Page 3 of Ghost

“Go to hell,” I snarled. “You locked this dog in that truck with the windows up and left him there for two hours, you dumb jerk. He’s not yours any longer. You’re too stupid to take care of an animal.”

After my tirade, his cheeks went red with anger. “Gimme the dog.”

“F-you,” I hissed.

I wouldn’t give him the dog if he held a gun to my head. While I made plans to knee him in the balls and make a run for it, George stepped between us.

“If you take one step in our direction, I’ll pull off your arms and beat you with the bloody stubs,” George growled, puffing his massive chest as he spoke. “You’ve got two options. Hop in your truck and leave or get those skinny little arms of yours pulled off. I’ll let you pick which one.”

The man studied George, but not for long. Upon realizing it was a fight he simply couldn’t win, his shoulders slumped.

“That dog’s a dipshit anyway,” he muttered.

He stepped into the street and stomped toward his truck. As we walked past, George eyed the man over his shoulder. The thought of such a foolish person having control of an animal’s welfare had my blood boiling. I followed George toward the diner, glaring at the animal abuser the entire way.

As he got in his truck, he gave his parting comment under his breath.

“Asshole,” he murmured.

I flipped him the middle finger over my left shoulder while clutching the pup to my chest.

George glanced at the puppy and then at me. He brushed his palm along the edge of his freshly buzzed scalp and shook his head lightly before looking away.

“What?” I asked.

“You throw bricks like a girl.”

“Learn to throw a brick like a Boss,” I said with a laugh. “I’ll add that to my list.”

“The ever-growing list,” he said, flashing a slight smile.

“I’ll check one off today I never thought I’d get to,” I said.

“Which one is that?”

“Saving a life,” I said. “That only leaves six.”

“What are you going to do when you reach the end?” he asked.

It was a good question. At one point in time, my to-do list had over two hundred items on it. Somehow, I’d managed to accomplish all but six. Out of what remained, five would require nothing more than a little ingenuity and a sprinkle of effort on my part.

The sixth?

It was highly unlikely I’d ever achieve it.

“After the last one?” I cradled the pup in my arms. “You’ll probably never see me again.”

“What?” he gasped. “Why’s that?”

“Because,” I said. “I want to let that one consume me.”