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Hope threw her energy into preparing for the start of the school year, with a combination of nerves and excitement. Not just because it would get her out of the house, but she enjoyed learning. After only a brief conversation during that first dinner, it had been decided that she’d attend Los Gatos High School for twelfth grade and then San Jose State University the year after.
Early on in her relationship with her father, Hope had understood the importance of picking her battles. Since she had no objection to attending San Jose State, and since one high school in San Jose was the same as any other to her, it was easy to comply with her father’s wishes in this regard.
For her last year of high school, her father allowed her some latitude in the courses she chose—and what she studied was more important to her than the actual school she attended—but they had a full-blown argument over what her major would be in university the following year.
He had retained his cold detachment, and Hope suspected that his desire for an heir had been the driving force behind his insistence on having her live with him. She’d discovered from Priscilla that he’d never had any serious relationships after her mother. With no other children, he intended to groom her to join his technology company. But Hope’s interests lay elsewhere. She wanted to work with animals, in health sciences or research.
Hope put her father’s long-term goals for her out of her mind and concentrated on the here and now. It was no longer possible to go back to Canyon Creek after she turned eighteen, considering how she’d departed and how people felt about her—but he’d still have less control over her at that age. If they couldn’t come to some reasonable compromise regarding her education, she’d have to consider her options. When she talked it over with Aunt Clarissa during one of their periodic phone conversations, Clarissa agreed that Hope shouldn’t concern herself about her first year of university yet. A lot could change in the intervening months. Why worry about something that might not happen?
Hope applied herself at school, but it didn’t seem to matter how high her marks were or how much she tried to learn about her father’s business; she just couldn’t seem to please him.
Her phone calls with Aunt Clarissa were a source of comfort and support. But things had changed for Clarissa, too. She’d gotten a new job—a leadership position with a competing company—and had a boyfriend. Hope was happy for her. She knew Clarissa would always be there for her, but with the added management responsibilities and the new demands on her personal time, Hope accepted that their contact would be less frequent in the future.
At school, Hope kept to herself. She had no interest in making friends. She didn’t want to expose herself to heartache again with her future so uncertain.
With summer approaching once more, she wanted to do something productive with her time. She was offered a job at the pet store where she shopped for Einstein. Nothing fancy. She’d be stocking shelves, helping customers, doing some grooming and, best of all, they’d let her bring Einstein to work. She’d never had a job before and she was over-the-moon happy! But when she mentioned it to her father, he forbade her to accept the position. He declared it beneath her. If she wanted a job, she could work for him. Start learning about the business.
Hope turned down the job at the pet store. Her father’s resistance was just too great. She also declined the administrative position he offered her.
Priscilla came up with an idea that appealed to Hope and met with acceptance from her father. She volunteered at the local medical center to assist with the care of critically ill patients.
The passage of time might have dulled the pain, but Hope still missed her mother terribly. She knew that the upcoming one-year anniversary of her mother’s death would be a particularly bad day for her.
Other than when Hope was in school, the hours she spent at the medical center were the rare occasions she and Einstein were separated. She tried to schedule her hospital visits for when her father was away from home. She preferred to leave Einstein with Priscilla in the house, rather than with Morris in the garage, especially since his duties required him to be in and out all the time.
It didn’t always work out.
Hope received a call early one morning from the hospital, informing her that a regularly scheduled volunteer was unable to make his shift because of a family emergency. They needed her to fill in. She couldn’t say no, despite being aware that her father was working from home most of the day. He’d said something about having legal contracts to review and had an evening appointment after that.
Eager to get Einstein out of the house, she went looking for Morris. Unfortunately, he was running errands for her father, and he wasn’t due back until midafternoon.
She’d already made the commitment to the hospital, so she had to do it. Priscilla promised she’d watch Einstein and, above all, keep him out of her father’s way. She told Hope not to worry. After all, Einstein might be big and ungainly, but he was a sweet, affectionate dog and no trouble at all.
