Page 61 of A Line in the Sand

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Ethel, Opal, and Mavis all nodded. They started spreading out, forming a barrier around the nest with their walkers and pompons while Max knelt in the sand and gently covered the exposed eggs.

Ursula preened in Molly’s arms until Max stood, brushed the sand from his hands, and flashed her a wink. The dog was clearly besotted. Molly couldn’t altogether blame her.

“You don’t really think she knew the nest was down there, do you?” Opal studied Ursula’s sweet face. The puppy sneezed, spraying sand everywhere.

“She does like to dig,” Ethel said, wiping damp sand from her purple glasses with the hem of her Turtle Team T-shirt. “She was bound to stumble upon a sea turtle nest at some point.”

“Unless,” Max said quietly as he glanced from Ursula to the nest and back again.

“Unless what?” Molly’s breath quickened. Of everyone assembled, the last person she’d expect to get on board with the genius theory was Max. But she couldn’t deny that he’d suddenly started looking at Ursula in a whole new light.

Max drew in a long breath and then shook his head as if he couldn’t believe what he was about to say. “Unless she’s scent tracking sea turtle eggs.”

Opal’s eyes went wide. “You mean, like, on purpose?”

“Yes.” Max shrugged. “It’s a possibility. Dogs scent track all sorts of things—drugs, bombs, missing people.”

“I read a story on the internet a while back about dogs that can sniff out medical problems, like low blood sugar and cancer. Some dogs can even predict seizures.” Molly was breathless at the idea that Ursula could possibly rank right up there with these talented canine Einsteins.

The Charlie’s Angels all turned to look at Max, clearly expecting him to shoot down this crazy-pants theory.

But to Molly’s complete and utter delight, he didn’t.

“Think about it.” He shrugged again. “She always sniffs the air when she’s in the sea turtle hospital. Since Molly’s been bringing Ursula to work since she got her, the pup is well acquainted with the scent. She could be naturally tracking it out in the world.”

Molly’s head spun. If Max was right, this could be huge. It could also mean that Ursula hadearnedher place at the aquarium. She might even have a more important role there than Molly.

Mavis and Ethel both frowned in Ursula’s direction. Except for Molly, the only other believer seemed to be Opal. And even she looked a tad dubious.

Molly tried not to feel wounded, but really? They should have been Ursula’s biggest cheerleaders. They already had the pompons and everything.

“But how do you know for certain that’s what Ursula is doing?” Mavis asked.

“Because he’s right. Max is a scientist, and Ursula is an ecological hero.”Notan ecological menace. Big difference. Huge. “Isn’t she, Max?”

She wanted to hear him say it. She might even need him to embroider it on throw pillows so she could sell them on Etsy.

“She could be, but like Mavis and Ethel said, we don’t know that for certain.” Max gave Molly one of the lopsided smiles she’d missed so much lately. Her heart did a little somersault in her chest. “But there’s one surefire way to find out.”

***

By the time Max and Nate made another mad dash to the aquarium, returning with stakes, spools of neon nylon tape, and a triangular sign that read Sea Turtle Nest, Do Not Disturb, the party at the dog beach had cleared out.

Max was grateful for the peace and quiet. His thoughts were screaming loud enough without the added distraction of the music, crowds, and barking of countless canine beach bums.

Little Ursula could scent track sea turtle eggs. Who would have thought?

Certainly not Max. Even now he told himself not to get his hopes up. Common sense—not to mention Max’s prevailing sense of logic—told him that the Cavalier’s discovery of the nest was just a happy accident. Daydreaming about the aquarium’s sea turtle nesting identification program resting on the tiny shoulders of a spoiled spaniel puppy wasn’t prudent. He shouldn’t have mentioned scent tracking at all until he’d had a chance to go back and examine all the spots where he’d seen Ursula digging. Molly was already acting as if her dog was Lassie reincarnated. He didn’t want her to be disappointed if he’d been wrong.

Who was he kidding? She wouldn’t just be disappointed. Molly would be devastated. Max definitely should have kept his thoughts to himself. Wasn’t that one of the fundamentals of the scientific method? A hypothesis required rigorous testing before it could be considered truth. Scientists knew better than to trust hunches or intuition.

But thinking back on Ursula’s past behavior made goosebumps slide along the back of his neck, especially the way her little nose quivered whenever she was in the sea turtle hospital. She’d been relentless about digging that hole today. Max just knew she’d been attracted to the smell of the eggs. It had to be true.

The Charlie’s Angels entertained Ursula, the star of the hour, while Molly and Nate helped Max drive stakes around the nest and mark it off with the neon tape so beachgoers would know to leave the area alone.

“I wish there was a way to know when the eggs might hatch,” Molly said as they tied off the last bit of tape.

“The incubation period lasts anywhere from forty-five to seventy days.” Max studied the freshly patted down sand and shook his head. “Unfortunately, without anyone seeing the turtle tracks after the nest was initially made, there’s no way of knowing how long the eggs have been down there.”