Hannah paced, trying not to get her hopes up. She absentmindedly played with the dogs, wishing she could hear what Harry was saying through the window. He kept nodding, was that a good or bad sign? She didn’t know, it was making her nauseous.
Just because someone had seen their poster, it didn’t mean they knew who Basil was. Or who his family was either, for that matter. It just meant they had seen the poster. Heaps of people probably saw the posters, they had plastered them on every available space they could.
She knew the odds of finding Basil’s family were slim to none. He had been there for three months, probably long forgotten as having run away or perished. She shouldn’t get her hopes up.
The call seemed to last an interminable amount of time. Each second that passed by was like a dagger in her side, only serving to make her even more anxious. She wished and hoped and prayed it was the news they all wanted to hear.
Finally, Harry hung up and stepped back outside into the play area. Hannah stood, planted in place by her anxiety, and ignoring the puppies tugging at her skirt. She feared and needed the information he had. “Well?”
Harry stopped directly in front of her, his face betraying nothing of the news. “That call was about Basil.”
“I know, what did they say?”
The moments passed by, each one making her heart wrench tighter. She thought she just might have a heart attack.
Harry’s face twisted into an impossibly wide smile. “They said Basil belongs to them.”
“It was his family?” She didn’t believe she had heard right, it couldn’t be the news they were hoping for. Could it?
He nodded. In the elation of the news and without thinking, he swept Hannah into his arms and planted his lips on hers. Shock registered in her brain at the kiss before she let it go. His lips were so soft on hers, but so perfect too. She had never been kissed before and this was a wonderful first attempt.
She didn’t want to let go, she wanted to stay there in that moment forever – capture it like a photograph so she could remember it over and over again. The heat of his body so close was making her blush, but she didn’t want him to move away – not even an inch.
Finally, he let her go and wrapped his arms around to hug her instead. They stood there, amongst a dozen excited dogs, for longer than was polite.
When he eventually took his arms back, Hannah’s head was giddy with the whole thing. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say or do.
Using her tried and trusted method, she decided to ignore what just happened. She could analyze it later with Veronica. “Are they coming to get Basil?”
“They’re coming in this afternoon to pick him up.”
“We should get him ready then.” She waited until Harry nodded in agreement before herding the dogs back inside. They would get another run later on, right now they had a dog with a very important meeting.
Standing in front of Basil’s cage, they both looked at him like proud parents with a secret. Harry spoke first. “Basil, you’re going home.”
The dog looked unconvinced, he barely raised an eyelid to look at him. Undeterred, they took him from his cage and put him straight into the bathtub. He stood in the water like he was pretending he was elsewhere while they scrubbed, shampooed, and brushed him until he was dry again.
Completing the makeover, Hannah placed a red bow around his neck, determined he would look his best for the reunion.
“How’s he look?” She asked proudly. At the very least, he smelt a lot better than he did before. Now he smelt like cherries.
“Perfect,” Harry declared as he gave Basil the once over. He took his head between his hands. “It’s been a pleasure knowing you, boy. I hope you live a long and happy life with your family.”
“And don’t get out again,” Hannah added. “We don’t want to see you back here again. But I mean that in the nicest possible way.”
“He knows.” Harry grinned and released his head again.
As she hugged Basil for the last time, she was overcome with sadness. “I’m kind of sad to see him go.” She had spent countless hours trying to cheer him up, spending time with him so he would know he wasn’t alone in the world.
“I know, you get attached to them when they’re here for so long.”
She gave Basil a kiss and let him go, just as the bell rang from the front reception area. She looked at Harry and took a deep breath. “I guess this is it.”
“Hopefully.”
Cory appeared through the doorway. “Basil’s family is here.”
With one last pat, they guided Basil through to the front reception area of the shelter. He walked like he always did, with his head down and slowly. Even after his makeover he was still depressed.
Standing in the room wasn’t just the woman Harry spoke with on the telephone, but her husband and three children too. The five of them stood there anxiously awaiting, hoping Basil was indeed their missing family member.
The moment the door was opened, Basil sprung to life. He lifted his head and ran for the family, his tail wagging so fast it was at risk of falling off.
“Charlie!” They all called out in unison as the dog reached them. He was instantly enthralled in a round of hugs and kisses.
Hannah could feel tears welling in her eyes. She tried to blink them away but it was impossible. Basil was a completely different dog, he was happy for the first time since she had met him. He had found his family, he was whole again. She knew he wasn’t just a moping dog, she knew he was missing people and now he was reunited with them. It was too much not to cry.
She looked over just as Harry wiped at his own eyes. He tried to cover it, but she still saw. She slipped her hand into his, offering him some silent comfort.
“Thank you so much for finding Charlie,” the woman said, her eyes filled with tears too. “I really can’t thank you enough. We never thought we’d see him again.”
“How did he get away?” Cory asked, all business. She had seen too many reunions to be affected anymore.
“We went away for the weekend and left someone to housesit,” the woman explained while her kids were all over the dog. “They accidently left the door open and he took off. We looked everywhere for him but it was like he just vanished. We thought perhaps he was stolen. Where did you find him?”
“He was found in Rochedale Street and brought here three months ago.”
“That’s at least ten miles from our house. I can’t believe it’s been so long. We thought for sure something bad had happened to him. When I saw the poster, I didn’t want to get my hopes up and believe it could be him but I knew in my heart it was.”
“He’s certainly happy to see you,” Hannah commented. “He really missed you all.”
“I’d like to make a donation to your shelter,” the man said as he pulled out his check book. “We want to make sure you have the funds to look after many other dogs just like Charlie.”
“Donations are always accepted,” Cory smiled.
They said their final goodbyes before the family left. As they stepped out the door, Basil turned and gave them one last look – they could swear it was a smile. He wagged his tail and followed his family to the car.
Harry led Hannah back into the shelter, never letting go of her hand. It was his now, there was no way he was going to give it back.
She sighed. “I’m so glad I came through on my promise to Basil. Or, uh, Charlie.”
“I still think he looked like a Basil,” Harry joked, trying to lighten the mood. “But I guess Charlie was a good name too.”
“I guess we’d better get back to work. We’ve got a lot more to do.”
“What do you mean? We’ve done all our chores here for the day.” Harry looked around, trying to see what she saw.
Hannah grinned. “There are still a lot of homeless animals here. Which one are we going to find a home for next?”
He returned her smile, finally seeing it, the long row of cages. They did have a lot more work to do. But they had all summ
er, and each other. They could do it.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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[email protected] Jamie Campbell grew up in the New South Wales town of Port Macquarie as the youngest of six children. A qualified Chartered Accountant, she now resides on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Writing since she could hold a pencil, Jamie’s passion for storytelling and wild imagination were often a cause for concern with her school teachers. Now that imagination is used for good instead of mischief.
Visit www.jamiecampbell.com.au now for exclusive website only content.
Also by the Author:
A Hairy Tail
Cinderella is Evil
The Fairy Tales Retold Series
The Star Kissed Series
Ashes to Ashes
A World Without Angels
Angel’s Uprising
Gifted
Ignite
Unite
Divide
Conquer
Soar
Love Songs
Dark Eyes: Cursed
Celestial
Through a Tangled Woods
Trouble
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