The Glasgow Gray: Spot and Smudge - Book 2 Read online

  Spot and Smudge

  Book 2

  The Glasgow Gray

  Robert Udulutch

  You may also enjoy the rest of the Spot and Smudge series

  (It is highly recommended that you read the books in order)

  To discover more about the books,

  the real Spot and Smudge,

  and the author, please click or visit:

  Rudulutch.com

  Copyright © 2016, Robert Udulutch

  Cover Art and Design © 2016, Robert Udulutch

  All rights reserved

  This novel is a work of fiction, except for the parts that are somewhat based on truth

  It contains a couple of bad words and mature themes that not all readers will appreciate.

  Contact: mailto:[email protected]

  For the real Spot and Smudge. I miss you awesome little bastards.

  “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

  ― Rudyard Kipling

  Chapter 1

  “Your bum’s out the window, dear brother. He’s not a bother at all,” Mimi said into the phone cradled against her chin. Her brother-in-law Hamish droned on loudly in her ear as she pulled open the oven door and slid out a pan of hot rolls with a dishrag. She swapped it with a cast iron pan filled with an apple dessert. After spinning the oven’s timer she tossed the rag over her daughter’s shoulder and whispered, “How we looking, dear?”

  Aila dried her hands on the towel and leaned against her mom as they scanned the long kitchen table. With a satisfied nod she said softly, “Enough to feed the Dragoons and have some left for stovies.”

  Mimi nodded in agreement and said into the phone, “Just give it some thought. He’s dying to come up…What’s that?...Aye, all of them are here, plus one. Ronnie’s friend Lindsay is coming for her Christmas dinner as well.”

  Mimi rummaged through a drawer for a lighter as a medium-sized black dog trotted into the kitchen and crossed to the back door. Spot jumped up softly, putting his front paws on the back door’s low windowsill.

  “Yes, you’d like her. She’s a fair bit bigger in every dimension but just as cute,” Mimi said as she rolled her eyes at her daughter.

  Spot stared at the snowy driveway and swung his ears forward to listen.

  “No,” Mimi said as she gave the dog a pat, “She’s not going back. The new clinic’s taken her on so she’s staying at Ronnie’s farm, at least for a while. I tell you that Lindsay’s done a bang-up job taking care of things for her poor friend…Aye, she’s a tech like Ronnie was…and yes she’s just as single, ya lavyheed.”

  Spot’s tail started to wag and he turned to nod at Mimi.

  She didn’t see anything through the kitchen’s large window box but whispered to Aila, “Lindsay’s here.”

  To the phone she said, “Our guest has arrived so I’m going to run. Give all the shaggy wee ones there a pat for us and I’ll ring you later.”

  Mimi heard a faint crunching on the snow outside. As a small pickup truck rolled up the driveway and into the farm’s parking area she said, “Oh, I’ll certainly tell her all about you, you can count on that…Aye, love you too.”

  Spot’s tail started to wag in circles as Mimi disconnected the call.

  Not finding any matches in the drawer Mimi said, “Spot, be a love and fetch my new lighter from the mantle, and please turn down the music a little while you’re in there.”

  Spot paused for a second and shot her an objecting look that said, But Lindsay’s here and I have to go welcome… and then he gave up. He skulked away and a few seconds later the carols softened and he trotted back into the kitchen with a silver cigarette lighter in his mouth.

  The lighter was one of Mimi’s presents from Aila’s husband Dan. It was a metal zippo with the Walker family tartan on one side and the royal standard lion on the other. She hadn’t smoked in decades but every horizontal surface in the farm house had a candle on it.

  Spot returned to the back windowsill. As he watched Lindsay getting out of her truck he spat the lighter across the kitchen countertop towards Mimi. He had used a little more force then intended and the lighter sailed past her, bumped over the lip of the sink and flipped down into a pot of soapy water.

  “You dotty thing,” Mimi scolded as she rolled up her sleeve. She received an ears-down apologetic look and shrug of the shoulders from Spot as she fished around in the bottom of the dirty pot.

