Page 27 of Classroom Confessions

Two men sat in front of the house across the street, their backs to the wall and facing outward. The walk sign flashed and I ran toward them. “Excuse me, have you seen this dog? He got out sometime today while I was at school.”

“Did he have on a little green collar?” The man on the left closed one eye and tilted his head. “I saw one with a green collar a few hours ago. Went that way.” He pointed further down the road, toward David’s house and the coffee shop.

“Thanks.” I hurried away, dialing Lily.

“Damn, girl. Have you seen your stats? Your story is blowing people away.”

“Fitz is missing,” I wailed into the phone. Lily would understand. My book mattered, but Fitz was more important.

Lily let out a long exhale. “I’m at work. I’ll keep an eye out here. He might try to follow your scent to the shop.”

I rounded the corner into the subdivision and skidded to a stop.

David stood in front of me, still wearing his jacket from class. “What’s wrong?” His gaze skimmed over my body in a flash. “Are you hurt?”

“Fitz is missing.” I couldn’t seem to say anything else.

“Who’s that?” Lily demanded in my ear.

I couldn’t look away from David. “It’s David. I almost ran into him looking for Fitz.”

“Is he going to help you look?”

David nodded. “I’ll help.”

“Good. I have a customer, but as soon as they’re gone, I’ll go outside and check around the building.”

“Thanks, Lily.” I hung up and walked around David, giving him a wide berth. “You don’t have to help.”

“I said I would.” He fell in step beside me, hands in his pockets and staring straight ahead. “How long has he been missing?”

“I don’t know.” Knowing I’d spent two hours working on my book while Fitz suffered who knew what outside slapped me hard and fast, almost knocking the breath from my lungs. “He was gone when I got home, but I didn’t realize it.”

Calm as ever, David pulled out his phone. “I’ll call the local shelter. Maybe someone found him and took him there. Have you called the closest vet?”

No, I hadn’t. When my shoulders shook and I almost dropped my phone, David stopped and faced me.

His hand landed on my shoulder and stayed there, a single point of comfort in a storm of chaos. “We’ll find him.”

I kept my trembling lips under control and nodded, then sucked up my emotions and dialed the vet’s office. Minutes later, we both hung up. “No luck?”

He tapped around on his phone. “Not yet. I’m not giving up, though. I’m calling Cole. He’ll help, and he might have some ideas of places to look. He works at the shelter sometimes, so he’ll know where dogs like to go around here.”

“Stray dogs,” I reminded him. “Fitz is a small, scared, inside dog who has no idea that he’s nothing more than a meal for those big dogs. He thinks every person he meets is a friend and wouldn’t hesitate to go home with anyone who offered him a scrap of food even though I feed him like a prince.” The words tangled, strangling me.

“Don’t give up on him.” David pulled me into a completely innocent side hug. “He’s a tough little guy. The night I found him, he was barking his head off at a cat sitting up on the fence. He’s fearless, but I don’t think he’ll find much trouble in this neighborhood.” He waved his free hand around us. “It’s a pretty calm place.”

He was right about that. Each house we passed had a small lot of grass in the front, along with a few trees scattered around. The sidewalks were smooth, and though the roads were busy, everyone drove carefully.

That would change the closer we got to the coffee shop. If Fitz made it out of the neighborhood and into the section of the city where I worked, I might never see him again. My overactive imagination took off, leading me down every possible scenario.

Cole pulled up alongside us, his taxi driver eyeing his surroundings cautiously. “Thanks.” Cole paid and hopped out. “How far have you made it?”

“Just from my house to here.” I pointed over my shoulder at the corner where my apartment building remained visible in the receding light. “He’s never been outside all night before. We have to find him.”

“There are a few places I can check.” Cole stuffed a hand into his hair and turned sideways. “I’ll check that way. Meet me at the corner.”

“Sure. Call if you find him.” David kept his hand on my shoulder.

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