Two days later Jack and Kathy pulled out of the garage and headed south. Anita had some personal business to attend to and promised to fly down the next day. Some hours later as they were passing Rocky Mount, NC, on I-95 South, Kathy said, “ Pull into the next rest stop and let Shadow stretch and me use the ladies’ room.”
Jack said, “Good idea. You made a good choice. This little wagon moves along nicely.”
Kathy laughed and punched a button on the display unit showing Jack had averaged 52 miles an hour. She said, “At this rate it will take us two days.”
Partially to amuse herself but more to encourage Jack to pick up the speed, Kathy had read portions of the operating manual aloud. However, Jack wasn’t interested in making time, he’d been trying to find an opening to ask her if she had anyone in her life but couldn’t find the right moment. Maybe while they were walking Shadow.
Jack slowed and eased into a parking space at a North Carolina rest stop. Shadow was glad to get out. It was easier for him to get in and out of the lower BMW wagon than the old Cherokee.
When they were ready to leave, Kathy held out her hand for the keys and said, “My turn.” By the time they merged onto I-95, she was cruising at 80 and adjusting her fuzz buster. After getting a feel for the traffic, she upped the speed to 90. Grinning at Jack, she said, “I really love to drive fast cars. It relaxes me. Now tell me about Shadow.”
Jack laughed, “There is a short answer and a long one. If you bear with me, I’ll give you the long one.”
“Good. I’m really interested. Give me the full treatment.”
“Okay. You asked for it. Shadow is a Bouvier. The breed was developed in Belgium and France as herding dogs and to pull small one-man carts loaded with produce, such as milk cans. Bouviers were heavily involved in both world wars and very nearly exterminated by the Germans. The U.K. and later the U.S. played a big role in bringing back the breed.
“Since then the dogs have been used as police dogs, herding dogs, personal assistance dogs and just plain pets. The Bouvier has always been enthusiastic about working alongside his owner. So a lot of what you see Shadow doing, he just does.
“He’s been through watchdog training, but I’ve not made a concentrated effort to train him. I believe beyond a few basic commands, overtraining can take the sense of freedom and spontaneity from the dog and fundamentally change the relationship. Shadow seems to know what I want from him and tries to give just that. I try to be aware of what he is communicating to me and act accordingly. In a sense we own each other. Shadow is incredibly stoic. In fact, the breed is known for that.
“One day while charging through a brush pile in hot pursuit of a squirrel, he ran a sharp end of a broken branch from a downed pine tree deep into his chest. Beyond a yelp and a gathering of his strength, he walked home with me. When I examined him more closely at home, I saw the deep hole in his chest. The vet said another half-inch to the left and the branch would have penetrated his heart. That’s why I’m sure Shadow will recover from his gunshot wound. He’s one tough guy. That’s the long answer.”
While Jack had been talking, Kathy was reading between the lines. Kathy liked the character she saw emerging. From her standpoint, Jack was telling her as much about himself as he was about Shadow. Here was a guy who didn’t even want to dominate or micro-manage his dog. He communicates better with his dog than most people do with their families.
Kathy became aware Jack had stopped talking and was looking at her and waiting for a response. She looked over and said, “That was not such a long answer, but I understand you and Shadow a lot better. I’ve some other questions. Some personal, if that’s okay.”
“It’s okay, if I get equal time. You go first.”
“A woman wonders when she meets an attractive man in his early thirties who is not in some sort of relationship with a woman. Did you give up on us girls after your divorce? Or is there someone nobody knows about out there?”
“Hey, you cut right to the chase don’t you? But fair enough. I’ve been separated for more than a year now and divorced for several months. People talk about friendly divorces, but mine was not. It was a nasty process. As much as I tried to keep things civil, it didn’t work. I wasn’t happy in the marriage but was trying to make it work. Marsha was the one who wanted out. She had grown up in a family with money and was quite comfortable financially before she married me. She resented having to live on my salary as a police officer in a large city.
“I wanted kids and she didn’t. She couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel and decided to leave me for a richer man. She never suspected my father was very wealthy. Like the rest of our marriage, the bedroom was not a happy place. I never strayed, but it was getting increasingly hard not to. So I didn’t fight the divorce. I ended up with Shadow, who disliked Marsha from day one, my books, our very modest house and all the bills.
“I may have given you too much information, but that is the story in condensed form.”
Kathy’s last question was about Jack’s love life. She laughed when Jack replied, “Love life! What is that?”
“Now, it is my turn. Tell me the Kathy Grayson story.”
***
Facts and Fictions 