It was a typical Tuesday at the Seashore Animal Rescue in Corolla, a small town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Abby Wilson, an attractive redhead who ran the rescue, was sitting in the chair at her desk, feeding a small black bunny, Licorice, a banana. She reached down and petted the head of a small fawn-colored terrier, Eli, who sat beside her chair. Abby was waiting on her new bridegroom, Adam, to come take her to lunch. They had only been married two months. When Adam arrived, picnic basket in hand, he smiled as he watched as Abby finished feeding Licorice the banana. He kissed her forehead. “Ready to go?”, he asked. “Just a sec, while I get these two settled.”, she told him. She deposited Licorice in a large play pen containing lots of fresh hay and rabbit toys. She then coaxed Eli into a large, soft dog bed. “Now I’m ready.”, she told Adam. “I thought we’d eat on the beach.”, he told her. As they left, Abby waved goodbye to a couple of workers who assisted her with the animals at the rescue. The rescue was across the street from the water, so it was a short walk to the beach. Adam spread out a large beach towel for them, and began taking their lunch out of the picnic basket: shrimp salad sandwiches on croissants, a container of cucumbers in sour cream and herbs for them to share, a thermos of sweet iced tea with lemon and mint in it, and brown sugar brownies for dessert. They laughed and talked…..and kissed….as they sat on their towel and ate lunch together. “Well, I guess it’s about that time…..”, Adam said. Abby sighed. “I suppose so.”, she agreed reluctantly. They packed up their picnic basket together. Just as they were about to be finished, Abby looked up and saw a dog limping up the beach towards them. As it slowly came closer, she could see blood. Alarmed, she moved down the beach towards the injured animal. She went slowly, knowing better than to frighten the animal. Adam came after her, concerned. The dog in question was a young Jack Russell terrier, and once she got close enough, Abby could see that the dog itself wasn’t bleeding, but it did have a hurt paw, hence the limp. The dog allowed her to touch it’s paw, but once she was doing looking at it, the dog began to bark, and move it’s head. At first Abby didn’t understand, then she realized what the dog wanted. “She wants us to come with her!”, Abby told Adam. Impulsively, she followed the terrier up the beach, until they came to a small cave. Abby had been raised here, and knew the area very well, but she didn’t know about this cave. The dog darted inside, and Abby followed her, before Adam could stop his impulsive bride. When it came to an animal, his Abby would do anything; it was one of the many things that he loved about her. Abby followed the dog deeper inside the dark cave. Adam had a flashlight with him, so he turned that on so that they could see better. They came to a small underground lake, and the dog began digging. She kept going until she had uncovered a small box. As she wagged her tail, she barked for Abby and Adam to come look at her buried treasure. Abby picked up the box, and slowly opened it. Inside was a silver chain, with a St. Francis of Assisi medal on it. On the back of the medal was a name: Athina. There was also a note. “To whomever finds this, as well as my Athina: please take care of my wonderful girl. I couldn’t bear to take her to a shelter, to be killed, when she is so loving and full of life. I did the only thing that I could do before I died, and that was set her free. In my heart I know that she will find someone who will love her……. Gertrude Allen.”, Abby read the letter aloud to Adam. Abby looked down at the dog who had led them here. “Athina?”, she said to the dog. The small dog wagged her tail happily, and jumped up, putting her paws on Abby. Abby smiled and slipped the silver necklace around the little dog’s neck. She and Athina and Adam walked up the beach to retrieve the picnic basket from lunch, then back to the rescue. Adam kissed Abby and went back to work for the afternoon. Abby had Athina examined by the vet that looked after all the rescue’s animals, while she researched the letter from Athina’s former owner. She found out that Gertrude Allen had passed away a month earlier. Mystery solved. When the vet was finished with Athina, and had pronounced her healthy, already spayed, and about two years old, Abby thanked him. She bathed and groomed the little dog herself. That afternoon, when Adam came by to collect her so that they could walk home, he was greeted by Abby and Athina. “Adam, I want to keep her.”,Abby told her husband. Adam smiled, and wrapped his arm around Abby. “Well, come on, Athina. Are you ready to see your new home?”, he asked the dog. Adam, Abby, and Athina walked home slowly. Once they arrived at their beach house, Athina thoroughly inspected its contents, while Adam opened a bottle of plum wine, and Abby cooked General Tso’s chicken in a wok. Adam put down a bowl of organic dog food for Athina, who ate hungrily. Abby served up the General Tso’s chicken over steamed brown rice, along with shrimp in lobster sauce. For dessert there were kumquats in light syrup, and almond cookies. After dinner, Adam, Abby and Athina sat on their patio, enjoying the night air, and the sound of the waves hitting the sand. Later, when they went inside, Adam was on his laptop gaming, and Abby was on her tablet on social media. Athina had draped herself across Abby’s feet. Abby and Adam showered together that night, engaging in some steamy sex, before they came to bed. Athina curled up between the newlywed couple, as though there was never any question of where she would sleep. And indeed, there wasn’t.
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