* * *
WHAT THEY HADN’T counted on was a dustup in the front yard shortly after lunch between one of the housekeeping staff and a gardener, and they were heading, shoving and shouting, right toward the side of the house overlooked by Mr. Wilson’s office window.
Noticing the altercation through the kitchen window, Priscilla gave Einstein a firm command to stay in the kitchen and rushed out the side door with the obvious intent of averting a disaster, and possibly two firings.
* * *
EINSTEIN WASN’T ACCUSTOMED to being on his own. His ears and tail drooped, and he pressed his big black nose against the glass insert of the door. He plopped down by the screen door, his huge sigh near-human, and his eyes tracked Priscilla as she hurried around the corner of the house. He waited...and waited...and waited. Finally deciding he was on his own and not liking it at all, he rose with another big sigh. Pulling his leash from the hook by the door, he grasped it in his mouth and sauntered off in search of someone who could take him outside, where all the action was.
Jock was in his office reviewing legal papers when Einstein stuck his head through the door. A quiet dog when he wanted to be, Einstein padded into the office and plunked down next to the chair, without Jock’s noticing. After sitting patiently for a few minutes, Einstein bumped Jock’s knee with his nose.
Jock shoved Einstein away. “What are you doing in here?” he asked gruffly, as he brushed at the damp spot Einstein’s nose had left on his trousers.
In response, Einstein raised one paw. His leash still clasped in his mouth, he thumped his tail expectantly.
“I don’t have time to take you for a walk, nor do I want you in here. Go get one of the help.”
Einstein whined, but taking Jock’s position as a “not now” rather than a “no,” he rolled onto his back, legs splayed.
Jock sent him a last dismissive look and turned his attention back to his document.
Not achieving the desired outcome, Einstein sat up again and crept a little closer to Jock. Getting no reaction, he dropped the leash and once more butted Jock’s knee.
“What the... If you insist on staying in here, be quiet and leave me alone to do my work. Just be thankful I haven’t thrown you out on your ear!” Jock flipped a page and reached for the glass of red wine he had on his desk. As he raised the glass to take a sip, Einstein nudged his elbow, more insistently this time. The glass tipped and burgundy liquid splashed on the desk, the papers and down the front of Jock’s shirt and tie.
Slamming the empty glass back on its coaster, Jock sprang up and dabbed at the spreading stain. “You!” He turned on the dog menacingly.
Not sure what he’d done wrong, but clearly appreciating that he was in trouble, Einstein cowered and backed away. “I’ve a mind to toss you out right now,” Jock raged at the trembling dog, as he yanked off his ruined tie.
Retreating as he was, Einstein smacked against the door, shutting it as he did. Jock was narrowing the gap between them, and Einstein no longer had the option of fleeing. He drew himself in as much as he could, trying to become invisible—an impossible feat for a dog his size. Jock shot out a hand toward the doorknob just above Einstein’s head. Fearing he was going to be struck, Einstein gave a sharp, terrified bark.
Jock pulled his hand back quickly, but his face was livid. “Threatening me, are you? We’ll see who comes out on top.” Moving swiftly, he looped his tie around Einstein’s neck, twisted to tighten it and tugged the dog forward so he could open the door. He dragged the petrified dog along the hall, down the stairs and through the front vestibule past a wide-eyed Priscilla.
She hurried after him. “Mr. Wilson, what are you doing?”
“Taking this mongrel to the pound, where he should’ve been taken in the first place.”
“You can’t do that,” she pleaded.
He threw her a contemptuous look. “Watch me.”
“What about Hope? She’ll be devastated! It’s my fault. I was supposed to be watching him. Please let me have him, and I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.”
“Too late for that. This dog...” He yanked the tie, making Einstein whimper. “He spilled my wine, growled at me, and I’m sure if I wasn’t quicker than he was, he would’ve taken a bite out of my hand, too.”
Priscilla cast her eyes to the cringing, pitiful Einstein. “Please leave him with me,” she implored. “I’ll take him to the pound if that’s what you really want.”
“We’re not going through that again. I can’t trust you to do it. I’m personally taking him and having him put down like the dangerous animal he is.”
