Chapter Five:
I woke to a snuffling on my face. I giggled as Cocoa’s nose and whiskers tickled me. “I’m awake Cocoa.” Sighing I gathered the small dog into my arms and sat up. “Should we put you out before getting breakfast?”
Grabbing my robe, I made my way outside. I took a moment to enjoy the beauty of the early morning, as I set Cocoa down. I couldn’t remember the last time I had seen and enjoyed such vibrancy. I needed this moment, I realized with shock, and I needed Cocoa to have it. I watched her wander the patio, exploring her new world, and I had an idea that brought my lips up.
I fed Cocoa as my toaster did its job and I fleshed out my idea. This could work. Now I just needed to convince Casey to do it. The Thorsonville Tribune needed this to survive, especially with the new postal rates that had just been announced. “Postage is killing us,” I groaned.
My early morning found me entering the office moments before Tammy. “What are you smuggling in, Phoebe?” she teased.
“Nothing. But I am escorting our newest employee into the building.”
“New employee? I don’t have any paperwork about this!”
“Tammy, it’s fine.” I nodded towards Cocoa. “She doesn’t need any paperwork.” Tammy sagged with relief before bending to look at Cocoa. “This is Cocoa. We’ll be carpooling from now on.” I grinned as she began laughing.
“Just what we needed,” she smiled.
“For now, Cocoa is a secret. I want to judge reactions when people come into my office.”
“What are you planning, Miss?” Tammy arched an eyebrow at me.
“It’s a test. I have a special project in mind and who gets it is all based on the reaction I get regarding Cocoa and her reaction. I want to make sure that the person I’m considering isn’t aware of her presence beforehand.”
“You’re so much like Theo. He never passed out assignments in a way that made sense to anyone but him. Though I don’t recall him ever using a dog to determine who got one.”
“I’m sure he didn’t,” I laughed. “Too random. But for what I’m planning the reaction is necessary.”
“You’re the boss,” she saluted as I unlocked my office door.
“Thank you, Tammy. I couldn’t do it without you and your knowledge. The occasional hug doesn’t hurt either.”
“I always have a hug available whenever you need it,” she squeezed me before I entered my office.
With the door closed, I let Cocoa out of the carrier. While she explored, I set up a space for her behind my desk. Soon she was nesting in the bed and blanket.
A knock pulled my attention from the computer. “Enter.” My clock informed me I had been working for more than three hours.
Josiah stepped in, letting the door close behind him. “Miss Thorson, do you have time to talk?”
“Of course. And it’s Phoebe. We’ve known one another too long to be so formal. Besides if you keep dating Ava you might be my BFF-in-law.”
Josiah barked out a laugh. “I’ll call you Phoebe if you promise never to refer to me as your BFF-in-law again.”
“Well,” I tapped my pen to my lip, “I’ll try to remember not to say it, at least not out loud.” I smirked. “But seriously, Josiah what do you need?”
“Well, it’s my Grandpa.”
My stomach dropped, “Is he okay?”
“Oh, yeah, nothing is wrong. He’s up for an Honor Flight and I’m going along as his guardian. If it is okay with you.”
“When is his flight?”
“It’s scheduled for May 23 and it will be for 3 days. I was wondering if I could do a story on his experiences?”
I sat back, thrumming my fingers. This could be what we need.
“Would you be able to submit the story while you are in DC?”
“Sure, I’ll have my laptop with me and upload it to you.”
“I’ll need pictures. Maybe interview some of the others on the Honor Flight? And compile a few quotes from people visiting the memorials, too?”
“Yes,” excitement filled his voice. “Gramps will love it and getting to see me work will be the cherry on his sundae.”
“I’m thinking bigger. We need to boost circulation and generate more revenue.”
“Is the paper in trouble?”
“Not yet. But my grandfather’s bills are eating into his savings. Savings he uses to cover any financial shortages the paper experiences. It isn’t common knowledge, but I’m about to ask something big from you. I think knowing the importance of what I’m asking is good policy.”
