In Memoriam - An AJR Fic (Everything Clicks - Book 2)

Dear Winter (Jack)

The dog stayed just out of reach, watching me suspiciously.

I sighed and started back down the alley toward my car. At least all of my anxiety was caused by only a dog. I was expecting much worse. I was expecting...well, it doesn't matter now. I was almost to the street when I heard a sound behind me. Almost like...footsteps? But not human ones. This was a different sound. My heart rate elevated again. I turned around to see the dog standing in the middle of the alleyway. She was following me. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"You have to stop scaring me like that," I joked.

The dog wagged her short tail.

I continued toward my car with the dog in tow. I had been wanting a dog for ages, and now it seemed one had found me in the most unexpected place. This was certainly interesting, to say the least. She clambered into the back of the car and laid down as comfortably as she could. She seemed much happier than she was in that alley. I was a little glad I decided to venture down there.

I merged back in with traffic and kept driving. Signs around us pointed to exits for the Lake Greyson Landing and Boat Rental, and I started getting ideas. I looked at the dog in the rearview mirror.

"You ever been to the lake around here?"

She stared back at me.

I moved into the turn lane and within minutes, we were at the lake. Despite the nice weather, it was quiet today. Only a few other cars sat in the lot. I opened the back door and let the dog out of the car. She sniffed the air intensely. I guessed she hadn't been to the lake. In the distance, I could see a small cabin-like shack. A sign on top read "Bo's Boat Rental". It looked like a light was on inside. Next to the shack sat rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and other types of water transportation. I wandered over, the dog following behind.

Inside the shack was a grizzly, outdoorsy-looking man, probably in his fifties. He sat looking at a notebook for a few moments until he noticed me.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Are you Bo?" I responded.

"That would be me," He leaned on the counter. "What can I do you for?"

"Um..." I looked out at the lake. There seemed to be cars and houses on the other side. "What's on the other side of the lake?"

"The other side?" Bo reiterated, glancing at where I was looking. "That's Fortuna, another town. Similar to this one but a little smaller. You're not from around here, I take it?"

I shook my head. "I'm only here by chance."

Next to me, the dog began crying. I gave her a little pat on the head.

"You got a dog?" Bo asked.

"I...I guess so," I shrugged. "I found her in an alleyway in town...she's probably hungry."

"...An alley, huh?"

Bo leaned over the counter and took a look at the dog. She whined and looked up at him longingly.

"Poor kid," Bo shuffled around in his office for a moment before placing a bowl of what looked to be dog food on the counter.

"I keep some kibble in here from when the wife and I used to come up here with our dog," Bo remarked. "We lost her a few months ago, but sometimes fishermen or people like yourself come along."

I scoffed in surprise as I took the bowl and placed it on the ground for the dog. "Thank you...and I'm sorry about your dog."

Bo shook his head. "It's in the past."