“He’s not dangerous—”
“Quiet!” Jock roared. “You dare to question me?” He wagged the index finger of his free hand at her. “Another word from you, and you’ll be out on your ear, too.”
“But Hope...”
“My daughter is my business. You two have gotten too close for my liking. But that’s for later. Right now, this creature is going to the pound.” He hauled Einstein across the floor and out the door, banging it shut behind him.
CHAPTER SIX
PRISCILLA PACED ANXIOUSLY in front of the window of the upstairs sitting room. It had an unobstructed view of the driveway, so she’d know right away when Hope returned. Why didn’t that girl ever carry her mobile phone? But Priscilla knew the answer. She didn’t have many people she wanted to talk to. Priscilla had tried reaching Hope at the hospital, but they’d sent her on an errand and couldn’t reach her either.
Priscilla fretted that time was very much of the essence. She had no doubt that Mr. Wilson had taken Einstein to a pound and—true to his word—claimed him to be a threat and ordered him put down. By checking the last number dialed on his office phone, she’d identified the animal shelter Mr. Wilson had selected. She’d tried to call repeatedly, without success. If Hope wasn’t home soon, Priscilla would go there, even though she knew she’d lose her job if Mr. Wilson found out. She worried about how she’d support Molly if that happened, but she had to do what was right. What kind of role model would she be to her beloved little girl if she didn’t?
Just as Priscilla reached for the phone to call a taxi, Hope’s Audi rounded the curve. Priscilla dashed down the stairs and outside, grabbing Hope’s arms before she had a chance to get out of the car. “Something terrible has happened. Your father took Einstein—”
“Took him? Took him where?”
“He took Einstein to have him...put down.”
“What are you talking about?” Hope screamed, shrugging free of Priscilla’s hold. She was frantic. “Do you know where he took him?”
Priscilla reached in her pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. “Here. I wrote down their number, too. I’ve been calling and calling, but it goes to voice mail every time. I’ve left a few urgent messages.”
“Okay, keep trying. Call me on my cell if you reach someone.”
“You don’t have it with you.”
“Right.” Hope was about to run inside.
“No. Don’t waste time. Here.” Priscilla took her own phone out of her pocket and handed it to Hope.
* * *
HOPE GRABBED THE phone and jumped back in her car. Speeding down the driveway, she was thankful for the first time that her father had bought her the little Audi. She hardly slowed at the foot of the drive and screeched out onto the road, cutting off another vehicle. A long, loud horn blast followed.
Glancing at the slip of paper on which Priscilla had written the address of the shelter, Hope set her navigation system through voice command. It wasn’t that far, but rush-hour traffic was bound to slow her down.
Please don’t let me be too late. Please don’t let me be too late, she chanted. She would’ve shot through the changing lights if not for the person ahead of her, who stopped his vehicle when the light turned amber. She tapped the steering wheel impatiently. “Come on. Come on.” When the lights changed, she waited for oncoming traffic to clear and roared past the vehicle in front of her. An approaching van had to swerve to avoid colliding with her. Another horn blared just as she was pulling back into her own lane. Cutting it that close had scared her. She’d be no good to Einstein if she got in an accident while trying to get to him. She slowed her speed and prayed she’d get there in time.
When Hope finally reached the animal facility she was shaking uncontrollably. She leaped out of her vehicle and ran in through the front door. Not seeing anyone at the counter, she rushed around it and into the back, where she could hear animal noises. A tall, slender man was bent over a bag of kibble, measuring food into metal dishes. She called out to him and he straightened, surprise evident on his face. “You’re not allowed back here.”
Hope skidded to a stop, her eyes desperately searching the small, rusty cages around them, looking for Einstein. Not seeing him, she feared the worst. She grasped the man’s arms. “I’m sorry, but you have to help me,” she pleaded with dry, heaving sobs. “My dog was brought in here earlier today, to be put down. It’s a huge mistake. He’s not dangerous. He’s as gentle as they come. It was my father. He never liked him and I need to get him. My dog, I mean—not my father.”
