FIFTY-ONE
James lay in his bed. He missed his dog. He wished he was with Charlie. The thought of staying at Charlie’s for the night wouldn’t have worked. The place was too small and crowded. He thought about grabbing a beer from the fridge, but decided against it. He had to be up early for Charlie’s appointment with Dr. Benji.
His phone rang. He reached for it, expecting Charlie on the other end.
It wasn’t. “Hello, Frank.”
“Were you going to call me, or what?”
“I was, actually,” he said. He hadn’t forgotten. James just didn’t know how to make the call. “I’m sorry.”
“How is she?”
“Surgery went well. She seems great. The hospital already sent her home,” James explained.
“That’s great. It really is.”
“How’s Rigs?”
“We might have a problem there,” Frank said. “The dog hasn’t left my