  Spot turned back to the window and watched impatiently as Lindsay bent and reached back into her truck. He turned and gave Mimi his best puppy eyes.

  “Aye, you can go say hi,” Mimi said, opening the door for him.

  She couldn’t be too mad. The pups had been good about sticking to the rules and not doing anything unusual when outsiders were around. Friends and neighbors stopped by the farm often during the holidays, especially as it was Mimi’s first Christmas without Papa, and Spot could have easily opened the back door by himself.

  Mimi shook the water out of the lighter as Aila joined her at the kitchen sink and they watched Spot trotting across the snowy driveway towards Lindsay. The tall woman was carrying a small paper bag and drumming her free gloved hand on her knee. She rubbed Spot’s head when he jumped up on her, and they both walked a few steps to the goat pen. She reached through the fence to give a bleating Mr. Watt a good chin and horn scratching.

  At the far end of the parking area the barn door slid open and eleven year old Ben popped his head out. A second later another black dog’s head popped out below his.

  Spot’s sister Smudge pushed between Ben’s legs and shot across the snow towards Lindsay.

  Ben yelled something back into the barn and slid the door closed before heading down the entrance ramp. Half way down he left the plowed drive and opted to trudge through the knee deep snow, kicking up white clouds in front of him.

  From behind the kitchen window Aila started to yell, “Your boots aren’t…,” and then realized there was no way the boy could hear her.

  Mimi put a fingertip in her ear and worked her jaw.

  “Sorry,” Aila said, laughing as she patted her mother’s shoulder.

  She cracked open the kitchen door, leaned out into the falling snow, and called out, “Hey Lindsay, Merry Christmas!” and then to Ben she yelled, “Are they coming? And lace up your boots, you numpty.” She closed the door as her son shot her a big smile and a double thumbs up.

  “Gifted my ass,” Aila said as she watched Ben and shook her head.

  Mimi whacked her daughter’s backside and went to the kitchen table, she had been flicking the wet lighter and her thumb was raw before it finally caught flame enough to light the dozen red centerpiece candles.

  Dan dropped his fork onto his empty plate and pushed back from the table. As he nodded to his wife and mother-in-law, and slid a hand under his waistband, he said in his best hick voice, “I suuu-render…women, that there was one fine damn meal.”

  “Soooo,” his daughter Kelcy said as she turned away from her dad, “Lindsay, isn’t the new vet from down south?”

  “Why yes Kelcy, in fact the new doctor just happens to be a southern gentleman. A Texan, I believe,” Lindsay said with a smile.

  Mimi was catching that drift and piped up, “And as I understand it he’s not a hard southern gentleman to look at.”

  “Nor to listen to,” Lindsay said, “Let’s just say our office has perks.”

  The women at the table laughed and raised a toast.

  “Ugh,” Ben said, and slipped Spot and Smudge another piece of turkey under the table.

  “I’m sitting right here,” Dan said.

 
Ignoring her husband Aila asked, “So you’re liking it, and it’s going well?”

  “Yes I do, and it is,” Lindsay said, “I think we have most of the customers back. Everything was lost in the fire, but thankfully Carol kept a copy of the clinic’s client list at home for her fundraisers. She and I went through and called everyone. We tried to explain things, you know.”

  There was a long, silent moment at the table.

  Mimi got up and gave Lindsay’s hand a squeeze as she passed and said, “Well good on you, dear. Who’s ready for tea and apple crumble?”

  Ben raised his fork, and Dan groaned.

  “Jean, I can’t thank you enough,” Lindsay said as Mimi pulled her down into a big hug. The paper shopping bag of leftover turkey and fixings crumpled between them as she added, “I appreciate you inviting me to intrude on your holiday. You guys have been so sweet to me.”

