night …
She had just decided to turn back towards her neighborhood when her telephone rang.
"Hello"
"Uhm yeah … are you still looking for that dog?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Have you seen him?" Beth replied excitedly. "Is he all right?"
"I'd say he was more than all right." The man replied and then Beth heard him hold the phone
away to call out to someone. "Hey Joe … I called the number on that flyer I told you about. This
lady seems pretty anxious to get that dog back. Want me to ask if there's a reward?"
Beth cringed when she heard the guy's remark. She had every intention of giving a token of her
appreciation to whoever found the dog, but she hadn't expected someone to ask.
"Don't be a jerk." She heard another man's voice coming near the phone. "Let me talk to her."
"Hi … sorry about that." Richie apologized. "Can you describe the dog?"
Beth sighed with relief. This person at least sounded concerned.
"He looks just like the photo on the flyer. It was taken last week." Beth began. "He is a very
large dalmation … big brown eyes … about 90 pounds … and his name is Barkley. … Are you
sure he's all right?"
Richie could hear how anxious she was from the tone of her voice. He could also tell she wasn't
from around here. Her voice had a very distinct southern accent …
He turned around and in a regular tone called the dog's name. "Hey Barkley"
The dog had been laying against the juke box, but when he heard his name his head was up like
a shot and his ears alert. It was obvious he'd heard that name before.
"I think we have a match." Richie reported.
"Thank God." Beth's voice was barely a whisper as she voiced her relief. "Where is he? Can I
come and get him now?"
"He's at a blues bar called Joe's … do you know where that is?"
Beth told him she didn't. "I'm in front of a place called Madigan's … it's on Waycover Ave. … can
you give me directions from there?"
"Yeah … but there are a couple of one way streets so you will have to drive a little out of the way
to get here."
"Actually I'm walking." Beth replied. "I was out looking for him."
Richie immediately realized this wasn't a good idea. She was on the edge of an area that was
pretty rough and it would get worse before she made it to Joe's part of town.
"You really shouldn't walk here. It's not safe." Richie warned her and then he got an idea. "Stay
where you are …I'll be there in about ten minutes."
Beth didn't have a chance to reply before the line went dead. A shiver ran through her as the
wind picked up and she wondered if she should really believe this guy … or let him meet her
there. Warily she moved closer to the entrance of the restaurant … in the light … in plain sight.
She decided if she didn't like what she saw when the guy arrived she would have a way to get
inside.
True to his word, Richie arrived with about a minute to spare. He slowed his cycle as he pulled
up in front of Madigan's and spotted a woman who was obviously waiting for someone …
He studied her as he found a place to park the bike on the curb and shut down the engine. She
appeared to be in her late 20's … or maybe early 30's … medium height, above average figure.
Her long dark hair was pulled back, but a few strands blew across her face as she realized he
was watching her. She was pretty … not gorgeous … just really pleasant. But the most
extraordinary thing about the woman was her eyes. They were very large and dark, surrounded
by thick, sooty lashes. And Judging from the anxious look in them … and the way she kept
checking her proximity to the door, she was very nervous.
Richie couldn't blame her, and he couldn't believe she was walking around alone like this. He
smiled as he took off his helmet and placed it on the bike, trying to make her feel less threatened
by his presence. "great …" he thought to himself. "This woman is already anxious and I show
up on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket … what was I thinking?"
He pulled the flyer out of his pocket, confirming before he had completely crossed the distance
between them that he was the one she was waiting on.
"Hi … I'm Richie Ryan." He began. "Are you the lady I spoke with on the phone about the dog?"
"Yes … Hi … I'm Beth … Beth Parker." Beth stumbled over her words as she tried to quickly size
Richie up. She hadn't expected the man on the other end of the phone to arrive on a motorcycle
… but his eyes looked sincere and his smile was easy. She cautiously reached out her hand and
immediately felt a bit calmer when he clasped it in his warm grip.
"So is Barkley ok? Does he look like he's eaten?" she asked, realizing only after she'd said it
that the way Barkley was built he could go without food for weeks before anyone would notice.
"Eaten? He's eaten plenty." Richie laughed. "at least since last night when he first found me …
before that I couldn't tell you."
"He wandered off just yesterday afternoon … "
"Then I'd say Barkley didn't know a moment of hunger." Richie grinned.
"Thank you so much for taking care of him. I can't believe he wandered off so far." Beth replied,
feeling a little more at ease as she watched his face brighten … she knew how much Barkley
could put away and how amusing it was to see. "Where did you find him?"
"At Joe's." Richie replied. "He slipped in behind me and made himself at home."
"Uh oh." Beth's nose wrinkled … worried that he'd made a nuisance of himself.
"He was fine … " Richie reassured her. "But I'm sure you will want to see that for yourself. Joe's
van was blocked in so I'm afraid this is all I had available …" he motioned to the bike.
Beth arched one eyebrow as her eyes moved to the bike. "I've never been on a motorcycle."
