with a tray of hotdogs in his hand. She waved back, wondering how it was going for Gabe helping with Mrs. Williams and Mutt. Hopefully well.
The house, decorated with colorful flower arrangements and lit candles, was buzzing with people and laughter, so different from the quiet night of the full moon. They placed the cupcakes down on the counter, and a couple of servers, obviously hired for the night, removed the lid and carried the cupcakes outside. Alice and Shelby followed. Tables of various sizes were set up across the lawn, and twinkling lights draped across the trees. On the buffet tables there were lavish spreads of salads, stacks of buns, both white and wheat, platters of appetizers, and a separate dessert table. The aroma of savory barbeque wafted through the air, making Shelby’s stomach growl.
Standing by a brick outdoor oven and grill top was a familiar-looking, tall, dark-haired man in a white polo shirt with navy piping around the neck and sleeves and matching cargo shorts. His presence dominated the scene. Logan’s father. He had made it for the party after all.
"Oh, there's Theo." Alice waved toward him. “I think I'll go over and see how he’s doing.”
"Great idea, I’ll join you in a minute,” Shelby said, looking around for Logan. She knew he had to be somewhere nearby. He was probably down on the dock, away from the commotion. But she couldn’t see through the crowd to be sure.
She spotted the Redds near the dessert table. Happy to see a familiar face, Shelby walked over to see them placing a sheet-size cake with firework decorations on the table.
"Happy Fourth of July,” she said.
“Greetings, Shelby," Josh said. "First time I've seen you without a dog."
Shelby laughed. “Yeah, all the dogs are at home."
"I guess it’s not a dog-friendly affair," Steph said. “I’m sure Oscar is hoping for leftovers.”
“Not enough food, either,” Josh said, with a wink.
Steph gave him a light swat on the arm. “C’mon, you, let’s go get some dinner.”
Shelby wasn’t ready to eat yet. The sky was darkening, and outdoor lighting had come on along the paths and around the tables. She noticed Madison and her family speaking to Mr. DeLuca and hoped she could avoid running into them here. Shelby scanned the tables and found Eleanor and her husband sitting at one under a red umbrella. Her husband looked like he had just left the golf course, right down to the yellow and tan oxford shoes. But Eleanor looked as elegant as ever in a pale peach polished cotton pantsuit and her silver hair swept up into a French twist.
“Look who’s here,” Eleanor said as Shelby approached. “This is my husband, Charles.” A handsome man, with salt and pepper hair and kind brown eyes, reached out to shake Shelby’s hand. “I’ve heard wonderful things about you.” He pulled out a chair. “Why don’t you join us for a minute?”
“Yes, come sit with us,” Eleanor said. “Make sure you taste my cinnamon apple roses I baked. They’re on the dessert table.”
“Sounds amazing,” Shelby said.
Eleanor smiled. “You let me know what you think. Now tell us, how is your dog walking business coming along?"
"Excellent," Shelby said, raising her voice over the throng of people still arriving. In the distance, she could hear fireworks across the lake.
"We're all very excited about the new dog park. Aren’t we, Charles?”
Eleanor’s husband nodded. “Good job, Shelby. A real plus for our community."
Shelby's eyes wandered down toward the dock. Sure enough, sitting near the fire pit roasting hotdogs was Logan. