Dog Gone Love

By Katherine Kendall

Lindy Martin's Live Long Lunches food truck serves the town of Rainbow Valley in the foothills of a vast national forest. Always at her side and sitting shotgun in the food truck is Lucky, her happy little cocker spaniel who charms her customers and one tall dark handsome German Shepherd name Teddy. When Lindy meets Teddy's owner, Max Brennen, on a path in the woods near sunset, her heart leaps in a tangle of nerves and her feet fall in a tangle of leashes.

Max Brennen is a successful businessman, a gifted salesman, and practically engaged to the beautiful and sophisticated April Showers. Every time Max runs into Lindy Martin, it seems she needs saving, but it is really Max who needs saving, at least that is the way Lindy sees it. Lindy is no competition for April despite Lindy's obvious infatuation. Realizing the hopelessness of unrequited love, Lindy turns to another man and finds herself caught up in a tangle much more dangerous than leashes. Will Max come to her rescue?

With lots of twists and turns, laughter and tears, this book will bring joy to your heart when you read how Lindy's steadfast faith shines a light into the lives of everyone who comes to know her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Katherine Kendall
• Release date: Aug 29, 2019

Katherine Kendall

I love writing about encounters with God in every day circumstances. He is always nearby even if we can't see or feel him, but on those special occasions when we do, there is nothing more life changing. I hope you enjoy this book.

Book preview

Dog Gone Love

Katherine Kendall

Copyright© 2019 Katherine Kendall

All Rights Reserved

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my daughter Megan who loves dogs as much as I do and who created the cover for this book.

I thank my son Max for helping me to edit the book, and my husband Ross who has been a life-long friend, lover, and soulmate. God has blessed me with these three so dear to my heart and another, Claire, my wonderful daughter-in-law. Most of all I give thanks to God who has shown His grace and mercy to me through His Son, Jesus Christ, throughout my life. He is the Good Father of us all.

I also thank you, my readers, since what is writer without readers? I have written another Christian contemporary romance, Refined by Fire, a third book for young people, Faith's Treasure, and a blog, God is Green, that includes many of the recipes I wrote about in Dog Gone Love. Look me up at https://kkendallblog.wordpress.com/

Chapter 1

Lindy Martin curled up on the sofa of her cozy intown apartment and opened the local news on her iPad. Immediately, she placed a protective hand on Lucky, a brown spaniel mix that she had rescued as a pup from the local humane society. This photo is going to bother me for the rest of the day. She shoved her iPad across the coffee table towards her housemate, Marianela, to show her the devastating photo. How can anyone treat dogs like that?

Marianela picked up the iPad and looked at the picture under the heading, ‘Dog Fighting Ring Suspected in Rainbow Valley.’ The picture showed a young dog with bites along his back and neck. The dog was found wandering in the woods by late summer hikers who called the police. Marianela shook her head at the disturbing photo, For money, of course. People buy and sell dogs trained to fight. You can make a lot of money selling vicious dogs. Then you can also bet on who wins.

The area where they found that dog is right near my parent’s lake house. I hope they find those people and put them in jail. Lindy took her iPad and read the rest of the local news website but could not shake the distress she felt over the photo of the injured dog. She flipped her long brown braid to the back and poked a finger at her thick glasses that slid down her nose as she read. Her light, breezy blouse and gym shorts felt cool in the heat of the late August afternoon but Lucky was panting.

Lindy took dog ownership seriously. She had wanted a dog all her life but her mom and dad, both doctors, had been too busy for a family dog. When Lindy moved out of the house into her own apartment, she went straight to the animal shelter and found the cutest cocker spaniel puppy given up that very day by a man who claimed the dog was untrainable. Lindy named her Lucky because she knew how lucky she had been to nab such a cute pup. A few months of kind words and yummy treats and the dog was acceptably housetrained. Lindy made all of Lucky’s dogfood from scratch, knowing that food was the way to her dog’s heart. Today, Lucky would enjoy beef barely and summer squash with a slice of watermelon for dessert. Lindy laid the iPad back on the table and went into the kitchen to fill Lucky's water bowl with fresh water and get started on her dog's dinner.

Lindy loved to cook. She received her culinary nutrition degree after high school and then worked her way into developing a personal lunch clientele. She prepared healthy lunches in the church kitchen in the early morning to deliver by noon that same day. A year into it and she was able to buy a refrigerated ice cream truck from a retired Good Humor executive. Marianela's boyfriend Roberto had rigged up a small stove in the back so she could sell warm food as well as cold. Lindy had the truck painted yellow with Lindy & Lucky’s Live Long Lunches written in orange block print, and a black silhouette of Lucky beneath. Lucky enjoyed Lindy’s skill in the kitchen by catching every morsel that fell to the floor as she prepared the healthy lunches. During deliveries, Lucky sat in the front seat of the truck greeting the customers who came for their meals. Everyone knew and loved Lucky. She was a sweet-tempered dog but shy of men for some reason, a lot like her owner.