  “Wasn’t a bother, you’re always welcome here,” Mimi said as she released her and gave the woman’s shoulders a pat, “Listen to me when I tell you, Ronnie was a dear friend and a big help to our family and we’ll never forget her. Your efforts to settle her affairs and take care of her farm aren’t lost on us.” Mimi held her at arm’s length for a moment and then went in for another hug as the paper bag complained again. The pups were looking up at them from behind Lindsay. They nodded, and wagged in sync as Mimi winked down at them. “The entire family appreciates what you’ve done, dear,” Mimi said.

  Aila pulled the door open and Spot and Smudge trotted past Lindsay. They went out into the dark and the snow.

  “That was a lovely meal,” Lindsay said as Aila yanked her into her own long hug.

  It wasn’t lost on Lindsay that the dozen or so hugs it had taken her to exit the house were meant as much for Ronnie as they had been for her. A barrage of family embraces wasn’t something she was used to, nor was a big holiday dinner with more than a little wine, but she was finding she could get used to both. She turned back to the table and said, “And I wasn’t kidding Kelcy, you should stop by the clinic on Monday. I’d love to give you a tour.”

  To Aila she said, “The rest of you should come too. It’s pretty impressive, and I don’t just mean Dr. Marty.”

  Aila laughed and said, “We will certainly stop by. Ben would love to see it, wink, wink. Thanks for the lovely pinot, and drive carefully out there.”

  She flipped on the driveway light. Another few inches of snow had accumulated since Kelcy plowed the turn-around and the farm’s long driveway before dinner. Dan had let her do it alone for the first time and she loved getting behind the wheel of Papa’s Wagoneer when the plow was attached, especially as she’d just gotten her learner’s permit. Aila wondered how long the novelty would last and assumed sometime before the snow stopped falling that winter her daughter’s volunteering would dry up. Aila hated to drive the plow and made a mental note to catch Dan at the right time later tonight to convince him Ben was ready to fly it solo.

  Lindsay pulled her hood up and waved goodbye as she said, “Thanks again for warming up my truck. Merry Christmas to all.” She stepped out into the driveway and before getting into her truck she gave the pups a few rump rubs and ear pulls.

  Lindsay’s headlights slowly moved down the long snowy driveway and then disappeared north towards town.

  Spot and Smudge watched her leave and signaled to the large coyote waiting in the dark behind the goat pen.

  The local coyote den’s new leader, One Ear, stepped into the circle of light. The impressive gray and brown hunter was half a foot taller than Spot and thicker through the chest and shoulders. Even with only one intact ear she could still hear mice moving under the barn and a squirrel rustling in a far treetop. She could also smell the turkey carcass in the house and the new chicken eggs in the coop behind her. Of course she knew better than to give the chicken coop a second look anymore. Her new alphas were not to be trifled with and she followed their rules without question. These odd dogs had dispatched her previous alpha, an elite killer twice their size, and taken over her pack with a cunning gambit. They had also taught One Ear more about keeping a pack safe and well fed than her old alpha ever could.

  These alphas also had a unique relationship with their den of humans, and One Ear had grown to trust them, too. Something that she would have never thought possible a few short months ago. One Ear felt safe around them and would protect them with her life, or those of her hunters, if needed. The humans here had become an extension of her pack.

  One Ear dropped a rabbit at Spot’s feet and submissively licked his chin. She rolled onto her back in the snow and poked her nose playfully at Smudge who pinned her, and nipped gently at her tail.

  She and the newly trained hunting party had just been successful in the woods to the south of the farm. Before heading back north to the den One Ear was checking in to see if her alphas needed anything.

  Things had been peaceful for several months so Spot had the coyotes only patrolling the farm once a week or so, mostly just to keep them well trained.

  The winter weather was starting to clamp down on the South Shore of Massachusetts in earnest, and short days of low thirties were followed quickly by long freezing nights. Spot and Smudge had been visiting the den in The Bogs less often but still had daily visits from at least one of the pack, usually One Ear herself and her mate.