“What do you need, Phoebe?”
“I want to use the Honor Flight piece about your Grandpa as the headline piece for a special Memorial Day edition.”
Nodding, Josiah asked, “Will you have special advertising too?”
“Yes, I’ll let Tammy reach out to our regular advertisers and offer special rates to them and any new businesses that want try us out.”
“Now here is what I need from you.” He edged forward in his chair. “I want you to go through the archives and pull together a snippet of past Memorial Days, Veteran’s Days, anything related to those who have served. Use the interns. Contact the school paper for any articles they might be willing to share. Pull together what you can over the next two or three weeks and then give me whatever you’ve got by May 21. I’ll finalize it and we’ll work the Honor Flight articles you send me throughout the edition. I’ll be assigning a few other articles for this edition too, but most of the work will be yours.”
“Think you’re up for the challenge?”
Grinning he exclaimed, “Absolutely!”
“All right, get to it and let me see your best.”
Before the door had clicked shut, Phoebe was tapping out a message to Tammy detailing her plans for a Special Memorial Day Edition and the need to line-up advertisers. As she hit send, a knock had her calling out, “Come in.”
“Hey, Phoebe. It’s me, Casey.”
To her amusement, his face was instantly red. “I can see that, come in and have a seat.” She tried to hold in her smile at Casey’s obvious discomfort, especially when he dropped his notepad.
She barely noted Casey’s yelp as Cocoa darted around her desk. With little encouragement, Cocoa was on her lap and tickling her face with doggy kisses.
Casey’s, “No way,” broke into her happiness. Was he going to find fault with offering a home to an abandoned dog? She snapped back a reply.
But when he said, “That’s Cocoa, from the shelter, right?” she gawked at him. When he called to Cocoa, she felt her stomach drop. Casey was trying to take Cocoa from her. He couldn’t let her have anything. He was doing it again, ruining her happiness. Yes, she agreed with him that Cocoa was a gift. But she was her special gift. Didn’t he realize how much she needed Cocoa? Couldn’t he see it? Then he looked back at her and she could only hope he understand what she could never say out loud. Then Cocoa was back in her doggy bed.
Relaxing, she turned back to Casey. “What was it you needed, Casey?”
Casey began speaking about the file she had given him. She felt her stomach clench. Did he know?
But when he referenced “him,” she interrupted, “Him? The best out of him?”
“Yes, him. P.T. Thorn,” Casey’s reply brought a wash of relief and a laugh.
When Casey asked, “Will you help me, Phoebe?” she knew exactly what her grandfather would say. “I thought you’d never ask, Casey. Are you in?”
The words hung between them. She had been vague, but she needed Casey to trust her with their future. If the newspaper was going to survive, she needed him on her side.
“Yes, I’m in.”
Closing her eyes, Phoebe slowly let out the breath she had been holding. “We are starting a new weekly column.” She handed him a list of questions and waited for his reaction.
“Um, Phoebe, this looks like it’s an interview for a dog?”
“Very observant.”
“So why did you hand it to me?”
“Because you are going to answer them as Cocoa.” I raise my hand to stop his protest. “The Thorsonville Tribune has a new reporter, Cocoa. But I want her introduced to our readers before her first column is printed. And you, Casey, are going to be Cocoa’s voice. I used our standard questions but did a little tweaking so it would be pertinent to Cocoa. The interview’s byline will be Thorsonville Tribune staff.”
“Are you kidding?” His voice lowered to almost a growl.
“No, I’m not. You asked for help to improve your writing. Writing in a voice that isn’t yours takes you one step away from what you’ve written. With a different name on it, it isn’t yours. You can be more objective, and critique won’t hurt as much. You’ll be better able to see your strengths and weaknesses for what they are. I can help you, Casey. But you need to let me do it my way. So I’ll ask you again. Are you in?”
Casey examined my face. He was trying to figure me out. I knew I’d be able to help him, and that was all that mattered at this moment.
“I’m in.”
