Big Sky Dreams

Burke - Chapter 4

Most people knew that the best way to reach Burke was through email.  Hell, even snail mail was a more reliable method to contact him.  Which is why it had taken Burke two months to listen to his voicemails.  Most of the backlog had been spam calls, with a smattering of order notifications, but when he heard the voice of the woman he had seen in town, Vivian, everything in him stood at attention.  Checking the timestamp of the message, he was disappointed to see that so much time had passed.  But then the second message from earlier in the day had come through.  He didn't even care that she clearly had the wrong number.  Saving both of her messages while convincing himself that it wasn't creepy, he deleted all the rest before calling her back.

At the sound of Vivian's voice, he had to fight against becoming a tongue-tied mute.  He could barely remember what he said through the whole thing, but as the sound of her voice caressed over and through him, he knew that he would have to end the call quickly before he came across as something he wasn't.  He hoped that he had been at least somewhat polite as he sat there on his couch, body tense, breath sawing in and out like he had been out running.  It wasn't that Burke didn't know how to speak to women.  If he turned on the charm, they generally came in droves, attracted to his smile and broad shoulders.  But there was something about this one that made him feel like a nervous kid again.

Restless, he paced the room, his mind running on overdrive, energy zipping through him with no place to go.  But then he stopped.  Froze.  She was looking for a puppy or young dog, probably for her two kids.  And it just so happened he knew exactly where to go to find a puppy.

***

"Burke, man, good to see you.  I was surprised to get your text."  Burke shook hands with Hunter, one of the few neighbors that he could actually stand, as he got out of his truck.  "You should join us for poker night sometime."  Hunter slapped his shoulder before leading him over to the barn.

"Maybe." Burke ground out.  He knew Hunter and a few other single guys from town got together every few weekends to hang out and shoot the shit.  Hunter invited him every time, his friendly outgoing nature overlooking Burke's weirdness.  It helped that they had gone to school together, and that Hunter was somewhat aware of what Burke had been through.

"So, a dog. That's new." Hunter studied him with an appraising eye.  Burke just nodded while he thought of what to say.

"Good with kids.  Easy to train.  Loyal." Hunter didn't bat an eye at the short sentences, but his eyebrows shot up to his hairline at the mention of kids.

"Kids, what..?" He shook his head.  "Ok, dude, spill.  You don't have kids.  You don't interact with anyone who has kids.  What is going on?"

Burke took a deep breath and let it out, just like his therapist had coached him.  "Someone called me.  New in town.  She was looking for a puppy.  You have puppies."  His throat scratched, the old injuries acting up a bit, but he pushed past it.  "I know your puppies are good stock.  Good for kids."

Hunter nodded slowly, his eyes slightly narrowed as he watched Burke.  Burke tried to keep any emotion off his face, but he knew that he was turning a bit red.  Vivian had gotten under his skin and he had barely interacted with her.  But he wanted to get a puppy for her, for her kids.

"Ok, well, let's go take a look then.  I have a few older pups that haven't been claimed yet.  One of those would probably work."

***

Two hours later, after being climbed on and drooled all over by a small pack of playful puppies, Burke had decided on a male puppy.  This one was a Chocolate Lab Australian Shepherd mix that had displayed an eagerness to learn and patience with others, even when its siblings had been rolling all over the place.  He was currently sitting quietly in a box on the passenger seat looking out as the scenery went by.  Burke rumbled his approval as he scratched the pups head, earning himself a lick on the hand before he turned his attention back to the road.

The plan had originally been to just show up at Vivian's place with the puppy.  But then Burke decided that perhaps that was just a little too much.  He didn't want to scare her by just showing up, even though he was perfectly aware of where she lived now.  Hunter had filled him in a little once he got more of the story out of him.  There weren't any other single mothers with two kids who had moved to Moss Agate in the last year.  He was strangely pleased to find out that their properties abutted each other, his chest turning over uncomfortably every time he thought about how close she was.

The new plan was to call her as soon as he got home to tell her that he did, in fact, actually have a puppy for her.  But then his nerves got the better of him at the thought of trying to actually speak on the phone.  His throat twinged uncomfortably as he swallowed; the conversation at Hunters had been the most he had spoken out loud in longer than he could remember.

The final plan was to text her.  He was always a better conversationalist via text.  Not that he had many people to text with in the last few years.  But Hunter had insisted on giving Burke his number and managed to somehow wrangle a promise that Burke would attend the next poker night.  His therapist would be so proud.

Once they got home, Burke settled the puppy in a small pen in his living room and made sure that he had food, water, and a blanket to sleep on.  He was hoping the dog would let him know if he needed to go outside to do his business but resigned himself to cleaning up a mess.  After fussing around in the kitchen by putting dishes away, getting himself something to eat, fixing himself a strong drink, and wiping down the counters, Burke realized that he was just fidgeting and wasting time.  He was the only one holding him back.  So, with a deep breath, he typed out a message.

Me: Hey, are you still looking for a puppy?

His knee jiggled restlessly as he waited for her to respond back.  Almost an eternity later, she responded.

Vivian: Yes! Oh my gosh, I haven't been able to get to town today to look at the board again, so I am really glad you messaged me.  My kids are going to be so excited.

A grin broke out across his face as he snapped a few pictures of the puppy, choosing the best one to send to her.

Me: What do you think? My friend said he is an Aussiedor?  Apparently, this mix has its own official name.

Vivian: Yes, I am familiar with the breed.  I used to have one a long time ago.  He was a great dog.  Psychotic in the best way, super energetic, but a great dog.  I miss him.  This puppy has almost the same coloring as the one I used to have.

Me:  Well, he is all yours.  When would you like to take him?

Vivian: Well, I will need to go to town to get some supplies, first.  I learned real quick that the best way to house train a puppy is to use a dog crate.  So probably not tomorrow, but the day after?

Setting a day and time, they agreed that he would drop the puppy off at her place.  Excitement thrummed through him at the prospect of seeing her, followed by terror.  Burke could barely speak on a good day.  What was he going to do when he was face to face with her?