Some time later, they were laughing, the mood in the van having been lifted by Peanut’s continued antics. It was like he was intentionally doing his best to banish the heaviness with his abounding cuteness.
“Good boy. You’re a good boy,” Nile said, reaching down to scratch Peanut’s ears. The dog leaned into the touch, his tail wagging furiously like a metronome stuck on “joyful.”
Nile glanced over at Ash, his grin widening. “Looks like he’s learned how to untie knots now. Next thing you know, he’ll be picking locks.”
Ash raised an eyebrow, leaning forward to join in scratching behind Peanut’s ears. “Well, aren’t you just full of surprises, Mr. Houdini,” she cooed, her tone playful. Peanut barked in response, his tail thumping even harder against the metal floor.
“Better get you home, shouldn’t we, boy?” Nile said, his voice warm.
Peanut’s tongue lolled out as if he understood, his grin impossibly wide. He bounded forward and placed his paws on the dashboard, his wet nose pressed against the glass. There he stayed for the rest of the ride, his eyes scanning the road ahead with rapt attention, as though his sole mission was to supervise Nile’s driving.
By the time they pulled up to Dom’s house, the sun had dipped below the horizon, painting the sky with streaks of fiery orange and soft lavender. The air held that unmistakable crispness of late winter, sharp enough to sting your lungs if you inhaled too quickly.
While the days were growing longer, spring was still a distant promise. The frost that lingered on lawns each morning hinted at several more weeks of chilly nights before warmer weather would coax the groundhog from his den.
For anyone from Wisconsin or another northern state, it was mild -balmy even- but for native Angelenos, it might as well have been Arctic. Ash pulled her coat a little tighter as she and Nile stepped out of the van, the night air cool against her cheeks.
They followed Peanut up the winding stone pathway that cut through the front yard. At the fork, Peanut took the lead, trotting confidently to the left toward the rear gate. Nile and Ash followed, their shoes crunching softly against the paving stones.
When they stepped into the backyard, Ash stopped in her tracks, her breath catching as her eyes took in the sight before her.
“Oh,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dom’s backyard was stunning. Subdued lighting tucked into the landscaping created a soft, golden glow that bathed the space in warmth. The gentle sound of a babbling stream meandered through the air, accompanied by the faint rustle of leaves swaying in the night breeze. Towering ferns framed the space, their fronds casting delicate shadows across the ground, and a series of stepping stones led to a small, inviting seating area nestled beneath a canopy of intertwined branches.
“It’s beautiful,” Ash said, turning to Nile, her expression filled with awe.
“Yeah,” Nile agreed, a smile tugging at his lips. “Jacque’s got a serious talent for this stuff. I had the same reaction the first time I saw it.”
“Go on, boy,” Nile called to Peanut, nodding toward the yard. “Have a good night -and stay out of trouble, would you?”
Peanut gave no indication of having heard, his attention already fixed on his food dishes. He bolted across the yard, his tail wagging like mad as he disappeared under the leafy canopy.
Nile and Ash stepped back through the gate, and Nile locked it securely behind them. He lingered for a moment, his hand resting on the latch as he frowned, scanning the yard.
“What is it?” Ash asked, pausing a few steps ahead. “Did you see something?”
“No,” Nile said, his brow furrowed in thought. “And that’s just the thing. How does he keep getting out of here? The wall’s way too high for him to jump, and there’s no debris he could use to climb. I know Dom locks the gate every time she leaves. It doesn’t make any sense.” And there’s been no alerts of other dogs escaping either, he thought.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He shook his head, a bemused expression crossing his face. “I’ll have to bring it up with her the next time I see her at school.”
Ash gave a thoughtful hum but didn’t press further. Instead, she shifted the conversation. “Speaking of seeing her, did you invite her to the masquerade party next Saturday night?”
“Oh, yeah,” Nile replied. “We talked about it. She said she’d be there.”
“Okay, great. I’m so excited,” Ash said, her smile brightening. “Maybe we’ll finally get a chance to hang out. She does know it’s at my house, right?”
“Of course,” Nile said with a chuckle. “Everyone at school knows it’s at your place. Where else would you throw a masquerade-themed housewarming party?”
Ash laughed, her cheeks flushing slightly. She leaned into Nile, slipping her arm through his as they walked back toward the van.
Neither noticed the pair of feline eyes glinting from the shadows, silently observing them. Charlie watched the couple until they disappeared down the street, her tail twitching with faint irritation.