“Thank you, Casey. I need you and your skills more than ever. I need your heart in everything you write. I want people waiting for your next column.”
“There’s a reason Hollywood puts children and dogs in movies. It’s because they draw in the audience. I need to draw in more readers, and I think we can do that with Cocoa.” I pointed to the paper he still clutched. “That will help you connect with Cocoa. If there are questions that stump you, come to me for help. I’ve lived a lifetime of being someone I’m not. Plus, Cocoa will be here so you can observe her in action, or sleep,” I laughed as she snored.
“And the column?”
It will be weekly. Mix it up. Do a feature on the shelter. The importance of making plans for your pets so they don’t end up in a shelter like Cocoa. Local service is available to area pets. Feature a Vet Clinic. Being weekly, you can still do your other assignments, including one that will require a bit of research.”
“Research?” he asked before smiling.
I wished he’d smile more. When he did, it reminded me of the boy who used to be my friend.
“Yes, research. We’re going to have a special Memorial Day edition. It will be in addition to the regular issue.
‘”So what am I going to be researching?”
“The roles animals have played in the military over the years. I want the good, the bad and the ugly. If you find a hero, I want an article on it and how it changed the course of history. If you can find photos, let me know and I’ll get the rights to use them.”
“Why me?”
“Because of Cocoa.”
He sent me a confused look. “Cocoa?”
“Yes, because of your reaction to her and because you’ve been to the shelter.”
“Huh,” he sat back. “I like it. When do you need it?
“I want to have it by the end of the day the 25th. So, as you write something send it to me.”
“Send it in my name or Cocoa’s?”
“Yours. I’ll put together a Best Practices Guide for Pets During the Holidays. Maybe we can take some pictures of Cocoa and some of the cats from the shelter. Are you up for a shelter visit?”
“I’m always willing to visit the shelter.”
“I’ll meet you there. Let’s both grab cameras. That way, we’ll have plenty of images for upcoming columns.”
“When do you want to meet there?”
I pause to look at my planner. “Does tomorrow morning at seven work for you?”
“Yeah, I can make that work.”
Morning came too early. But I didn’t want to be late. “Hey Cocoa, it’s time to get up. I don’t think you want to wait to go out until after I get home from the shelter.”
I lifted her from the bed and carried her outside. A soft glow was on the horizon, the air was crisp and refreshing. Inspired, I began singing, “Oh, what a beautiful morning. Oh, what a beautiful day.” But my less than melodious rendition was cut short when Cocoa began howling. “Ok, no singing. Got the message,” I muttered as I hurried my newest critic into the house for a quick breakfast.
30 minutes later, I was pulling into the shelter’s parking lot, as Casey was climbing out of his truck. His polo shirt and jeans made my oversized T-shirt and worn capris look tacky.
“Sarah is expecting us,” I called out. “We’re to use the back entrance. She doesn’t want to turn all the lights on yet.”
“Got it.” Casey pulled out his camera and tablet before heading around back. I followed with my equipment.
Sarah was waiting with the door open. “Thanks for letting us do this before you open.”
“No problem, Phoebe. I’m usually here by 6:30 most days. So, any specific animals you want to photograph?”
“We’re here to hopefully take photos of all of them. Conduct a mini interview. We’re here to get a lot of material for a new series we’ll be running in the paper.”
“Sounds good. We’ll take all the free publicity we can get.”
Where do you recommend we start?”
“The cat playroom is usually pretty lively when they first get up.”
“That litter of kittens still here?” Casey asked.
“They are and they’ve taken a liking to Tiger.”
“What does Tiger think of that?”
Sarah laughed. “Surprisingly he’s really good with them crawling all over him and grabbing at his tail. Tiger is a real sweetheart. If he isn’t adopted soon, I’ll be surprised.”
“Tiger?” Phoebe asked.
“Oh, that’s right, you haven’t met him yet have you, Phoebe? He’s a Maine Coon someone decided to toss from a moving vehicle into traffic on the highway. Thankfully, other than some bruises and some road rash from hitting the pavement. He’s in good shape.”
