Brown to the Rescue
Jaxon, “I need help!”
Caller
ID says his wife is calling but all he
can hear is his one-year-old son screaming in the background. In panic
he
shouts into his cell phone, “Jessica, what happened to JJ, where are
you?”
“I
can’t find him. I’m standing in the road.
Baker’s gone!” (Shh-shhush, it’s okay honey, mommy’s fine.)
“What?
Who’s Baker?”
Near
tears, Jessica spews the details. “Jaxon,
I’m babysitting Hailey for Alyssa. Alyssa has a job interview today. I told you. Remember?
Baker is their dog. He
charged out the front door, almost knocked me over when I was leaving
to take
the kids to play group.” Jessica’s frenzied high-pitched voice fades in
and out
over the spotty cell phone service. “Jaxon, I can’t get Baker while I’m
carrying both babies in my arms. It’s not like I can LEAVE them in the
house. I can’t
leave the dog out. What
if something happens to him? Baker was their first child.”
“Jaxon,
I Need You!”
Racing
through the
How
many Saint Bernard/German Sheppard dogs can
be galloping down the road with long silky brown hair and a big grin on
their
face? It has to be Baker.
“BAKER!”
Recklessly
slamming on the brakes, screeching to
a halt, Jaxon cringes as packages precariously rock back and forth.
The
big o’l horse of a dog stops dead in his
tracks. He looks over at the man.
“Come
here boy, come here, it’s ok, I won’t hurt
you.” Slowly
approaching the dog with a
sandwich from his lunch, Jaxon tosses a bite to him. “Good catch Baker.
Want
another one? Come on you can do it.” Grabbing the greedy dog by the
scruff of
his neck, he hauls him into the panel van.
Proud
of himself, Jaxon slams the sliding door,
cranks up the truck and heads out while rubbing and patting Bakers
back. The
lovable dog’s huge wet muzzle rests on his leg.
Jaxon
can’t wait to see Jessica’s surprise. Oh,
he’s going to get a good dinner tonight and maybe even get-lucky.
His
cell phone rings as he’s rounding the corner.
It’s Jessica. “Hi babe.”
“Hi
honey, I found him. Baker was in the
neighbors’ backyard. We’re off to our play-date. Thanks honey. I know
you’re
soooo busy at Christmas time. I
Love
you. See you tonight. Bye.”
Warm
ham and mustard breath assaults Jaxon’s
nose as he squints down at the mangy mutt drooling all over his brown
uniform.
“So much for gettin’ lucky.”
