Animal Angel by M. J. Wilson Page A

when we got Charlie?”
    â€œYeah, well, Pepper needs another dog around,” Penny argued. “Ever since Duke…” Her voice cracked.
    We all knew she missed Duke the most, but she’d deny it vehemently if anyone brought it up. Instead, Mom reached across the table with her free hand and squeezed Penny’s hand.
    â€œDon’t worry about Pepper and Charlie,” she said. “These dogs won’t be here long. We’re fostering them, not adopting the lot.”
    â€œAnd for tonight, Pepper can sleep up in your room,” Dad announced.
    Kaye’s eyes narrowed briefly. I wondered if she was looking for the trick in this plan. The moment passed then she merely shrugged and went back to her food. Dinner passed with agonizing slowness. If I leaned back just a bit in my chair, I could glimpse the kitchen clock and, I swear, the minute hand ticked backward at least three times.
    When everyone had finished, I was the first to rush my plate to the sink. As I waited for the basin to fill with warm water, I added a bit of soap. Penny followed close at my heels.
    â€œYou wash, I’ll dry,” she said, setting down her glass.
    I nodded, a sudden tenseness consuming me. Speaking required too much of my brainpower. I wanted to focus all my mental energy on enjoying the dogs. Fostering meant they might only be here for a few weeks, but that was long enough to get to love them. Dad wouldn’t let us get another dog.
    By the time we had the dishes done, the tenseness had turned into a knot in my stomach. I went out to the front porch to wait. The typical sounds of a Friday night filled the neighborhood: the boys across the street playing basketball in the driveway, a lawnmower grumbling down the block, closely followed by Old Mr. Henson’s mild curses as the thing sputtered over a stick. A yellow car lumbered by, slowing down briefly in front of our house. My heart sped up. Could this be them?
    Just as quickly, the car moved away, and my mood deflated. They had just paused to avoid a squirrel. I watched the furry little thing scamper up a tree in our front yard. Pepper barked in the back yard. Down the street, another dog answered her call. Where were they? I hugged myself. Even though it was late May, the evening breeze was chilly as the sun dipped low.
    Summer vacation started in a few weeks. I tried to distract myself with all the plans I had: lots of bike riding and time at the pool. Summer would be more fun with all those puppies. I could picture the long, hot days spent walking multiple dogs down to the park a few blocks over. Our old dog, Duke, hated that park. Every time we went there, he’d start growling the minute we entered the park’s perimeter. Then he’d start an all-out vicious bark as we neared the center, where a large statue stood. The man wore a large, plumed hat and held a sword out in front of him. I guess Duke thought the statue was real or something, and that he was protecting us. I wondered how the puppies would react.
    The screen door opened behind me, and Mom settled on the top step. We sat in silence for a while, watching and waiting. When a white van turned onto our street, Mom stood up. I had to restrain myself not to run out into the street. Excitement coursed through me. I followed her down the steps, dancing a little on the way.
    A young woman with a long, blonde ponytail stepped out of the van. She smiled at us and reached out to shake Mom’s hand.
    â€œI’m Sue,” she said. “Jenny’s in the back here. Todd will be bringing the puppies by in about an hour. We wanted to give Jenny some time to get settled before she has to become a foster mama to five little scamps.”
    Mom nodded, stepping closer as Sue slid the van door open. The yellow lab that stared up at us had a sweet face but sad eyes. Sue reached in and snapped on a leash. With a gentle tug, Jenny lumbered to her feet and hefted herself out of the car. She