Page 12 of Beautiful Dreamer

She covered her eyes with one hand. “Greta, what am I doing hereright now?”

“I think something larger than you might be responsible.”

“Maybe,” Elizabeth said, and then frowned. “I don’t like thinkingabout her out there all on her own.”

Greta leaned against the wall outside the run. “I imagine shedidn’t like it much either.” She paused. “Something about this one, though.She’s special.”

“She is, isn’t she?” Elizabeth said. The dog looked up at her andsighed, her whole body going slack, as if she realized that she could finallyrelax.

“Does this mean you’re taking her?”

“Oh,” Elizabeth said, caught. She’d stopped at the shelter on awhim. To make sure the dog was okay. She looked down into the big brown eyesthat blinked back at her, and relented. No, that wasn’t true. Greta was right.Something had pulled at her,madeher stop. But that didn’t mean she was instantly equipped for a pet. “I’m notsure about that. I’m…a little confused on what I should do here. Today was veryunexpected, and I’m tired and emotional and—”

“Why don’t you take her for the night?” Greta offered, gently.“You could both use a little rest, I think. Maybe in the morning, you’ll have astronger grasp on where your head is at.”

“I could do that? Borrow a dog?”

“Sure. I’ll fill out the paperwork for a foster.” There was asparkle in Greta’s eye as she said it. Yep. She was playing matchmaker, whichwas what she did best. “Just need you to sign it on your way out the door. I’llhandle the rest.”

“Okay.” The word was out before Elizabeth had considered it. Buthonestly, one night wasn’t going to hurt anybody. Greta passed her a leash fromthe wall and Elizabeth slipped the loop around the dog’s neck. “Wanna get outof here with me?” she whispered. The thumping of the dog’s tail against her legwas a good enough answer.

“What should we call her?” Greta asked, opening the door for them.

Elizabeth had no clue. She was already so far ahead of herself.She stared at the happy dog, now turning in slow circles in the hallway,anticipating her freedom. She was getting sprung and knew it.

“What about Scout?” Elizabeth asked. “Not only one of my favoriteliterary characters, but also? That’s kind of what she did for us today.”

“Looks like a Scout to me,” Greta said.

Scout shook her entire back end in agreement and smiled once more.It was the most peculiar thing, the smiling. She’d never seen a dog do thatbefore.

They followed Greta back to the office, where she loaded Elizabethup with tons of temporary supplies. Food, bowls, toys, and a blanket. “Call mewith questions and we’ll see where your head is at tomorrow. Sound good?”

Elizabeth realized she was a crazy person with no business takinga dog home in the middle of the night on an emotion-fueled whim, but that wasapparently who she was now, a lunatic. “Um…sure. Sounds good.”

Greta put her hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “You’re going to befine.”

Just twenty minutes later, she wasn’t sure she would be. There wasan actual dog in her bedroom. With her. She loved dogs. Adored them, but hadnever had one of her own before. She changed into her pajamas. Scout stillstared. “Should we get some sleep?” she asked.

She fluffed the blanket she’d earlier folded into a fluffy squarebeside her bed. Scout eyed it and whined quietly, not moving. “It’s reallycomfy. Why don’t you give it a shot?”

Elizabeth pulled back the comforter for herself and slipped intobed. She hesitated before turning off the light, hoping Scout would settle in.The dog blinked but still didn’t move. “No?” she asked, looking around forideas. Anything to make Scout feel more comfortable, so maybe she’d curl up andthey could both get some much-needed sleep. She didn’t get very far, becauseScout approached the bed tentatively and pawed at the side. She was askingpermission, Elizabeth realized, and her heart was gone. Given in earnest to thefour-legged white ball of love that wanted to sleep next to her.

She scooted back from the side of the bed, leaving a space, andpatted the spot next to her. Without delay, Scout jumped up on the bed,stretched out alongside Elizabeth, and let out a long-contented sigh. “Okay.So, it’s going to be like that? You like people, and you’re a cuddler. I’mlearning you.”

They stayed like that, snuggled up and warm, until Elizabeth felther eyes grow heavy. She did her best to release the stressful events of thelast twenty-four hours. She found it easier to do so with Scout there with her.She gave the dog the smallest squeeze and kissed her head.

“I think you might be home,” Elizabeth whispered, and felt herselfdrift into peaceful oblivion.

Chapter Six

This was too difficult to wrap her mind around. Devyn squeezed hereyes closed and opened them again, desperately hoping that the image in frontof her would shift from the crumpled person in the bed with tubes and monitorscoming off her from several locations. It didn’t. She bit the inside of hercheek and blinked.

Jill didn’t look like herself, and the horror shook Devyn into anemotional puddle. Her sister’s face was swollen and red and purple, as were herhands, which looked a little too big. Devyn picked one up and held it to herchest, listening to the beep, beep, beep of the nearby monitor while fearvibrated off every inch of her. Her older sister, always so calm and happy, incontrol of any situation, now lay lifeless and battered in the dim light of anintensive care hospital room. It seemed so impossible, yet here they were. Theunthinkable had happened. The hospital staff had told her Jill wouldn’t wake upuntil probably the next day. They’d sedated her, which would allow her injuriesto heal, while they assessed if there’d been any major trauma to her head.

A few hours later, the imaging showed that, thank God, there hadn’tbeen. At least that was what the doctor, KC’s husband, had explained as he’dgone over the large volume of scans in way too much detail for her brain tofollow. She’d looked around for Elizabeth to help her translate, but she’dgiven Devyn some space to spend time with her sister and had gone home for thenight.

Bottom line, Jill was in bad shape, but she would heal.

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