For the Love of Indiana

For the Love of Indiana

The Chronicles of Indiana, Books 1-3

by Natalie Vivien

For the Love of Indiana

© Natalie Vivien 2013

Rose and Star Press

First Edition

Smashwords Edition

All rights reserved

Smashwords License Statement

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Synopsis:

It all started with a crazy, disaster-prone dog...

Bella Farley was in the market for a new girlfriend, but never thought an unexpected trip to the animal shelter would help her find the woman of her dreams, Comfort Allen, the attractive dog trainer with the odd name. Bella also never expected to adopt Indiana, the hyperactive border collie who has a terrible habit of destroying everything (that he can reach), but life's funny like that.

Follow along with the Chronicles of Indiana as two women fall in love, one disaster-prone dog gets into barrels of mischief, and romance, mishaps and fun happen to the best of us.

Dedication:

For my darling.

And for Ookie, Fuzz and Tod—three dogs who will have my heart forever.

There is a little bit of all three in Indiana.

Contents:

The Trouble with Indiana

The Disaster of Indiana

The Search for Indiana

--- The Trouble with Indiana ---

When the doorbell rang that late May afternoon, Bella had half a mind not to even answer it. Her best friend Marcia had called her earlier that day, demanding to be seen, and Bella just didn’t have the energy for the whirlwind that was Marsh.

Bella scrunched farther beneath the layers of blankets on the couch, balling her most recently abused tissue into a fist as she sighed. Marsh was now holding down the doorbell with an insistent thumb, the chimes echoing through the empty hall and into the living room. Surely Marsh would get fed up soon and go home, leaving Bella to wallow in misery—just the way Bella wanted it.

But Bella had forgotten Marsh had her own key.

The front door creaked open as Bella groaned and threw the blankets over her head, inching down even farther, hoping her best friend might mistake her for a mound of used tissues and off-brand Snuggies, but it wasn’t meant to be. Marsh came bounding down the hallway into the living room and threw herself onto the couch beside Bella.

"The infamous lesbian bed death has nothing on the lesser known but much more powerful lesbian couch death," said Marsh, intoning the words like a television reporter.

Bella peeked out from the mound of blankets to give her best friend a raised eyebrow.

"Lesbian couch death, continued Marsh in complete seriousness, is when a lesbian breaks up with her girlfriend of two months, and languishes on her couch like it’s the end of the world, building the relationship up in her head as much, much, much better than it actually was. Marsh folded her arms in triumph and leaned back on the couch, smiling widely. Why, it seems like just last week that you were telling me how much you couldn’t stand that she used all of your fresh towels, and now you’re here moping…"

Bella took another tissue out of the floral-patterned box and blew her nose soundly. We had a connection, she told Marsh, fully expecting her best friend to roll her eyes—which she did.

"Lynn told you that she didn’t believe in saying ‘I love you’ because it invalidated her own self-love—"

I’m not talking about Lynn, said Bella, blowing her nose again as a fresh wave of tears threatened to assault her. I’m talking about Booger.

Marsh blinked for a full half-minute, eyes wide, before spluttering: "the dog?"

"Yes, the dog, said Bella testily, grabbing the entire box of tissues and propping them up on her blanket-swathed stomach. The tears pushed out of the corners of her eyes and began a steady drip down the sides of her nose. We’d gone and adopted her together, Lynn and me…remember?" she asked Marsh, her voice breaking a little at the end. Her best friend was frowning now, but in sympathy, getting up to grab a fresh box of tissues from the bathroom cabinet.

I thought you didn’t even like dogs, said Marsh gently, plopping back down next to Bella and handing her the box. Bella took it and blew her nose again, mopping at her eyes with the damp thing.

"I didn’t, before Booger. Oh, Marsh, she was just so sweet and wonderful… To be honest, she was kind of the reason that I stayed with Lynn in the first place. You know, Lynn was such a…such a dog person, she said carefully, breathing out, and I knew that when we broke up—which of course we were going to do. I’m not stupid, you know," she muttered, as Marsh spread her hands with an easy grin.

I didn’t call you stupid.

I knew that Lynn was going to take her. It makes the most sense. When we went to the rescue, Booger came up and sat in Lynn’s lap, not mine. Lynn always walked her, not me. And she fed her. It’s just…when it came down to it, I loved that dog. Bella didn’t want to dissolve into sobs again, but she couldn’t help it. A fresh wave of grief swept through her. Grief that she couldn’t keep a girlfriend more than a handful of months. Grief that she secretly wondered why she always dated women who were absolutely, positively not right for her.

