No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

invited him to join them. His visits had been clockwork ever since with rare trips missed.

With the unnamed dog in the backpack along with cans of dog food, he returned to his bike and headed back up his mountain.

Chapter Four

“Come on. Let’s see who’s at the door,” Leo told the little dog he only called “girl”. She had not strayed from Leo’s house, nor his side for that matter since the day before when they returned from the store. So, he had allowed her inside and he imagined she slept on the couch. He didn’t know for sure once he closed his bedroom door.

Pulling the front door open, he came face to face with a woman. A woman so breathtaking, he only stared. Her chestnut hair framed perfect porcelain skin. Her hands were dainty as one held her sweater tightly in her grip and the other swatted strands away from her face. Even the worried look she had took nothing from her beauty.

“Hello, by any chance have you seen a small dog around?” she asked.

Before she could explain any further, the dog darted past Leo and into the woman’s arms as she dropped to her knees.

“I was so worried when you never came home last night,” she told the dog, hugging and stroking her long orange fur.

Glancing up to Leo, she rose still cradling the dog in her arms. “I hope she wasn’t much trouble. I was worried sick. It was so hard waiting till daylight to begin knocking on doors searching. Thank you so much for taking care of her.”

“Need to keep her inside.” His voice was deep and rough as he scolded the pretty woman.

“I do, but when she uses the doggie door, she finds some way to escape the yard that I haven’t found yet.”

Leo only grunted, watching the wiggling pile of fur in her hands.

“I’m Hanna. I’m staying at the house just up from yours.” Juggling the dog to one arm, she stretched the other toward Leo.

He only glanced at her offered hand before crossing his arms and speaking. “Didn’t know anyone bought that shack.”

Her smile was sweet when she answered. “I admit it’s much more run down than I expected. I inherited it, but I’m beginning to believe it’s a hopeless cause. Sorry if she has been bothering you. Mr.—”

“No mister. Just Leo,” he told her after a short hesitation.

“Thank you,” she said again and turned, carrying the dog with her up the driveway and disappearing over the hill.

Leo watched until she was out of sight. Pushing the door closed, he turned and moved straight to the kitchen, then picked up the dishes he had put down for the dog. He carried them to the sink where he stood washing them in silence. Finally, things will be normal. As long as that woman keeps her dog away.

And that is exactly what happened. The remainder of his day was a normal, quiet day. No one to talk to. No one to listen to. Just the way he liked it. Although it didn’t deter him from glancing toward the stairs occasionally as he unwound on the balcony that night.

Two days later as he nursed a beer before bedtime, his visitor returned. This time was a short visit. She ran to him and melted under his scratches as he held a one-sided conversation. Then she disappeared as fast as she had appeared.

Staring at the scattered lights flickering through the darkness, he debated if he should pay the woman a visit. He could mend the fence so she could keep her dog at home. He was convinced she wouldn’t make the repair herself even if she knew where it needed repairing. Nodding to himself, that’s what he decided to do as he pushed up from his chair and stepped into his house. Switching off all the lights, he closed himself up in his room.

For long minutes, he sat on the edge of his bed. With his hands dangling between his knees, he stared at the floor. An uneasiness had begun to settle in. Rarely did the darkness overcome him as he sat on the balcony at night. But as his mind was filled with the new neighbor tonight, it had raised its ugly head reminding him why he must avoid becoming friendly with her. Eventually exhaustion took over and Leo fell into his bed and slept.

Chapter Five

Leo was running as bullets whizzed past him. The haze was thick from smoke, but he continued to run into the gunfire. Almost there. He bolted awake. Jerking up from his pillow, he darted his focus around the dimly lit room. The closet door. The overstuffed chair tucked in the corner next to the bathroom door. The pale blue blanket he had kicked nearly to the floor. Finally, he sought out the picture frame sitting near the bed. He stared at the tender smile of the woman sitting next to the little boy. His breathing began to calm. His gaze then shifted to the tiny dog. Her coat was so soft and long and nearly as orange as the little boy’s hair who held him.

He loved that photo. It was the first photo of him and his mom after his dad left. No, he didn’t leave them. He took his life. He said he couldn’t handle the things in his head any longer and blew it out. He never understood that growing up. Not until he was grown and experienced things that he felt his dad had faced. Now he understood. Life was a daily struggle at times. His mother mourned the loss for so long until one day she brought home this puppy no bigger than a minute. That puppy gave her hope and purpose more than he could have imagined. It kept her from feeling so lonely anytime Leo was away. This photo, to him, represented strength and courage to move past the horror of life and live each day.

His mother had always