After dinner, Lindy returned to the sofa and, with Lucky's appetite quenched, her dog curled up beside her. The sun stood low in the sky and turned the leaves on the trees outside her window to gold. A pleasant breeze began to blow through her living room. Their apartment was on the third level, as high as a treehouse with windows on both sides. Her housemate, Marianela, was one of the few single girlfriends she had left. They had decorated their apartment bohemian style with furnishings from World Market. The room was a cozy shade of orange with bright blue print curtains. They had a small sofa by the window where Lindy sat and two chairs opposite, one in which Marianela sat sipping coffee. Marianela had the iPad now and reading the article about the dog, she asked. Isn’t the national forest behind your lake house?

Yeah, the Smokey Mountains, for miles and miles. It starts on the other side of the lake. I remember Mom telling us never to walk too far into the woods because it is easy to get lost. Every summer someone does and the ranger puts on a big search for them. Criminals on the run will end up in those woods because it is so easy to hide if you know how to survive.

I know. Marianela shuddered. The town they lived in sat at the foot of the mountains, not far away. It always freaks me out when I see a wanted poster in town.

Me too. I’m glad we live on the third floor. Lucky stood up on the sofa and stretched downward dog style. You are ready for your walk, aren’t you girl? Her stubby tail wagged at the word ‘walk’ and she jumped up to give Lindy a kiss. Then she ran over to where her leash hung from a hook on the wall. I better go before it gets dark. Be back in thirty minutes, she told Marianela, hooking Lucky to the leash.

One of the great things about their apartment was that it backed into the woods with thirty miles of paved walking paths in and around the little town of Rainbow Valley. There were lots of other paths as well, dirt paths made from deer and access paths made by folks who lived nearby. Lindy had no idea where many of them led. With her poor eyesight, she tended to keep on the paved paths she knew.

On the path behind her house, Lucky began to tug on the leash and wag her tail. Up ahead Lindy could make out another dog heading their way. As soon as it approached, Lucky jumped and circled it, tying the leash around Lindy’s legs so that she couldn't move. The owner, a guy about her own age, had a dog the size of a small bear on his leash. She could just make out the ring-less left hand as it swung back and forth in front of her trying to control his dog. I'm all tangled up, Lindy smiled helplessly, in dogs!

His bear-sized dog playfully jumped at Lucky, wagging his tail and circling Lindy as he followed Lucky, tying Lindy with a second leash. Lindy's spaniel barked and leaped at the large dog with joy. They're crazy for each other, Lindy said.

Theodore. The large dog immediately calmed down and sat by his owner who unclipped the leash and freed it from around Lindy's legs.

Wow, that's impressive. Lindy fumbled with her own leash still wrapped around her legs. It was hard to see in the low light made more dim by the shady woods. She bent down to get a better look before stepping out of the tangle just as Lucky jumped, hitting her in the face and knocking off her glasses.

Oh, no! She dropped to her knees and blindly reached around on the ground to find them while forgetting about the leash which grew even tighter about her feet. Lucky licked her face. She looked up at the man and his giant dog. Was he grinning? Without her glasses, they looked like one and the same blended together, a large man-dog. Do you see my glasses?

The man began to laugh just a little, and then very much. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be laughing. He reached down and picked up her glasses which were in the middle of the path just beyond her reach. Here they are, all in one piece.

Lindy got up and smoothed her bangs out of her face. She felt as awkward and clumsy as a twelve-year-old girl. The man held her dog by the collar and unleashed Lucky, freeing the tightly wound strap from around Lindy's legs. Then he clamped the leash back on her dog and handed the other end of it to Lindy. When Lucky jumped playfully up to him, he held his hand above her eyes and Lucky sat as if on command.

Ever try contact lenses? he asked.

I’m wearing some, but I need to wear these too. She took the glasses from him and scooted them up her nose, knowing that the thick lenses made her eyes as large as the eyes on a fly. Nevertheless, relief flooded through her as she looked through them at the man in front of her, and what a handsome man he was. Her heart did a little leap of joy to see him so tan, blond, tall, and muscular standing in front of her with Lucky sitting quietly beside him. You must be a dog whisperer.

No, I bought my dog trained and the trainer showed me this trick. If you put your hand here above her, she can’t see and it makes the dog stop jumping. I bought Teddy to guard my house.