Grief that the dog she’d loved with all of her heart was now a hundred miles away, and counting.

Okay, said Marsh, picking up all of the spent tissues off the mound of Snuggies and tossing them in a trashcan. Okay, she repeated, running her hand through her curly brunette hair. You know what we’re going to do?

What? sniffled Bella, taking out another five tissues and folding them.

We’re going to go get some ice cream, said Marsh decisively, taking the tissue box out of Bella’s hands and beginning to peel back the layers of blankets. Remember the time I broke up with Blaine?

Oh, God, he was such an asshole, said Bella, sniffling at the end of it, but emphasizing the word asshole. Which was a positive step out of Extreme Sadville.

Right! said Marsh, hands on her hips as she finally excavated the blankets to find Bella—who was wearing her pajamas at five o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. "Honey, we are going to eat so much ice cream that you’re going to forget all about Lynn. And it won’t heal your wound from Booger, she said, shaking her head and holding up a hand as Bella began to protest, but I have an idea."

Bella shrunk down against the couch as her best friend’s eyes began to glint. Marcia Collins, your ideas are the worst ideas in all of… She hesitated, trying to think of a word that encompassed everywhere. The universe, she finished, as her best friend leaned down with a bright smile and hauled the tear-stained woman up by her hands.

That’s not true, said Marsh, putting her palms at the small of Bella’s back and pushing her toward the bedroom. Remember that one time in high school when—

—you set fire to the gym? asked Bella, as she was pushed and prodded into her bedroom. The bedroom that still sported Booger’s bed in the corner. As Bella stared at the fluffy blue dog bed, her eyes began to fill with tears again, just as if someone had turned on the tap, but Marsh was having none of it. She danced past Bella toward the wardrobe, ripping open drawers and taking out skirts and dresses and jeans and blouses, tossing them all on the bed in a whirlwind of color.

I didn’t set fire to the gym, said Marsh, laughing a little, though it sounded forced. I was totally framed—

Marsh, I saw you light the match.

Anywho! said Marsh, holding up a red blouse and a purple skirt. These go together, right?

Sure, shrugged Bella and took the clothes into the bathroom to change. This is very sweet of you, Marsh, she said through the door, taking off her wrinkled and sad-looking pajamas, but I highly doubt that ice cream is going to do anything whatsoever to cheer me up.

Outside the bedroom, Marsh frantically brought up the Loving Paws Animal Rescue on her phone. Adoption hours on Saturday: ten to six. The alarm clock in Bella’s bedroom glowed an angry, red 5:12.

Can you hurry it up there, Bella? she muttered cheerfully, turning her phone off as Bella opened the bathroom door, pulling a brush through her hair.

Why? asked Bella, setting the brush on the sink and picking up a ponytail band. Her long black hair was wavy in the humidity.

Well, that ice cream’s not gonna eat itself, said Marsh with a grin, crossing her fingers behind her back as she practically ran toward the front door of the apartment. C’mon! she called over her shoulder while Bella picked up her purse and car keys. She raised an eyebrow at her best friend as she slid on her flip-flops.

What are you up to? asked Bella, even as she was ushered toward Marsh’s Jeep.

Nothing, Marsh lied again, crossing her fingers behind her as both women climbed into the Jeep.

When Marsh tore out of Bella’s apartment parking lot, tires screeching, Bella thought nothing of it. Marsh was kind of a lead foot, and she seemed to be in some sort of strange hurry. But when Marsh sped past the ice cream place, going fifty in a clearly marked thirty-five mile-per-hour zone, Bella realized her best friend was, despite her denial, most decidedly up to something.

Something that, sadly, involved no ice cream.

"Ice cream after," Marsh promised, when Bella cleared her throat.

And then they were pulling up to Loving Paws Animal Rescue.

Bella stared in horror at the sign, shaking her head even before Marsh turned off the ignition.

No, she told her best friend, and then again, with more emphasis, "Marsh, no. I can’t. Let’s just go get some ice cream—"

Look, sighed Marsh, putting the car keys in her purse. "You didn’t think that you were a dog person before Booger. And now you realized, hey! You actually are a dog person! That’s pretty great! So, get in there and adopt a dog of your own."

Bella’s head kept shaking. "I can’t, she said, and then she was taking another tissue out of her purse, sniffling. I’ll get a dog someday. Just…not right now."