  One Ear and the other lead female had each found new males and would likely mate soon. Spot and Smudge, and the rest of the Hogan-Walker family, were looking forward to seeing a new batch of coyote puppies in the spring.

  The pack was doing well, and with the training they received from the pups were able to feed themselves without many encounters with humans. The pack had become expert fishers in addition to hunters. Even with the fish keeping the pack well fed One Ear was vigilant about keeping their hunting skills sharp, especially her new pack of hunting juveniles.

  Smudge gestured to One Ear, Great hunting girl, but no thanks. You can take that with you back to the den.

  The dogs said goodbye and One Ear scooped up the rabbit and darted back into the darkness. Her wounded hip had healed well and she was back to shooting through the trails around the farm at top speed.

  From inside the house Ben tapped on the kitchen window and signed to the pups, Everything alright?

  Smudge signed back to him, Yeah, she’s fine. Just stopped to say hello. We’re coming, just gotta pee.

  Radical foot surgery performed on Spot and Smudge several months ago resulted in their ability to separate their otherwise normal front paws down the middle at will. These split paws formed two powerful and dexterous appendages, essentially a large thumb and finger with two pads at the end of either split. The individual pads were also modified with a transverse split, giving them a muscular flap on each pad that can extend distally, like a small finger. As the pups’ dexterity with their newly acquired split paws increased they mastered a modified version of sign language.

  Although useful as hands, they couldn’t traditionally fingerspell with only the two major appendages. Spot and Ben worked out a system that added wrist rotation to replace positions the missing fingers would normally take. Although they often held full conversations by signing, Smudge had abbreviated many of their more frequently used phrases into short gestures, some of which didn’t involve their front paws at all.

  Like the sign for peeing, which Mimi felt was a little rude.

  Spot and Smudge took their bathroom break, said goodnight to Mr. Watt, and bounded through the snow to the house. They let themselves in and pushed the kitchen door closed, and then stopped on the little floor rug just inside the back door.

  “I like her,” Ben was saying as he dug his spoon into his third helping of Mimi’s apple crumble dessert, “She knows a lot about animals, and she could clearly beat Dad up.”

  Aila laughed and grabbed a bath towel from a hook behind the back door. “I like her too,” she said as she bent to wipe snow from the pups’ paws and bellies, “but we gotta be re
ally careful.”

  Spot and Smudge both nodded up at her. They lifted each paw one at a time and then turned so Aila could wipe their hind feet.

  Dan was at the sink washing a pot. He said, “The boy has a point. You know I loved Ronnie but her old roommate seems quite a bit sharper.” He turned and flicked soap at Ben as he added, “Even though there’s no way she could kick my tail. You cut me deep, dude, but I must say that was some quick thinking telling her the pups didn’t like strangers touching their paws.”

  “That was actually Smudge’s idea,” Ben said, “Seeing as how she’s a vet tech like Ronnie we just didn’t want her poking at them. So when do you think we can tell her about the pups?”

  “I think we should hold on that a bit, Ben,” Mimi said, “We’re getting to know her, and I like her, too, but it’s not something we should take lightly.”

  “Yeah,” Kelcy added, “We only met her a few months ago. Mom’s right, we gotta be careful.”

  “I know,” Ben said, “I’m the one that keeps telling you guys we gotta be smart, but she was Ronnie’s bud and all. Besides, we could use her help.”

  Aila started to say something, thought for a second, and then straightened up and said, “Wait, why the hell am I wiping your paws? Wipe them yourselves.” She tossed the towel over the heads of both pups and returned to the kitchen table, and her waiting cup of tea.

  To the smirking humans seated around the table she added, “And you lot can shut your geggies.”

  Chapter 2

  In the cavernous lobby of the finishing school Brother Sacarius beckoned to a small group of young men and women as they exited one of the lifts. He spread his hands and said, “Can I trouble you to bestow the gift of a carol on our esteemed benefactor here? Give us something…fitting.”

  His students huddled for a second and then formed a line in front of the old Capuchin priest and the mountain of a man who was his guest.