I adopted Lucky for love and affection. There was something about the use of the words 'bought' and 'guard' that made her think he might be a little domineering, not to mention the commanding voice he used. He wore an enchantingly spicy aftershave that smelled like an Arabian garden. Lindy had a strong sense of smell, probably to make up for her lack of sight, and her nose was doing a happy dance. She's my second set of eyes. What kind of dog is that?

He's a German shepherd.

Golly, he's beautiful.

His sire was a prize-winning show dog. He took first place in the herding dog group in the Oak Ridge American Kennel Club event. They bred him for show but Teddy is too tall for showing so I got a deal on him.

She blushed. Talking about breeding and sires made her thoughts leap into embarrassing territory. Lucky is a rescue dog.

The man nodded and turned to go. Was she boring him? Wait, she couldn't let him get away. My name is Lindy Martin.

My pleasure, ma'am. Max Brennen. He took her hand.

Lindy's hand felt small and beautiful in his large, strong grip. She smiled, sighing like a schoolgirl. Before she could collect her wits, Max had dropped her hand and continued down the path. Wait, disappointment making her call out impulsively one more time. Teddy, as in bear?

As in Roosevelt. Nice to meet you, he called to her.

And you. She watched wistfully as he and his well-trained dog disappeared down the path in the opposite direction. Lucky remained sitting obediently. My goodness, he's put you under the same trance. She tugged on the leash and Lucky came to life again.

After Lucky's walk, Lindy found Marianela watching TV while she worked on a 3D puzzle of the Bran Castle, a miniature of the Romanian national monument believed to be the inspiration for the story of Dracula. Lindy told her about her meeting with Max. Don’t you think it’s surprising that I, a single woman, met this ultra-good-looking single man and we both have dogs?

Everyone with a dog walks through the wooded paths. It's natural you would meet someone there. Marianela turned back to the TV.

Lindy shrugged. She had been praying that she would meet a handsome man who would fall in love with her. She’d started praying that prayer about three years ago when all her friends were getting married. Sometimes she prayed for him like he was a real person, asking God to give him a good day, or not to be tempted, or to know Jesus. In a way he was a real person, right? If a person had enough faith, he was real. Perhaps she was thinking with her heart and not her head. Marianela was right, people did walk their dogs on the paths all the time. Max had walked away from her, hadn't he? If he'd been as attracted to her as she was to him, he would have stayed to talk, maybe exchange numbers, or even set a meeting for their first date. He hadn't done any of those things. In fact, he had laughed at her clumsiness as people often did.

Marianela interrupted her thoughts, The remarkable thing about it is that in one short second after meeting someone you are gaga over him. Marianela laughed.

I’m not gaga. But why, why, why did I say Teddy as in bear? She put her hands over her face and dropped miserably into the living room chair. He must think I'm a six-year-old.

Of course, he doesn't, Marianela got up and went into the kitchen. Not if he was talking to you about breeding dogs.

Lindy followed, I blushed like a teenager. I'm so unsophisticated.

Marianela set out two cups for tea. Your heart and mind are guarded by the Holy Spirit, that’s why you blushed. Why do you think he is so sophisticated?

There was just something about him. He wore cologne, something very expensive. I would follow him anywhere smelling like that, and so would Lucky.

I know you know that just because someone smells like incense, it does not mean he is nice.

He called me ma'am.

That's what people call my mother.

I don't know, it made me feel very feminine. Lindy smiled. I've got to run into him again. Oh, I hope I do. What do you think my chances are?

Marianela glanced at Lindy's over-sized watch. Eight o'clock. That would make your chance encounter around 7:30?

Lindy nodded.

That's simple. Be out there every day, same place, same time. You're sure to run into him.

Really?

Undoubtedly. People are always on a schedule. Life is like that. He probably gets home from work and takes his dog for a walk every day at the same time.

Lindy had worked late that day and usually took Lucky for a walk at an earlier hour. She looked at the sky. Soon it'll be dark by then, she said thinking of how the days were growing shorter. Her eyesight was even worse at night. Do you really think he will walk the wooded path at night?

Time will tell, Marianela said, not promising anything which was wise of her because as the nights passed and Lindy walked through the woods each night at seven-thirty on the same path where she met him, she did not run into Max Brennen again. Although the one time she thought she might have seen him, he was far ahead and her eyes saw no details, only that it was a man and a dog. Lindy decided to quit walking at that time because it was too hard to see and too disappointing. Lindy was not very experienced with men. In fact, at twenty-three she had never gone on what she considered a real date with a serious boyfriend. Not one. Crushes seemed to wane as the years passed and her expectations diminished. She had recently faced the fact that she may never marry, may never have a family of her own, never have grandchildren, never have—oh, the list was endless. Max Brennen was the first crush she had since Henry Bench, a man she lost to a perky redheaded librarian who had gone to the same Bible study.