Bella, said Marsh, so gently that Bella glanced up. "I know you. I’ve known you for seventeen years now. If you don’t do something like this right now, you are never, ever, ever going to do it. And if a dog made you so happy… Marsh shrugged in the direction of the animal shelter. You should just do it. And there’s no Lynn to take this one away," she added with an edge to her voice.

Marsh had never been a fan of Lynn. She was the last woman in a very long string of women who were completely not right for Bella. But she tried to be as supportive as possible. That’s what best friends did. She just fervently hoped that, one day, Bella would find a woman who would treat her as amazingly as Bella treated everybody else.

Bella smoothed the tissue out on her lap, taking a deep gulp of air. Okay, she said then, voice shaking. We’ll go in there. And we’ll look around. Okay?

Marsh nodded with a happy grin, bolting out of the car. Bella followed at a more sedate pace, gazing up at the sign over the door as her stomach churned.

This was where Lynn and she had adopted Booger, about a month ago. Surely the staff there would recognize her, would ask how Booger—who had come with the name—was getting along.

But now, when Bella and Marsh walked into the little rescue’s front room, there was only a young woman at the desk, busily scratching a pen across some forms, head bowed. Bella didn’t recognize her, and she didn’t recognize the rescue attendant—an older man with an easy smile—who shuffled into the room, holding a black cat under one arm.

Welcome, welcome! Are you here for—

We’re just looking. At the dogs, said Marsh, grinning back at him and hooking her thumbs in her jean belt loops. I hope it’s not too late?

Oh, no, it’s not too late. We’ve had a busy day. There are a bunch of people back there, deciding on adoptions right now, he said, putting the cat under his other arm and sticking out his right hand. Name’s Al. I’m a part-time volunteer here. Please come on back!

Bella reached out and shook his hand. His palm was worn and warm, and his grip was strong as he smiled encouragingly at her.

Right back this way, he grinned, opening the door between the little lobby and the massive back room of cages.

Instantly, the sound of barks and whines and meows assailed Bella and Marsh, who followed Al through the doorway. This was the larger adoption room, and Bella knew from her previous tour that back through these wide double doors were the dog and cat rooms for when adoptions weren’t currently underway. Out here, all of the cages were filled with dogs and cats who were doing their best to impress the humans. Or, at least, Bella thought that’s what they were doing.

The dogs wagged their tails, and some of the cats rubbed their heads against the bars of the cages. There were big dogs and little dogs and fluffy cats and short-haired cats and tiny kittens and puppies, and most people were crowding around the cages that housed the kittens and puppies. This made Bella’s heart flip flop as she and Marsh began down the long row of dogs. There were so many friendly dogs, beautiful dogs with long coats, or handsome ones with short hair, whose tails thumped dully against the rubber padding of the cages, nosing at the bars hopefully.

This was why she and Lynn had adopted Booger in the first place. Booger had been an owner-surrendered half-golden retriever, half-mutt. Eight years old at the time of adoption, she’d been at the shelter for two years. No one wants anything but puppies, the attendant had told Bella that day, with a sad shake of her head.

Bella knew that the attendants were asked by the rescue to push the older dogs, and she could hardly blame them for the emotional push. When she’d walked down the aisle that short month ago, her heart had broken over and over again as she looked at all of the dogs who gazed at her with such hope…and the dogs in the back of the cages who rested their heads on their paws, not even looking at the potential adopters anymore. She’d wondered that day if an animal could feel hopelessness. She’d seen it in the dogs at the back of the cages. And she’d seen it in Booger.

Here and now, Bella and Marsh walked slowly along the row of big cages, glancing inside at each prospective dog. Marsh kept her thumbs hooked in her belt loops, but Bella approached the cages, placing a tentative hand against the bars and the wire mesh of some of them, and she was licked sloppily by a dog that looked part-greyhound, and she was sniffed with interest by a dog whose placard read Lena! Almost 100% sure she is a purebred poodle!

As they walked back up the other side, Bella’s heart began to sink. In all honesty, when they’d pulled up to the rescue, her very first thought was relief. Relief that Marsh had thought to bring her here. Relief that she was hopefully going to be able to fill the dull void in her heart with something that would love her back. But as they walked the row, though there were beautiful dogs and scruffy dogs, and though she loved every single one, there were none who, like Booger, summoned an immediate yes, this one. Bella had only ever picked one dog before, but Booger had certainly been special to her. And Bella’s heart