And she wasn't sure it was a good idea to make this a first. Richie seemed sincere … but …
"It will be fine." Richie said. "I'll take it slow and you can wear the helmet." He waited a second,
not wanting to push her. "Or … I could call a cab and you can follow me to Joe's. I probably
should have gotten one in the first place." He chastised himself for being impulsive and not
thinking how a woman might feel about getting on a bike with a perfect stranger.
Beth saw he was really trying to help her and released the deep breath she hadn't realized she
was holding. "No … no … don't be silly. Like I said … I haven't been on one of these before, but
I was raised on horses … so …who knows? It might be fun." She replied … the courage in her
voice betrayed only by the wary eye she was giving the seat of the bike.
Richie grinned. "Here … put this on." He handed her the helmet and then turned to get on the
bike himself. He just hoped no cops saw him riding without it … Wouldn't that be his luck? To be
ticketed for riding without a helmet while he was coming to the rescue of a beautiful woman.
Beth slid the helmet over her head and Richie could swear he heard her giggle.
"Something funny?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Yeah … I was just wondering how Power Rangers move in these things." They both laughed
and Richie realized she was no longer afraid of him.
She moved onto the back of the bike and tried to figure out how to stay on. This time it was
Richie's turn to laugh. "Just put your feet up on the bar and hold onto me … I promise I'll take it
easy."
Beth gingerly slid closer to him on the seat and moved her hands to his waist … She couldn't
believe she was doing this. It took only a few seconds for Richie to start the bike and pull away
from the curb. The movement of the bike was quicker than Beth had been prepared for … On
instinct her arms wrapped around his waist, holding on as tight as she could.
Richie smiled. He could feel her body trembling against his, and figured it was a combination of
the cool night air rushing past them and nerves. He took it easy … as promised, but he was sure
that if he could have seen her eyes after the last turn … they would be shut.
A few minutes later they were pulling up beside Joe's. Beth took off the helmet and handed it to
Richie as she slipped off the back of the bike. While he secured the bike and helmet, Beth tried
to make herself more presentable. She was sure her hair was a mess after the whole helmet
thing, so she untangled the scrunchie, flipped her head over and combed through the silky
strands with her fingertips before tossing her head back and letting her hair fall in soft waves over
her shoulders.
Richie turned just as she straightened back up and the site of that simple gesture made his
insides turn over. He grinned and led the way up the stairs and inside Joe's.
It was after nine and Beth knew she shouldn't keep wandering around the streets of Seacouver
alone. She'd had a few tense moments when a couple of neighborhood punks paid her too much
attention, but thankfully a group of businessmen had chosen that moment to walk out of a nearby
pub and their presence diffused the situation. Still … it brought back bad memories … memories
of another dark night …
She had just decided to turn back towards her neighborhood when her telephone rang.
"Hello"
"Uhm yeah … are you still looking for that dog?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Have you seen him?" Beth replied excitedly. "Is he all right?"
"I'd say he was more than all right." The man replied and then Beth heard him hold the phone
away to call out to someone. "Hey Joe … I called the number on that flyer I told you about. This
lady seems pretty anxious to get that dog back. Want me to ask if there's a reward?"
Beth cringed when she heard the guy's remark. She had every intention of giving a token of her
appreciation to whoever found the dog, but she hadn't expected someone to ask.
"Don't be a jerk." She heard another man's voice coming near the phone. "Let me talk to her."
"Hi … sorry about that." Richie apologized. "Can you describe the dog?"
Beth sighed with relief. This person at least sounded concerned.
"He looks just like the photo on the flyer. It was taken last week." Beth began. "He is a very
large dalmation … big brown eyes … about 90 pounds … and his name is Barkley. … Are you
sure he's all right?"
Richie could hear how anxious she was from the tone of her voice. He could also tell she wasn't
from around here. Her voice had a very distinct southern accent …
He turned around and in a regular tone called the dog's name. "Hey Barkley"
The dog had been laying against the juke box, but when he heard his name his head was up like
a shot and his ears alert. It was obvious he'd heard that name before.
"I think we have a match." Richie reported.
"Thank God." Beth's voice was barely a whisper as she voiced her relief. "Where is he? Can I
come and get him now?"
"He's at a blues bar called Joe's … do you know where that is?"
Beth told him she didn't. "I'm in front of a place called Madigan's … it's on Waycover Ave. … can
you give me directions from there?"
"Yeah … but there are a couple of one way streets so you will have to drive a little out of the way
to get here."
"Actually I'm walking." Beth replied. "I was out looking for him."
Richie immediately realized this wasn't a good idea. She was on the edge of an area that was
pretty rough and it would get worse before she made it to Joe's part of town.
"You really shouldn't walk here. It's not safe." Richie warned her and then he got an idea. "Stay
where you are …I'll be there in about ten minutes."
Beth didn't have a chance to reply before the line went dead. A shiver ran through her as the
wind picked up and she wondered if she should really believe this guy … or let him meet her
there. Warily she moved closer to the entrance of the restaurant … in the light … in plain sight.
She decided if she didn't like what she saw when the guy arrived she would have a way to get
inside.
