Back to reality. I could only imagine what I looked like. I had wriggled into a pair of black leggings and running shoes in the back of the camper. Thank God I’d swiped some deodorant on. I took another swig of beer, smoothed my V-neck T-shirt, and straightened the small gold chain I always wore around my neck. Maddie wore the same one, with a tiny gold bumblebee charm on it. My phone buzzed with an incoming text.

“What are you thinking about? Your expression is all over the place.”

“It is?” I said.

“You would make a terrible con artist.”

“That’s fine, because I don’t often get pulled into the long con. The grifter life.” I tried a sideways peace sign to show how hip I was, and he shook his head. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and read Drew’s text.

BDREW: Yoo-hoo!

ME: Is Katie okay?

To Griff, I said, “This is my friend who is watching over Katie, Peanut’s mom. He promised to keep us all informed because our Katie will only say she is fine.”

“Carry on.” Griff gestured amicably to my phone.

BDREW: I’m with her. She’s sleeping now. Maybe call her in the morning.

ME: Has something changed since earlier?

I held my breath, my heart rate elevating.

BDREW: She’s feeling terrible about sending you guys to get Peanut.

Drew was with Katie right now. Sitting next to her bed. She was telling him her feelings about our friendship. I felt flush with satisfaction that I’d asked him for help, but I wanted to be the one with Katie. At the same time, I wanted to have Drew’s concern focused on my face, because apparently I was a greedy jerk.

ME: Drew. What else? Can I call you?

“Is everything okay? You don’t look happy,” Griff said quietly.

“I’m not sure. I think my friend isn’t doing that well, but I’m not getting enough information to know for sure.” I waited for the bouncing dots to turn into information, and I felt my vision telescope.

“Go ahead and call if you need to. I’ll give you some privacy,” said Griffin.

BDREW: I just left her. I have to meet a resident. But I can text.

I stood abruptly, wanting something to do. Something concrete. “Can I see Peanut? Get a photo. Maybe with me in it too?”

“Sure.” He stood, and his folding chair screeched against the floor. I followed him to Peanut’s room. “Today was his last day in isolation, so you can even pet him.”

“Thank God. We can leave soon.”

ME: I’m going to send a photo of me and Peanut.

BDREW: Good idea.

Griff unlocked the door to Peanut and Moose’s room, and the two dogs opened their eyes. Peanut angled his front paws in a comical parody of a human stretch. Griff crouched, and Moose stood and bumped his head against Griff’s knee.

“Hey, boy,” he said as he scratched the dog’s ears. “How’s your pal doing?”

Peanut stood slowly and moved in for some love. The dog hit Griff’s face with his long, pink, taffy-like tongue without effort. Griff wiped his mouth. “Peanut always hits me right between the lips. His aim is grossly good.”

I knelt down, and Peanut seemed to recognize me. He knocked me into the door with full doggie weight and enthusiasm. I let the dog lick my hands and bump his head against my shoulder. The noodles and beer in my stomach flip-flopped, and I wished I hadn’t eaten.

“Careful, Peanut.” Griff stood and pulled Peanut by his collar just enough to contain him. “You’re going to get slimed. He has a lot of saliva.”

I was about to stand, but Moose rolled onto my lap. I took him in my arms. Peanut, out of respect for his friend, sat on his haunches and retracted his tongue. He looked like a very intelligent anthropology student observing another culture. Their two bodies pressed against mine made a warm body blanket that ramped up my desire to get this luxury home to Katie.

“Hey, Moose. You want to come home with us? Meet my friend Katie?” I touched his sleek fur, like that of a baby seal. “I’d bet cash money that any saliva dropped onto this guy’s fur beads up and rolls right off.” I handed Griff my phone and said, “Take a picture, and I’ll send it to my friends.” I scooted over to Peanut, and all three of us smiled at the camera, my attempt at joy the shakiest of all. “Wait!” I grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around us to hide the worst areas of Peanut’s shaved fur and pink skin.

“You look like a small manger scene,” Griff said and aimed the phone. He examined the picture and said, “Look how cute you all are!”