Lindy never thought of Max Brennen again until she spoke with Ruthie, a patron of her food truck. Ruthie worked for the FBI at a local branch office in Rainbow Valley’s business district located in one of the largest buildings in town. Evidently there was enough criminal activity in and around the National Forest to warrant a local FBI office. Ruthie had been Lindy's customer for the past six months. Like many hard-working men and women in the area, Ruthie spent all her time at the office and regularly ate her meals out or on the fly. That had been fine up to about age thirty-five when the pounds started adding up. Her sedentary lifestyle coupled with the calorie-laden fast food that she'd been feasting on most of her adult life had caught up with Ruthie. People like her were Lindy's bread and butter.

Today she'd made a veggie roll with a thick black bean spread, chopped raw spinach, broccoli sprouts, shredded carrots, cucumber, marinated mushrooms and guacamole. Lindy served it with a small bowl of tomato bisque made with almond milk and a Waldorf salad of apples, dates, and nuts for dessert—all neatly placed in a box. Lindy offered a variety of vegetarian food, but she also offered some animal protein dishes as well.

How’s your love life, Lindy? Ruthie paid for the lunch box.

What love life? You ask me that all the time and I always have the same answer.

It’s the woman that chooses the man, you know. Once a man knows you like him, he’s halfway to the aisle. A man just can’t resist a woman who likes him.

That’s not how it’s been in my case, Lindy handed out a lunch box to the man behind Ruthie. I did have a crush for a few days but I never saw him again.

Who was that? Maybe I know him.

Max Brennen. She could not even remember what he looked like. It’s been a couple weeks.

Ruthie encouraged her, At least you know his name.

Lindy shrugged, I’m surprised I remembered it. What good does it do anyway?

What good does it do you? A lot. For one, you can look up his address in the phone book.

I guess I could. I hadn't thought of that. It seemed a little intrusive.

Have you Googled him yet?

Well, no. I hadn't thought of that either. Really, he’s not that important.

Ruthie pointed to her phone. Nonsense. You had a little attraction going on. That doesn’t happen every day. Let's have a look, shall we? Ruthie seemingly felt no compunction about googling him.

What Lindy saw on Ruthie’s phone made her heart skip a beat. That's him!

Ruthie swallowed thickly. Wow.

I know,

Lindy's heart raced at the sight of his picture. She definitely had an attraction going on. Her mind immediately went straight back to her hand in his that day they first met when she introduced herself.

That is one handsome dude.

He's too good-looking for me, isn't he?

Ruthie shook her head. Don't be silly. You are a very pretty woman, as far as I can tell, at least.

Lindy wondered what she meant by 'at least'. She had brown hair, brown eyes, stood five-foot-five, and had perfectly normal, average looks, except for the glasses. Admittedly, Lindy considered her looks as nothing special. That must be what Ruthie meant by 'at least'.

Ruthie went on, You're educated, churched, and adequate in all the expected social graces. You don't smoke, you don't have any addictions going on, right?

Ah, right. Lindy was beginning to feel like one of Ruthie's FBI files. I'm just totally average in every way.

That's good Lindy. You're rare these days.

Lindy did not ask how being perfectly average could end up being rare.

Plus, you are both in the same business.

We are?

Yes, the food business. Says right here that he’s an executive at Cadray—they make food. They have an enormous warehouse at the edge of town. Cadray is a national corporation. They ship food everywhere, so he’s got a good job. And, he's a great tennis player, she said pointing to his picture catching him in action, his beautiful blond hair fanning out around his chiseled and tanned face. That is an old picture. It must be college.

How do you know?

I can see the name of the school in the background there, Ruthie pointed to a school emblem. That’s VT, Virginia Tech. Same school I went to. So, you see, you have something in common.

I didn’t go to college and I don't play tennis. At least, not on a level that anyone would identify as a tennis game.

It doesn't matter. You know tennis players. Like the tennis pro here, Doug Ledbetter. He grooms high school kids to qualify for tennis scholarships for goodness sakes.

Doug was one of Lindy’s customers. I guess that's true. He won a national tennis coach award just a few months ago. Do you think he knows Max Brennen?

Of course! Ruthie’s face lit up with success, as if her goal had been to find someone Lindy knew who also knew Max, I'll bet he knows a lot about Max Brennen.

He might well know a lot