Page 73 of Sneak Attack

Sarah picked her up and frowned down at me. “You going to be okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

I always was.

“Okay, but you know, I liked having dinner with you and Nora the other night. If you ever need a friend or anything, feel free to call me.”

“Thanks, Sarah.”

She kicked her shoe against my foot. “I mean it. It can’t be easy being back here, and Nora and I are around if I’m not visiting Jeremiah. Don’t hesitate.”

It’d been a long time since I’d had a good group of girlfriends. It hadn’t been easy for me to be around people for so long, and then it became easier not to try, but while I was in Marysville and with potential drama from Selma growing, having friends might not be a bad thing.

“Maybe next week you and Nora can come to Marley’s? She’d love the company, and she goes to bed early so we could sit out back and have a couple drinks?”

“Nora and I will bring McLaughlin’s to you two. It’s a date.”

I gave one last head scrub to Lucy before she left and I promised Sarah I’d call if I needed her before then.

Once she was gone, I looked down at the puppies, most of which were starting to curl into balls and rest in massive doggy piles. I took them back, two or three at a time, depending on their size, and settled them in their kennels. It was almost time to head out, but before I did, I wanted to say hello and goodbye to one of the day’s visitors I hadn’t yet spent time with.

Almost immediately, Bongo ran right at me and jumped up, his front paws landing on my thighs.

“Hey there, boy.” I scrubbed his ears, and he barked.

His paws and undercoat were soaking wet telling me he’d spent plenty of time in one of the play pools and I laughed when he decided to shake his water off him—and all over me.

I was flinging water off my hands when a boy, who had to be at least sixteen, who I’d met but couldn’t remember, came over. “Sarah come and take one of the puppies?”

“Yeah. Lucy found her home.”

“That’s good.” He rocked on his heels and the braids he had in his dark hair swayed. “Say, you know Cole, right?”

“Pardon?” My brows jumped on my forehead.

“Yeah. Suzie said it seemed like y’all knew each other last week or something. Am I wrong?”

“No.” I laughed off my surprised reaction. “Sorry, it’s…I don’t get asked that often, but yeah. I know him. Why?”

“Oh, well…” He shifted his weight again, eyes slipping to Bongo, the door to inside. His nerves were palpable. “It’s just, well, I’m a fan, and I play, but I don’t really know him well and don’t want to bother him, so I was just, well wondering if you could get an autograph for me?”

Well, nowthatwas not what I was expecting, from anyone in Marysville. “He’s a really nice guy, you know. He’d love to talk to you himself, especially if you play.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not as great as he was, or is, and I’m better with dogs than people, I guess.”

Now that, I understood more than he could know, and I chuckled. “Me too. What’s your name?”

A grin split his face, showing off a full set of white teeth behind his tan lips. “Jacoby, but everyone calls me Jake.”

“All right, Jake. I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks, Eden. Thanks a lot.” He bounded off to the far corner of the fenced-in play yard.

I smiled down at Bongo. “Your dad probably gets this a lot, huh?”

He nuzzled my thigh as a voice came through the speaker.

“Bongo’s family is here for him. Can someone please bring him out?”

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