Free Crossing Values by Carrie Daws

don’t you think of some way to honor her?”
    Honor her? “I’m not sure how to do that,” said Amber.
    “Well, what did she like? What would mean something to you? Maybe think of something you could look at that would remind you of how much you love her. For example, when my Jamie died, Frank and I planted that maple out front. It reminds me of her. And when I’m missing her, I can look at it and remember her bouncing down the stairs in the morning or tearing across the yard after her brothers.”
    Faye and Amber worked in silence for a short time. Faye had given her a lot to think about, and although she didn’t have any idea how to honor Cassie, she liked the thought.
    She was just finishing up the icing on a cookie when Sassy came bounding through the dog door and pounced on her.
    “Sassy!” said Amber.
    “Sassy! You get down!” said Faye. “Whatever are you thinking?” She came around the counter to look at Amber. “Are you okay?”
    Amber giggled. “Yeah. She just surprised me. What is she doing here?”
    “I’m not sure. Maybe she’s just not used to staying out at Peter’s yet. Still thinks of this as home.”
    “How long have you had her?” Amber rubbed behind Sassy’s ears.
    “Oh, since she was a pup. Frank picked her up for Peter as a Christmas present. Let me see, I guess it was five years ago now. He’d just come home from college and was struggling to find his place here and at the logging office. He and his daddy were buttin’ heads over the new foresting techniques he’d learned over at Oregon State. She was a bit of a peace offering, I think.”
    “Mom, did Sass . . .” Peter came in the dining room doors with bright red cheeks and huffing like he’d been running. “Sassy!” Sassy promptly sat at Amber’s feet. “Ugh! Dog!”
    Amber laughed. She’d never seen Peter this out of sorts before and it was refreshing.
    “This is all your fault, you know,” Peter said, pointing his finger at Amber.
    “Mine?”
    “Yes. You know why she comes here.”
    “I do?” Amber looked from Peter to Faye and back at Peter again.
    Peter looked straight at Sassy. “She’s a traitor!” Sassy tilted her head at him.
    “Really, Peter. Whatever are you talking about?” said Faye.
    “She comes here to be with Amber, Mom!”
    “Me?” Amber couldn’t quite believe it. Sassy had definitely won her heart and Amber knew she could trust Sass, but could the dog really prefer her to Peter?
    Sassy barked and jumped up once again, plopping her front paws into Amber’s lap.
    “Sassy!” all three adults said together.
    “What’s going on in here?” Frank entered the kitchen with a book in his hand. “You guys are loud enough to wake the dead!”
    “My dog has left me for Amber!”
    Frank looked at Sassy half lying in Amber’s lap. “Well, I always did say she could pick the best treat out of the bag ’fore the rest of us knew the bag was there.”
    “Dad!”
    “But beware, son. Once the women folk gang up on ya, it’s all over!”
    “Ugh! You’re no help. Might as well get her another food bowl for here.” Peter muttered something incomprehensible as he stormed out the mudroom door, slamming it behind him.
    Amber and Faye looked at each other and started laughing.
    Frank stole a cookie and headed back to his chair. “I knew that dog had good brains in her.”
    As Faye headed to put more cookies into the oven, Amber rubbed Sassy’s neck. “Well, girl, I guess it’s you and me for a while.”

Chapter 12
    “HER OPENING UP ABOUT HER sister is good progress.” Andy hoisted the drywall into place while Peter screwed it into the wall.
    “Yeah. And she’s asking some great questions. When I got home from Portland a couple weeks ago, Dad was telling her about our move out here, the step of faith it was for him not knowing if he could get a logging business up and running. She listened carefully, but she admitted that she wasn’t quite sure what to think. She was balancing