Picture Perfect by Fern Michaels Page A

tears burned her eyes. She turned away before Cudge could see the result of his handiwork. The little boy in the RV, his dog clutched to him, was staring at her as she wiped the tears with the back of her hand. He looked scared, the way BJ used to look scared.
    â€œYou bawl one more time and you’ve bought it, Elva. We’ll get off this pike and get something to eat. We have to kill time. I don’t want to show up at that campground too early.”
    Elva said nothing, wishing she knew who the little boy with the dog was. He looked just like BJ—same color hair, same bright blue eyes, same scared look. Only this kid had a dog to love. Poor little BJ had only had her, and what good had that done him? When it counted, she hadn’t helped him at all. The little kid in the RV was alive and BJ was dead. And here she was with Cudge. How soon would it be before she joined BJ, wherever he was? Fear of the unknown or fear of Cudge—it was six of one and half dozen of the other.
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    It was mid afternoon when Lorrie and Davey left the reptile house. Lorrie took long gulps of fresh air to get over the creepy feeling the snakes had given her. Duffy frolicked at their feet, evidently glad to be outdoors even if she was confined to a leash.
    Lorrie glanced at her watch. “I think we’ve had enough zoo for one day. What do you say we head for the campground and set up camp?”
    â€œI didn’t like the smell in that snake house, did you, Aunt Lorrie?”
    â€œNo. It was awful,” she said with a shiver. “Are you tired, Davey?” she asked, noticing how slowly he was walking.
    â€œA little. But that sure was fun.” His voice was full of awe. “I think Duffy is more tired than I am. What are you cooking for dinner, Aunt Lorrie?”
    â€œHamburgers, baked beans, and cupcakes for dessert. How does that sound?” Lorrie asked, looking down at the little boy.
    â€œGreat. I love hamburgers with lots and lots of ketchup.”
    â€œClimb up then, and let’s head for camp,” Lorrie said as she unlocked the RV. “Next stop, Wild Adventure!”
    â€œDuffy and me, we’ll sit here at the table, okay?”
    Lorrie belted him in then headed for the driver’s seat. She followed the yellow exit arrows through the parking lot and, just before pulling out onto the highway, turned to check on Davey. He was sitting up, sound asleep, Duffy lying across his lap. She hoped she hadn’t overdone it. That brace was pretty heavy to lug around. Poor little guy. He was exhausted. She wondered if maybe she shouldn’t have left sooner.
    Lorrie shook away the bad thoughts and concentrated on the fun they’d had. She was acting like a mother hen, overprotective of her chick. It was just that she was so crazy about him she wanted to do everything right. She would hate to see Sara’s wrath if something went wrong.
    She turned off the highway into the campground and followed the signs to the office. The place looked pretty deserted and she wondered if maybe she shouldn’t find another campground, somewhere more of a year-round variety. On the other hand, the lack of people meant that she and Davey would have more of an opportunity to spend time together, without distractions.
    â€œWe’re here,” she called behind her as she turned the key in the ignition. In an instant, Davey went from being sound asleep to wide awake. Before Lorrie could get out of the driver’s seat, he had his seat belt unbuckled. “You wait here while I get us signed in and find out where our campsite is. Did you ever see such glorious colors?” she asked as she craned her neck to look at the giant trees with their spirals of autumn leaves.
    A few minutes later, Lorrie climbed back into the RV with a map and a card to hang from the rearview mirror. “I took a site at the far side of the pond.” The manager had told her she would be near an elderly couple from