“Whoa. Slow down, will you. I didn’t catch all of that, but we don’t have anyone here today who can euthanize animals.”
The relief that coursed through Hope was instantaneous. “Okay. Okay. So please show me where Einstein is, so I can take him home.”
“Einstein? The large black-and-white dog, looks mostly like a Lab?”
“Yes!” Hope almost cried with relief. “Please take me to him.”
“I’m afraid I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” She cried. “You have to.”
“No. No. I would if I could. I can’t. He’s not here.”
“Where is he?”
“I was just coming on shift when that dude dropped him off. He claimed the dog was vicious and unpredictable. Said the dog had tried to attack him.”
“That is such a lie! Einstein wouldn’t hurt a mouse. Where is he?”
“Nancy, the other staffer who was here, took him. I have to admit, he didn’t seem mean to either of us. He was more terrified than anything, if you ask me. Well, since we don’t have anyone here to euthanize animals, as I told you, and we’re at capacity right now, Nancy arranged for the city’s animal control department to pick him up.”
“No!” Hope shouted. “He’s not dangerous. Where did they take him?”
The man provided the address and directions.
“Phone them.” She pointed a finger at him as she sprinted to the front door. “Please call them and tell them not to do anything to Einstein. I’m on my way to get him.” She swung around just before she exited. Her voice turned hard and cold. “Tell them if they so much as harm a hair on him, I’m...I’m going to sue them for every penny they have.” That would be no consolation if she lost Einstein, and she realized she sounded very much like her father, but she didn’t know what else to say.
Her stomach was churning with nausea as she raced to get to the animal control facility. She didn’t bother to park in the lot, just left her car in front of the building. She dashed up the steps to the door and pushed. It didn’t budge. She tried again; it was definitely locked. That was when she noticed the sign. Fridays they closed at four. It was now approaching five. She rattled the door again and screamed in frustration.
Looking around, she saw a couple of cars parked behind the building. That meant there had to be people inside. She ran toward the back; peering through a window, she could see two people moving around. Hope banged on the glass with her fist, but they didn’t seem to hear her. She continued around the side of the building, until she got to a large fenced yard. Inside the enclosure, there was a back door. Without hesitation, she climbed the chain-link fence, dropped down on the other side and ran to the door.
This time her pounding got the occupants’ attention. The two women looked at the door, then at each other. The taller woman approached Hope. “We’re closed,” she yelled through the glass.
“I know, but it’s urgent!” Hope shouted back. “Please open up.”
“Come back tomorrow,” the woman advised.
“No!” Hope pummeled the door again with both fists. “Please don’t walk away. Please. You have my dog and there’s been a terrible mistake.” Tears were brimming in her eyes, blurring her vision.
The woman paused. “Which dog?”
Hope described Einstein. “You have to let me take him home,” she finished, sobbing. “He’s all I have. He’s everything to me.”
The woman glanced back at her companion, exchanged some words with her, and then Hope heard the lock disengage and the door opened. “Thank you,” she breathed. “Please tell me he’s all right.”
The other woman joined them where they were standing. “He’s fine,” she assured Hope. “He was next on our list, but we couldn’t believe he’d hurt anyone. He’s such a sweet boy. We were just discussing what we should do. He’s scared, but he’s fine.”
Hope threw her arms around the woman, tears coursing down her face. “Oh, thank you.” She hugged the other woman, too. “Please take me to him.”
Einstein might have been big, but when he was released from his cage, he crawled into Hope’s lap, licking every inch of her face and neck. She hugged him tight and buried her face in his fur. “You’re okay, pal. You’re okay,” she murmured, attempting to soothe him as much as herself.
When she finally stood up, Einstein plastered himself to the side of her leg like Velcro.
“We’re glad you got here in time.” One of the women trailed a hand along Einstein’s back. “We fell for the big guy.”
“Believe me, we don’t want to euthanize any animal,” the other woman added. “But look at this place. We’re out of room, as you can see, and we have more and more animals coming in. When they’re hurt or sick, we can’t tend them properly. The city just doesn’t provide enough funding for veterinary services for all the strays and injureds we get.”
