didn’t see the dog anywhere. And Avery was right, Jack’s pickup was gone.
Betty stood on the street, looking at Jack’s house and wondering if he might’ve possibly kidnapped the dog and then dumped him somewhere. Perhaps he’d been irked at the dog for wandering into his yard and relieving himself on the grass.
“Hey, Betty,” Katie called out as she took her mail out of the box.
Betty waved and smiled. “I thought you’d have taken the girls to your mother’s by now.”
Katie came down the walk toward her. “That was the plan. But then my mother came down with that nasty flu, and I didn’t want the girls to be exposed to it.”
“I understand.” Betty nodded, then frowned as she glanced over at Jack’s house again. Just what was that man up to anyway? Had he taken the dog? And, if so, how would Avery react?
“Is something wrong?” Katie looked worried. “Tell me, Betty, has Jack done something again?”
Instead of voicing her concerns about Jack’s interest in her granddaughter, Betty quickly explained about the missing dog. “He’s shown up at Jack’s more than once, so I thought maybe he’d be there today.”
“You still have that dog? I saw all those dog posters around, and I figured the owners must’ve called you by now.”
“No.” Betty shook her head. “And I’m not sure what to do about it. My granddaughter, who’s staying with me right now, is getting very attached to the mutt, but we will most definitely have to find a home for him soon.”
“You mean if you find him at all.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” Betty sighed. “He’s a nice little dog, but he’s also a bit of a nuisance with all this running-off business.”
“I know what you mean.” Katie pulled her knit hat down over her ears. “We had a runaway cat for a while—every time Fiona took off, the girls’ hearts were just broken. I could hardly stand it. I’d waste hours on end just hunting all over for her.”
“I remember,” Betty said. “She was a little black and white cat. Sometimes she’d be in my yard.”
Katie nodded. “We got her spayed and everything, but it made no difference. She had absolutely no sense of boundaries. She’d be gone for a week and we’d be almost ready to give up on her, then she’d come home again. Naturally, the girls would be deliriously happy, and for a while everything would be fine. And then foolish Fiona would pull her little disappearing act again. I finally decided it was in the best interest of the girls’ emotional welfare if that crazy cat was gone for good.” Katie had a sly expression now. “The next time she ran away . . . she never came back.”
Betty blinked.
“I simply took her to the pound, Betty. And I told them that the cat needed to be out on a farm where she could roam freely.”
“How did the girls feel about not seeing Fiona again?”
“Naturally, they were sad. But they got over it. In the long run, it was really the kindest solution. Better to deal with these things early on—less pain that way.”
Betty nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Anyway, I’ll let you know if I see your funny little dog around,” Katie said.
Betty placed a hand on Katie’s arm. “Say, I’ll bet your girls would love to get a dog for Christmas.”
Katie just laughed. “A runaway dog, Betty? Weren’t you listening?”
“Well, I thought it was worth a try.”
“Thanks anyway.”
They parted ways, and Betty made a mental note to take the Gilmores a cookie plate—a small consolation for being stuck in this neighborhood during the holidays.
Betty walked up and down the street one more time, calling and looking, but with no luck. As she walked, she replayed Katie’s story about the runaway Fiona. Maybe Katie was right about this. Maybe it was better to just get it over with, get rid of the dog before anyone—specifically, Avery—had time to become too attached. Yes, it made perfect sense. And if she were lucky, the dog would go away
Betty stood on the street, looking at Jack’s house and wondering if he might’ve possibly kidnapped the dog and then dumped him somewhere. Perhaps he’d been irked at the dog for wandering into his yard and relieving himself on the grass.
“Hey, Betty,” Katie called out as she took her mail out of the box.
Betty waved and smiled. “I thought you’d have taken the girls to your mother’s by now.”
Katie came down the walk toward her. “That was the plan. But then my mother came down with that nasty flu, and I didn’t want the girls to be exposed to it.”
“I understand.” Betty nodded, then frowned as she glanced over at Jack’s house again. Just what was that man up to anyway? Had he taken the dog? And, if so, how would Avery react?
“Is something wrong?” Katie looked worried. “Tell me, Betty, has Jack done something again?”
Instead of voicing her concerns about Jack’s interest in her granddaughter, Betty quickly explained about the missing dog. “He’s shown up at Jack’s more than once, so I thought maybe he’d be there today.”
“You still have that dog? I saw all those dog posters around, and I figured the owners must’ve called you by now.”
“No.” Betty shook her head. “And I’m not sure what to do about it. My granddaughter, who’s staying with me right now, is getting very attached to the mutt, but we will most definitely have to find a home for him soon.”
“You mean if you find him at all.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” Betty sighed. “He’s a nice little dog, but he’s also a bit of a nuisance with all this running-off business.”
“I know what you mean.” Katie pulled her knit hat down over her ears. “We had a runaway cat for a while—every time Fiona took off, the girls’ hearts were just broken. I could hardly stand it. I’d waste hours on end just hunting all over for her.”
“I remember,” Betty said. “She was a little black and white cat. Sometimes she’d be in my yard.”
Katie nodded. “We got her spayed and everything, but it made no difference. She had absolutely no sense of boundaries. She’d be gone for a week and we’d be almost ready to give up on her, then she’d come home again. Naturally, the girls would be deliriously happy, and for a while everything would be fine. And then foolish Fiona would pull her little disappearing act again. I finally decided it was in the best interest of the girls’ emotional welfare if that crazy cat was gone for good.” Katie had a sly expression now. “The next time she ran away . . . she never came back.”
Betty blinked.
“I simply took her to the pound, Betty. And I told them that the cat needed to be out on a farm where she could roam freely.”
“How did the girls feel about not seeing Fiona again?”
“Naturally, they were sad. But they got over it. In the long run, it was really the kindest solution. Better to deal with these things early on—less pain that way.”
Betty nodded. “That makes sense.”
“Anyway, I’ll let you know if I see your funny little dog around,” Katie said.
Betty placed a hand on Katie’s arm. “Say, I’ll bet your girls would love to get a dog for Christmas.”
Katie just laughed. “A runaway dog, Betty? Weren’t you listening?”
“Well, I thought it was worth a try.”
“Thanks anyway.”
They parted ways, and Betty made a mental note to take the Gilmores a cookie plate—a small consolation for being stuck in this neighborhood during the holidays.
Betty walked up and down the street one more time, calling and looking, but with no luck. As she walked, she replayed Katie’s story about the runaway Fiona. Maybe Katie was right about this. Maybe it was better to just get it over with, get rid of the dog before anyone—specifically, Avery—had time to become too attached. Yes, it made perfect sense. And if she were lucky, the dog would go away
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