I peered at our faces on the screen. Peanut had the radiant white-toothed smile of the Great Pyrenees. Moose looked anxious but happy.

“Wow, I should wear dogs and a blanket more often.” Something about that picture lit a fire in me.

I sent it to Drew, and to Katie so she’d see it when she woke.

BDREW: Wow. Nice. When will you get here?

ME: We leave tomorrow or the next day with Peanut. I’m talking to the vet right now.

“Griff. You’ve got to get us out of here. We’ve got to go.” It was Holly.

Clenching my teeth, I pulled up her number and texted: You’re right. We’ve got to go.

BDREW: Atta girl.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP.

Griffin saw the determined look on my face. “We’ll finish the paperwork tomorrow. Give Peanut one more bag of IV fluid. Both dogs ate dinner tonight, which is big. They hadn’t been eating well.” He had his hands in his front pockets and looked like he was in professional mode.

“Good.” I rubbed my hands on my thighs. “Can you drive me down to the cabin? I have to talk to the others.”

He nodded, and as we walked into the dry evening air, he said, “You’ll need dog food. I’ll give you a kit with insulin, et cetera. I’ll make a list and get their meds and supplies together.”

We made our way down the canyon, the tires bumping in the ruts. “Thank you so much. I know we haven’t been the most gracious group.”

The van banked as he pulled into the gravel drive, the headlights hitting the sagebrush. “You’re wrong there.”

I never knew what to do with a compliment, and my shyness intensified; I didn’t know how to react to Griffin’s attention. “I wish we had more time here, but I also wish we could leave tonight.”

“Me too,” he said, and I stole a glance at him. It was nice to be liked for something other than being a responsible parent at bake sales. I wondered how much I was creating in my head.

I slid out of the van, and the dark night covered me like a cloak as the lights of Griff’s van swung away and receded. I walked toward the front door of our cabin, the grinding gravel and occasional chirp and rustle of wildlife the only sounds in the air. I smelled cigarette smoke, and as my eyes acclimated, I saw the outline of Summer, seated at the café table on the front porch.

“You smoke? Summer, I am seriously shocked.”

“Don’t judge. You think it’s easy to look emaciated for the paparazzi every day? You have to smoke to make it work.”

Holly would have pointed out that there were no publicity hounds at Best Friends trying to catch Summer the celebrity being just like us. They hug puppies! But I was nicer than Holly. Clearly.

Summer offered me a cigarette, and I said, “No, thanks. Is Holly in there?” I gestured to the cabin door.

“Yup.” Summer texted and held it up for me to read.

Holly get your ass out here.

“You’re brave, Summer.”

I saw her lift her chin and exhale out of the side of her mouth. “So, the vet, huh? Solid choice.”

“I’m rolling my eyes at you.”

“Why? Why not have some fun? You’re away from home. Stuck here. No responsibilities. Single. You could do worse than the vet. My guy at the pig house grew a beard. I barely recognized him.” She took another puff on her cigarette. “Did you know that all potbellied pigs grow up to be full-blown porkers? That’s why they end up here. The potbelly grows up to be a full-on pig, and people give up their beloved, smart, hungry pet.” The night breeze shifted, the cigarette smoke returned, and Summer waved it away. “But we were talking about you and the vet.”

“Should I let him have his way with me on one of the exam tables?” Drew, not Griffin, popped into my mind, and I didn’t chase him out.

“That might be chilly, but sure. Why not?”

“I was kidding! Oh my God.” I was glad she wasn’t looking at me; my face felt warm.

“I never kid about sex. Sex is wizardry that keeps the old lady parts fresh. If you can get a young man, their jism is magic. It’s the fountain of youth.”

“Rein it in, Summer. I am not going to sit out here and talk about sperm and how I should be using it in my skin care regimen.”

“Not on your skin, girlie. Sex with a young guy is like a shot of stem-cell sorcery right in your hot pocket.”

“The mother in me can only think of a safe sex reply about condoms.” But that wasn’t true; I thought about Drew’s hands on my phone.

Two cabins down, an outside light came on, and a man emerged with a dog on a leash. He walked in a circle with the large buff-colored dog and then went back inside, leaving the light on.