“Did they find the jerk?” I fumed.
“No, their license plate was too dirty to read.”
I shook my head, “Some people.”
“I hear you. So let’s head in there, and you can meet big sweetie.”
“Let’s be sure to get pictures of Tiger, and if we can show the road burns, maybe we can do a short feature on the pain that people unnecessarily put unwanted pets through by not bringing them to the shelter in the first place.”
Sarah was right. The cat playroom was active. I spotted Tiger almost immediately. The largest cat I had ever seen was stretched out as kittens swarmed him and pounced at his tail.
Two hours later Casey and I were heading back to our cars, while Sarah opened the shelter for the day.
“I got some good shots and enough information from Sarah for a couple of articles. How about you, Casey?
“Yeah, I think I got some good stuff for those articles we discussed yesterday.”
“Great! I’m assuming you need to clean up before you head into the office.” Casey shot me a look before I added, “You’re covered with fur and the parrot left a little something behind on your shoulder.”
Glancing at his shoulder, Casey groaned. “I’m assuming the same goes for you. Those kittens did their best to rearrange your ponytail.” He smirked at my grimace.
“What? It hurt. They’re heavier than they look, especially when they’re trying to hang from a ponytail.”
Casey burst out laughing. “It made for a great photo or two.”
I narrowed my eyes. “You wouldn’t!”
“I don’t know. Might generate some interest for our newest column, and it would be great on our Facebook page.”
“Post it and prepare for my response. I’ll delete it and remove your Facebook permissions.”
“Threats? Most unbecoming of a boss, Miss Thorson.”
His words threw me. I couldn’t trade insults and empty threats with Casey. I was his boss, and it was good to be reminded of my responsibilities. “You’re right. I’ll see you at the office, Collins.” I needed to put distance and decorum between us. Referring to Casey by his surname was sure to remind us both of what was needed and necessary. I slid into my car and left Casey in my figurative dust.
That evening as I went through the photos I had taken, one caught my eye. Casey sat on the floor cross-legged with Tiger on his lap. Kittens clung to his shirt. I couldn’t help myself, I smiled at the goofy grin on his face. This picture would never be published by the Thorsonville Tribune, but I would save it to share with Grandpa, and, maybe Ava.
Casey needed to adopt Tiger. It was obvious he’d fallen for the gentle giant. Too bad he couldn’t have a pet where he lived, I mused, my fingers stroking Cocoa.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d sat there, but the room was now dark. I picked up my phone to call Tammy. “Tammy, I have a question about the enclosed patio behind the Tribune.” I smiled, hoping that Tammy and her son could help me bring my idea into being.
One Week Later
“Hey, Phoebe?” Josiah called out. “Do you have a minute?”
I stopped by my car as he jogged my way. “What do you need, Josiah?”
“Well, I have some interviews I want to get done for that special edition. They’re kind of a follow up to some of the older articles I dug out of the archive. I thought doing a then-and-now feature would make it new and generate more interest.”
“That sounds great, Josiah. So are you wanting time to conduct the interviews?”
“Well that and I wanted someone to help me get the interviews done this week. I don’t feel comfortable sending the interns out on their own for this. I’ve got twenty follow-ups and they are spread out. A couple are in that VA home 50 miles south of here, but otherwise none of them live close to each other.”
“Ask Casey. You’d actually be doing me a huge favor getting him out the office for a while.”
“I’ll put him to work, no worries.”
“Thank you. Oh, be sure to take as many photos as you can. This edition will be a tribute to our service men and women, and we aren’t going to scrimp on acknowledging them.”
Thanks to Josiah, I was getting Casey out of the office while Tammy’s son made some modifications to the patio.
“Hello, Seth? This is Phoebe Thorson returning your call. Yes, tomorrow morning works for my project. Give me a call back at 555-3123 to let me know what time you want to start, and I’ll be sure to meet you here.”
