business-wise,” he explained. Feeling awkward, he added, “And I didn’t think it would be right, considering your recent loss. I felt it would be like trying to use your problem to my advantage.”

 Terry’s eyes took on an odd gleam at this statement. “Your advantage?” she asked. “Are you saying that you wanted to do it?”

 Rex started to shake his head in denial but stopped. Had he wanted to do it? “No,” he said slowly, “I’m not saying that.” And then, uncertain whether he wanted to say what followed or not, he added, “Though you are… rather attractive.”

 Terry smiled, just a little. “I didn’t want to say it before, but you’re a bit handsome yourself.”

 Rex blinked in surprise. He couldn’t remember the last time anyone had used that term to describe him. Anyone canine, that is- humans often called him a 'handsome animal.' “You really think so?” he asked.

 She nodded, and Rex noticed that her tail had started to wag. “Yes.”

 “Then perhaps it would be alright if we considered it…” he suggested.

 Terry looked at the ground and shook her head. “It sounds wonderful,” she sighed, “but I don’t know if it would be right.”

 Now Rex was confused. “Why?”

 “Because Pete’s been saying… that I’m forgetting about Yuke.” Her voice was low, and sad as a funeral. “And I’m beginning to think he’s right.”

 “I thought Yuke was dead,” Rex replied.

 “He is…” Terry admitted. “But inside me, in my heart I mean, he’s still there.”

 Rex hung his head, ashamed at having not only reopened an old wound but then having put salt into it as well by pressing the matter. “I understand. And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

 “No, I… I’m glad you did. It’s better that I know.” Terry turned. “I think I’d better go now,” she said quietly. As she left the room, a single tear fell from her eye and landed with an inaudible splash on the floor. It wouldn’t be the last. Not by a long shot.

 Rex hung his head and sighed. Perhaps it was for the best, he told himself. His place was on the police force, not out romancing with a widow. So why did he feel so terrible?

……………………………………………………………………………………………….

 He didn’t know how long it was before Orde came in. “It went badly, I take it,” the Captain said hesitantly, standing uncertainly in the doorway. It came out more as a statement then a question.

 Rex glared at him. “Thanks to you in large part, yes,” he growled.

 Orde’s body seemed to hang low to the ground, a rare posture for the Captain. “You know, of course, that I meant no harm,” he defended. “I was only trying to…”

 “Trying to push me into a relationship,” Rex snapped, “Trying to shove me into something that wouldn’t work! And do you know what the worst thing is?!”

 There was silence for a long moment, a silence Orde dared not to break. “The worst part of it,” Rex said in a quiet, broken voice, “Is that deep down, I wanted it to. I cared about Terry, and for a while there I was starting to want something to my life besides tracking criminals. I wanted someone with whom I could be more than just the chief, more than a comrade-in-arms, and now…” he took a deep breath and let it out. “Now I can’t.” He stared at his friend with a face as miserable as only a bloodhound’s can be. “For just a moment, I felt it,” he almost cried. “And now it’s gone.”

 Orde sighed. He hadn’t meant to cause anyone so much pain, least of all one of his close friends. And if Rex felt this way, he could only imagine how Terry must feel right now.

 Wait a minute… That was it! Perhaps there was a chance to salvage this blunder. “Rex...” he began slowly.

 “No, Captain Orde,” Rex growled.

 “Rex, please, allow me speak. If we were ever friends, give me a chance to try to make amends.”

 Rex sighed. “Be quick,” he muttered. “And that’s an order.”

 Orde took a moment to gather his thoughts before he spoke. “I never meant to cause you any pain,” he explained. “I only meant to help you, and maybe I still can.”

 “How?” Rex scowled. “You’re not Cupid, and we’ve seen how it works when you try.”

 Orde’s response was a wry grin. “Agreed, but now you have an understanding of her that could not have come any other way. You know now what it’s like to lose someone you care about.”

 “But she hasn’t died.”

 “To you she has, in a way.” Orde sensed he was getting through now. “You expect to never speak to her again, to feel pain every time you think about her. Perhaps you’ll see her again, but you’re probably hoping not to.”

 Rex began to nod. So far, Orde was hitting like a sniper- or a surgeon. “Except for the last point,” he admitted, “That is exactly how she described feeling about Yuke.”

 Orde raised a paw to point at him. “Exactly. As I said before, grief is never a burden anyone should bear alone. Perhaps that’s why this all happened, so you could help her bear the burden.”

 Rex frowned. “I certainly don’t see how doubling her pain in the bargain was called for,” he pointed out.

 Orde had to consider that for a moment before he admitted, “Neither do I.” Then, just as Rex was beginning to think the discussion was over, the Captain added significantly, “But now she needs you more than ever.”

 Rex groaned. “I should have known you would say something like that.” He shook his head forcefully. “Anyway, how am I supposed to bear the burden with her if she doesn’t want to speak to me?”

 Orde’s expression was about the equivalent of a pat on the head. “That’s where Ewan, Comet, and I come in.”

 “Oh, wonderful,” Rex sighed. “For a moment there I was worried.”

 “And now…?”

 Rex rewarded his friend with a wry smirk. “Now I know I’m doomed.”

 Orde laughed. “We shall see, my friend,” he replied. “We shall see.”

………………………………………………………………………………………………. 

 As Terry wandered aimlessly through town, everything seemed different and strange. The blue sky looked grey and the soft snow underfoot felt like icy slush. Everything felt muted and colorless, as grey as her melancholy thoughts. More than anything, she wished she could undo the whole mess. If it had been later, it might have worked, she thought.

 It crossed her mind that perhaps they could put it off and pick up later, but something in her gut rebelled against this. How could it be right to go on grieving Yuke while at the same time planning on seeing Rex as more than friends? That made no sense. She had come to care about the bloodhound, much as she had loved Yukon. But the time wasn’t right, and now even when it became right it would be like a seed exposed to water too soon, so that it had sprouted prematurely and would decay from lack of soil before it was time to plant. One way or another, it was hopeless.

 Sniffing back another tear, she looked up and found to her surprise that she had wandered directly toward the place where Yukon was buried. ‘My paths always seemed to lead me here now.’ Terry thought, staring silently at the marker for what seemed like a long time. The arctic wind chilled her as she struggled to pull her mind together. Her face slowly twisted bitterly as she glared down at the marker. She didn’t know why, but suddenly she felt furious with Yukon for dying and leaving her. “Why did you have to go?? Do you know how cruel you’ve been to me because of this?! Do you realize how hard it’s been?!”

 She jumped up and swatted a frozen clod of dirt at the marker as hard as she could, the dirt making a muffled *thump* as it hit the crude wooden cross. As quickly as the storm of rage had come, it drained out of her, leaving her feeling very guilty. ‘I hope no one was around to see that.’

 “Um… Terry?”

 Terry nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice. She whirled around to find that one of the police dogs had followed her. It was the young brash one. What was his name again? “You scared me.” she blurted, blushing furiously under her fur and grimacing at her reaction to the teenager’s presence as she quickly dried her face. When had she become so jittery?

 Comet winced. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to scare you. Ewan is always saying that I walk too quietly for my own good, because sometimes I startle him too, when