“No, sir. From up north.” Nodding toward Sierra, I added, “We’ve only been here a little while.”
He looked around and paused again. “It’s not what it used to be, but it’s still a pretty good place to live.”
“Yes, sir, it’s a beautiful spot.”
He sat down next to Sierra and affectionately patted her on the head for a couple of minutes.
“You like burgers, Johnny?”
“What?”
“You know, hamburgers—lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, and an all beef patty on a sesame seed bun.”
I was thinking he’d lost it, as he hummed the McDonald’s theme song.
“I think you’d like this place around the corner. It’s called Hodad’s, but it doesn’t have a sign out front or anything. You just got to know it’s there and be looking for it in the trees.” With one last affectionate fluff of Sierra’s head, he said good-bye. Before he continued on his walk, he added, “They even let dogs in.” Just as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone.
Funny how the universe works.
Just like the old man said, Hodad’s was tucked way back off a shady side street. Covered with vines and shrubs, it was half hidden by huge overhanging ficus trees. If you hadn’t been looking for it, you would’ve thought it was just another old beach cottage—one that housed a family with lots of friends. The worn, faded brick pathway leading to the open Dutch door was relatively well traveled. A mossy texture about its edges gave it a feeling and look that fit the place, neatly blending into the freshly mowed lawn. As you got closer to the house, the scent of cut grass gave way to even more powerful aromas. The fresh baked smells of old-fashioned home cooking wafted over to us and overwhelmed our senses like a spring morning.
“Come on in,” a warm voice called out from behind a bushel of flowing auburn hair. “The dog’s welcome, too, so long as you aren’t with the County.”
“Thanks,” I said, opening the door, holding out my arms, “no badges here.”
“Sit anywhere you’d like,” she added, gesturing to the wooden tables and chairs scattered around the room. “I’ll be with you in a minute.”
The place wasn’t crowded. Several old oak tables and captain’s chairs were vacant. We moved across the worn, uneven wooden planks to a small booth in the corner that looked out toward the street.
“I didn’t hear you drive up,” another friendly voice announced approaching the booth. I was still looking out across the front yard. “Lots of parking this time of the year. Just wait a few months, and you won’t be able to park within a mile of this place.”
I turned, and my breath caught in my throat. The face behind the voice was breathtaking. I had known a beautiful woman, much to my pain, but this one looked like an angel.
“I ride my bike in most of the time, anyway,” she continued.
I lapsed into speechlessness.
She continued to work her magic spell on the dog without seeming to notice I couldn’t speak. “Come here, baby, and give me a kiss.” Sierra didn’t need to be asked twice. “I bet you’re hungry, aren’t you, girl? You’re the cutest thing in the world.” More kisses. “Come on. Let’s see what we’ve got in back.” And with that, they both disappeared around a corner towards what I could only guess was the kitchen.
My heart was racing. I closed my eyes, glad to be alone. I had no idea what had just happened. We had made eye contact for only a split second, but in that moment I saw something in her eyes. Maybe it was the way she looked at me. I don’t know. But there was definitely something there. I slowly shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Relax, I told myself. What are you thinking? I had no idea, but my heart pounded in my ears. There was something about her. I picked up a menu and tried to focus on something else, but her image lingered on the pages between the hash browns and scrambled eggs.
“You in the mood for breakfast? You’ve been looking at that page for the past couple minutes. We’ve got great eggs. Raise the chickens out back. One hundred percent organic feed.”
I didn’t know what to say. I felt so stupid, staring at the face of an angel and not being able to form a sentence.
“Take all the time you need. Sierra’s in the backyard. We rustled her up a little something to munch on. Just let me know when you’re ready to order.”
“How did you, ah, know her name?” I finally managed to get out.
“It’s on her collar.”
I could only nod.
“I’m Jennifer,” the angel said, extending her delicate hand. “You must be Corey. Either that, or you’ve kidnapped one of the coolest dogs I’ve ever met.” Her charm was effervescent and cascaded effortlessly from her like a gentle waterfall.
Instinctively, I stood up and took her hand. Her touch sent chills down my spine. Our eyes locked. I was still speechless. Time stood still. Her eyes didn’t flinch but looked deeply into mine, searching without asking. And there it was again … dancing to the surface … that spirit inside her. I saw the smile in her eyes, and I melted. I have no idea how long we stood there, but eventually she placed her other hand on top of mine. I looked down as I felt her touch.
“How about I bring you some fresh OJ to start with?”
“Fine,” I heard myself answer from somewhere in the distance.
Jennifer held the half orange in her palm against the whirring juicer.
What was that all about? she thought to herself. She cut another orange in two and watched Corey from the pass-through to the dining room. Sierra’s friendly, that’s for sure, but she’s just a pup, and I’ve never met a Golden that wasn’t friendly. But still, good dogs come from loving owners.
On cue, Sierra came bounding in through the back door, running full speed through the kitchen, past Jennifer, directly toward my table. But on the hard wood floors, when she put on the brakes, all four legs went sprawling out from under her. If I hadn’t bent over in time to catch her, she would have crash-landed into my chair. But as it was, she was in my arms, all kisses and wiggles. Her tail wagged so hard her entire body was moving. Oblivious to the averted disaster, she acted as if she’d planned the entire sequence.
It’s a dog’s world, Jennifer continued thinking to herself, totally in the moment. Not a worry about what might have been, or what’s going to happen next … just happy she’s in his arms. He treats her right, that’s for sure, and she definitely loves him. They’re pretty cute together.
She juiced two more oranges and filled an old oversized jelly jar covered with hand painted hibiscus and palm fronds.
So what’s different about this one?
She picked up the glass.
One minute I’m walking into a restaurant, thinking about ordering a burger, and the next minute I can’t even say my name. I kept my attention focused on Sierra, for fear of another meltdown, as Jennifer brought over the orange juice.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure,” Jennifer said. Then, addressing Sierra, “When he’s ready to order, why don’t you just come and get me. What do you say, girl?”
I glanced up in time to see Jennifer smile as she turned away from the table. There was something about her.