With a graceful leap, she hopped down into the backyard, her paws landing soundlessly on the manicured grass. She moved with practiced ease, her sleek form blending with the shadows as she followed the sound of Peanut noisily tearing into his dinner.
“Ugh,” she muttered as she approached, wrinkling her nose in disdain. “Could you be any more barbaric?”
Peanut lifted his head mid-chomp, wet bits of meat clinging to his jowls. He gave her a low, warning growl before returning to his bowl with gusto, the metallic scrape of his teeth against the dish setting her fur on edge.
Charlie sat down, curling her tail neatly around her paws, and watched him with thinly veiled contempt. Within moments, Peanut polished off the last of his meal and sat back on his haunches, licking his chops to clean up every lingering morsel. He seemed thoroughly pleased with himself, a smug wag of his tail punctuating his satisfaction.
“Says you,” Peanut said, his voice gruff but playful. “I’ve seen you eating that canned fish paste Jacque spoils you with.” He gave her a frank look, and Charlie’s fur bristled in indignation.
She sniffed and turned her head away, her ears flicking dismissively. “I won’t dignify that with a response.”
“Yeah, sure.” Peanut grinned, his tongue lolling out in that infuriating way that made him look even more pleased with himself.
Charlie sighed, deciding to get straight to the point. “So, beast. What happened?” she demanded, licking her paw before running it over her ear in a calculated display of nonchalance.
Peanut’s grin grew wider as he started panting, his tail thumping lightly against the ground. “Well, the two of them got pretty hot and heavy-”
“You look ridiculous. Put your tongue away, you brute,” Charlie snapped, swatting at him with her paw.
Peanut obeyed -for a moment. He closed his mouth, swallowed, then let his tongue loll out again, this time accompanied by a cheeky doggy grin. “You should’ve seen them, though,” he said, his tone dripping with mischief.
“Get your mind out of the gutter,” Charlie growled, fixing him with a fierce glare. “You know what I’m asking about.” Her green eyes narrowed dangerously. “You and I both felt it. That rift. And you won the proverbial roll -probably cheated- yet, before I could argue, the next thing I knew, you were gone.”
Peanut’s ears flattened back, and he ducked his head slightly, his playful demeanor evaporating under her unyielding gaze.
“What happened to the rift?” she demanded.
“They handled it. Like I knew they would,” he said, his chest puffing up slightly with pride.
Charlie’s tail lashed once behind her. “Don’t play coy with me,” she said, her voice low and sharp. “Details, mutt. Now.”
Peanut hunkered down further, his ears nearly disappearing into his fur. “I got there after the rift had already opened, okay? By the time I showed up, they were gone. Just as I was about to jump in and go after them, they reappeared, and the rift was closed. I watched for a while to make sure nothing else tried to come through. Whatever they did, it ended it.” He finished with a huff, as though the memory itself left him frustrated.
Charlie’s gaze softened slightly as she considered his words. “Bravo, Nile,” she murmured, almost to herself.
Her sharp eyes flicked back to Peanut. “And how did they seem?” she asked, her voice taking on an edge of curiosity. “Nile and Dom, I mean. Surviving a rift encounter is no small feat, yet he seemed... unbothered.” She looked over in the direction Nile and Ash had gone. “In fact, he and Miss Fairchilde seemed rather -familiar- and unconcerned, for him having just survived a rift encounter-”
“That’s the thing,” Peanut said, hesitating. “I’m not sure why, but they didn’t seem to know what happened. I told you I arrived late, but not that late. Something didn’t add up.”
Charlie tilted her head, her whiskers twitching thoughtfully. She sat in silence, her tail curling and uncurling as she pieced together Peanut’s account.
“There’s something going on here,” she said finally, her tone clipped and decisive. “Something that needs investigating.”
Peanut opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get a word out, Charlie stood and stretched languidly, her movements elegant and deliberate.
“Alright, good job, mutt. I’ll take it from here. You’re on guard duty,” she said briskly, turning to leave.
“Wait-” Peanut began, but she didn’t give him a chance to finish. With a burst of speed, Charlie darted across the yard, leaping gracefully onto the fence before disappearing into the night.
Peanut huffed, settling onto his haunches. “Guard duty,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Figures.” But despite his grumbling, he turned his gaze to the yard, his ears pricked and alert, ready to keep watch.