worst possible news. With everything else that was going on, I couldn’t face a reality where Magnus had been chewed up by a mountain lion or coyote. I had to help look for him.
I headed out into the hills, following the well-trodden path that led down into the canyon nearest Noah’s house. I’d taken both Sunshine and Magnus down these trails many times. I didn’t know what made me think that I might be able to find him. There was definitely some magical thinking happening in my head where I saw myself leading Magnus back to Noah’s house and him instantly forgiving me. The reality was, there wasn’t a huge chance I would find him. But at least if I helped look and somebody else located him, maybe I’d get some credit?
I didn’t let myself think of the worst-case scenario, because it would take my already shattered heart and break the remaining pieces into smithereens. I loved Magnus too much. I loved Noah too much for anything to happen.
“Magnus!” I yelled, and I heard other voices at a distance also calling his name. I decided to head in the opposite direction of the other searchers, thinking I could help cover more ground that way.
Stopping for a moment, I called Shelby. When she answered I asked, “Magnus is missing and I’m out helping to look for him. Did you see him at all today?”
“What are you doing at Noah’s? No, that doesn’t matter if Magnus is missing. You can explain later. I haven’t seen him because I haven’t been to the house today. Isn’t he microchipped? Can’t you track him down that way?”
“It’s not a GPS tracker.” Although given Magnus’s history, Noah should probably get one for him. “It just means if someone finds him they can scan it and get Noah’s information to contact him.”
“Do you need me to come help you look?”
“No, there are a lot of people here.”
She asked me to keep her posted, and I told her I would.
I found myself heading down toward a stream that Sunshine particularly loved to splash around in. It was definitely off the beaten path. I kept calling Magnus’s name. It took me about twenty minutes to get there, and when I came over the ridge I saw—the stream. No Magnus like I’d hoped. I decided to press on, still yelling for him. I couldn’t hear anyone else’s voices, so it seemed like a good idea.
An hour later I was almost hoarse from saying his name, and I could feel the way my skin was burning under the sun. The sky was overcast and it was cooler, so I’d forgotten the very real need I had for sunscreen when I was outside this long.
I came to a stop. I was getting thirsty and burned. I’d have to head back. I tried one last time. “Magnus!”
Then I heard something. It sounded like a whimper. I called his name again, and this time there was a definite bark. I followed it and found Magnus, his collar caught in a bush. My heart leaped at the sight of him, so glad he was safe. And at the very least I could give Noah this.
“You naughty boy, why do you keep doing this?” I asked and hugged him tightly. He licked my face in response, his tail wagging, and he seemed very happy to see me.
It took me a second to get him free, as he’d really managed to tangle himself up in the thorny vegetation. When I got him loose, I held on to his collar, but he sat and didn’t seem in a hurry to go anywhere. “Let me check you out.”
I wasn’t a vet or anything, but he didn’t seem to be bleeding, which I figured was a good sign. “Are you okay?” I asked, and he just looked up at me with doggy love in his eyes, and I hugged him again.
It took me a while to get him back to Noah’s, because I could only walk so fast hunched over and hanging on to Magnus’s collar. I couldn’t risk him running off again, and who knew if he had been properly chastened by his adventure or if he was ready for another one?
Someone spotted me as I got closer to the main trail and called out, “There he is! Magnus!”
I saw Noah running over a crest, skidding down until he came to a stop in front of us. I couldn’t catch my breath looking at him. It had been so