Return to Virgin River (Virgin River #19) - Robyn Carr Page 0,42

she was and listened; she didn’t know what to do. If she lost Landry’s dog she’d be mortified. She didn’t want to follow him. She stood paralyzed but in a moment he came bounding back, excited. He barked at her and she had no idea what that meant. Then he ran back into the trees. What if he’d cornered an animal? What if it was a bear? He came back again, jumped around in a circle, then ran again into the trees. “Otis!” He didn’t come back. “Otis, come!” she shouted. And she heard him bark.

She took a few careful, slow steps into the woods. Otis barked again and in another two steps she heard the faint sound of squeaking or peeping. Had he found some baby birds? If he found a batch of kittens, they would be going to the shelter. She wasn’t sure she had completely gotten used to Tux!

But there in front of her sat Otis. He was sitting beside a large half of a cardboard box and inside she saw the head of a dog peering out. A dog she didn’t know. She gasped and took a step back. The dog laid down its head. The squeaking continued and as she braved a step closer she saw that the source of the noise was puppies. She counted four of them. She didn’t dare get any closer for fear the dog would leap out of the box and attack her. Weren’t all animals severely protective of their young?

But the dog was a mama and she was lying down on her side with those puppies latched to her chest. And then she noticed that the dog was hooked up to a leash that was looped around a tree trunk. That dog wasn’t going anywhere. Upon taking another couple of steps closer, she saw that the dog was terribly thin; she could see her ribs. She was blonde, Kaylee had no idea the breed, but she had a long snout and big brown eyes. Sad eyes. She looked around for dishes of food or water but didn’t see any. She obviously couldn’t get away. Had this little family been left here to die? Now, who would do that with a no-kill shelter in the vicinity?

Kaylee pulled her water bottle out of her backpack and got down on one knee. “Hey there,” she said softly. “How are we gonna do this without a dish?” She opened the water, shaped her hand like a cup and poured a little bit of water into her palm. The dog lapped it up in a second, so she poured more. And she crooned, “That’s right, that should help a little.” After replenishing the water to her palm several times, the water bottle was empty. She tentatively gave the mama dog a gentle pat. “What am I supposed to do with you?”

The mother dog and her four puppies were too heavy in that box for her to lift them, so she went back out to the road. Of all days for Landry to be gone. She wasn’t sure who to call, but it didn’t take long for her to decide her wisest choice would be Jack Sheridan. He would at least know who could help her. She pulled her cell out of her back pocket and found his number.

“Hey, Jack, it’s Kaylee Sloan. I...ah...have a situation. I was taking a walk with Otis and he found a mother dog and four puppies. Tied to a tree.”

“You were taking a walk with who?”

“Landry’s dog. Otis. And Landry is gone for the day. He said he wouldn’t be home until late tonight. I don’t know what to do, but I think the mama dog and her babies were left to die. And Jack? I’m a little afraid of dogs. Okay, not a little. A lot. But she seems like a nice dog and I gave her some water. I don’t know what to do. Can you help me or tell me who to call?”

There was a moment of silence. “Where are you? I’ll come,” he finally said.

“I’m on the road that fronts Landry’s two houses. Maybe a half mile from his house. I’m standing out on the road.”

“I’ll be there in ten,” he said.

She looked at her watch, then stood on the road for a couple of minutes. Then she went gingerly back to the mama dog. Otis was in his down position, his front paws stretched out in front. He watched the mama dog closely, but