“We wish there was more we could do,” the taller woman interjected as they walked through the kennel area to the front office. “But we just don’t have the resources or the facilities.”
Hope’s heart broke as she looked around at the sad-eyed cats and dogs, resigned because they’d been there too long, and the eager new arrivals, trying to catch her attention, begging her to free them from their small, dank cages.
“I can’t thank you enough,” Hope said as she signed the paperwork to claim Einstein.
“We’re happy to have you two reunited!” one of the women told her.
“Take care of each other.” The other woman waved goodbye.
Outside, Hope took Einstein for a walk, letting him stretch his legs and work off some of his nervous energy. She also needed the fresh air.
The relief she felt that the unimaginable hadn’t happened left her weak and a little dizzy. Now that Einstein was safely with her again, her anxiety was crowded out by an intense anger. How callous of her father to do what he did! Didn’t he appreciate what Einstein meant to her? He knew full well that Einstein wasn’t dangerous. Why hadn’t he waited until she got home so they could have worked things out?
Hope couldn’t take Einstein back to her father’s house, now that she’d seen what he was capable of. But where could they go?
Did it really matter? Anywhere was better than living with such a dreadful man. He obviously didn’t love her and never would. They simply coexisted beneath one roof...one very big roof!
She stopped suddenly. How could she have forgotten? Her birthday was next week! She would be eighteen years old. Legally an adult. That meant she could leave her father.
She let Einstein jump in the car and took her time driving home. She was no longer in a hurry, and she needed a chance to think. To figure things out. She didn’t have to worry about facing her father that evening, because he was staying overnight at the hotel after his business function. Small blessings, she thought. If she just packed up and left that night, she wondered if he’d do anything about it.
Yes, he would, she decided. She was no more than a possession to him, and he was greedy with his possessions. He would find her if for no other reason than to prove that he was in control. That he could.
By the time Hope reached the house, she had a plan. She pulled up to the garage rather than the front of the house. Even though she knew her father wasn’t home because he would’ve left for his evening engagement by now, she didn’t want to risk Einstein being seen. She didn’t trust all her father’s employees the way she did Priscilla and Morris. Not that the others were bad people; they were just fearful of her father.
She left Einstein in the car. He whined and pawed at the window, obviously not wanting to be separated from her again so soon. She spoke to him reassuringly, then climbed the stairs at the side of the garage. She knocked and was about to knock again when Morris opened the door. Sitting inside on his sofa was Priscilla. From the look of her flushed, puffy face, Hope surmised that she’d been crying.
Seeing her, Priscilla shoved the soggy tissue she held into her pocket and rushed over. “Did you find Einstein? Is he okay?”
Hope nodded. “He’s fine. He’s in my car. I’m sorry—I should’ve called,” she said regretfully.
“Oh, thank goodness you found him,” Priscilla exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Hope. “I’ve been worried sick. It’s all my fault. If anything had happened to him, I...I don’t know how you’d ever forgive me. I don’t know if I could’ve forgiven myself.” She withdrew the tissue from her pocket and blew her nose loudly.
Morris touched Priscilla’s shoulder. “Why don’t the two of you sit down. I’ll get Einstein. He shouldn’t stay cramped up in that little car, especially after what he’s been through.”
Hope smiled at him gratefully. A moment later, the door opened again, and Einstein scurried into the room. Hope noted that Morris still looked glum, and it didn’t seem to have anything to do with Einstein. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“You should tell her,” Morris said to Priscilla. “She needs to know.”
Priscilla stared intently at her hands. “It’s not something she should worry about.”
“It certainly is,” Morris replied with more heat than Hope had ever seen the stoic chauffeur exhibit.
“I’m sitting right here! Please don’t talk as if I am not. Tell me what?” Having already gone through the gamut of emotions, Hope felt her stomach tense once more. She slid her gaze from Morris to Priscilla.
Morris sat down and took Priscilla’s hand in his. “She needs to know, since you’ll both have to be careful.”