True to his word, Richie arrived with about a minute to spare. He slowed his cycle as he pulled
up in front of Madigan's and spotted a woman who was obviously waiting for someone …
He studied her as he found a place to park the bike on the curb and shut down the engine. She
appeared to be in her late 20's … or maybe early 30's … medium height, above average figure.
Her long dark hair was pulled back, but a few strands blew across her face as she realized he
was watching her. She was pretty … not gorgeous … just really pleasant. But the most
extraordinary thing about the woman was her eyes. They were very large and dark, surrounded
by thick, sooty lashes. And Judging from the anxious look in them … and the way she kept
checking her proximity to the door, she was very nervous.
Richie couldn't blame her, and he couldn't believe she was walking around alone like this. He
smiled as he took off his helmet and placed it on the bike, trying to make her feel less threatened
by his presence. "great …" he thought to himself. "This woman is already anxious and I show
up on a motorcycle, wearing a leather jacket … what was I thinking?"
He pulled the flyer out of his pocket, confirming before he had completely crossed the distance
between them that he was the one she was waiting on.
"Hi … I'm Richie Ryan." He began. "Are you the lady I spoke with on the phone about the dog?"
"Yes … Hi … I'm Beth … Beth Parker." Beth stumbled over her words as she tried to quickly size
Richie up. She hadn't expected the man on the other end of the phone to arrive on a motorcycle
… but his eyes looked sincere and his smile was easy. She cautiously reached out her hand and
immediately felt a bit calmer when he clasped it in his warm grip.
"So is Barkley ok? Does he look like he's eaten?" she asked, realizing only after she'd said it
that the way Barkley was built he could go without food for weeks before anyone would notice.
"Eaten? He's eaten plenty." Richie laughed. "at least since last night when he first found me …
before that I couldn't tell you."
"He wandered off just yesterday afternoon … "
"Then I'd say Barkley didn't know a moment of hunger." Richie grinned.
"Thank you so much for taking care of him. I can't believe he wandered off so far." Beth replied,
feeling a little more at ease as she watched his face brighten … she knew how much Barkley
could put away and how amusing it was to see. "Where did you find him?"
"At Joe's." Richie replied. "He slipped in behind me and made himself at home."
"Uh oh." Beth's nose wrinkled … worried that he'd made a nuisance of himself.
"He was fine … " Richie reassured her. "But I'm sure you will want to see that for yourself. Joe's
van was blocked in so I'm afraid this is all I had available …" he motioned to the bike.
Beth arched one eyebrow as her eyes moved to the bike. "I've never been on a motorcycle."
And she wasn't sure it was a good idea to make this a first. Richie seemed sincere … but …
"It will be fine." Richie said. "I'll take it slow and you can wear the helmet." He waited a second,
not wanting to push her. "Or … I could call a cab and you can follow me to Joe's. I probably
should have gotten one in the first place." He chastised himself for being impulsive and not
thinking how a woman might feel about getting on a bike with a perfect stranger.
Beth saw he was really trying to help her and released the deep breath she hadn't realized she
was holding. "No … no … don't be silly. Like I said … I haven't been on one of these before, but
I was raised on horses … so …who knows? It might be fun." She replied … the courage in her
voice betrayed only by the wary eye she was giving the seat of the bike.
Richie grinned. "Here … put this on." He handed her the helmet and then turned to get on the
bike himself. He just hoped no cops saw him riding without it … Wouldn't that be his luck? To be
ticketed for riding without a helmet while he was coming to the rescue of a beautiful woman.
Beth slid the helmet over her head and Richie could swear he heard her giggle.
"Something funny?" he asked over his shoulder.
"Yeah … I was just wondering how Power Rangers move in these things." They both laughed
and Richie realized she was no longer afraid of him.
She moved onto the back of the bike and tried to figure out how to stay on. This time it was
Richie's turn to laugh. "Just put your feet up on the bar and hold onto me … I promise I'll take it
easy."
Beth gingerly slid closer to him on the seat and moved her hands to his waist … She couldn't
believe she was doing this. It took only a few seconds for Richie to start the bike and pull away
from the curb. The movement of the bike was quicker than Beth had been prepared for … On
instinct her arms wrapped around his waist, holding on as tight as she could.
Richie smiled. He could feel her body trembling against his, and figured it was a combination of
the cool night air rushing past them and nerves. He took it easy … as promised, but he was sure
that if he could have seen her eyes after the last turn … they would be shut.
A few minutes later they were pulling up beside Joe's. Beth took off the helmet and handed it to
Richie as she slipped off the back of the bike. While he secured the bike and helmet, Beth tried
to make herself more presentable. She was sure her hair was a mess after the whole helmet
thing, so she untangled the scrunchie, flipped her head over and combed through the silky
strands with her fingertips before tossing her head back and letting her hair fall in soft waves over
her shoulders.
Richie turned just as she straightened back up and the site of that simple gesture made his
insides turn over. He grinned and led the way up the stairs and inside Joe's.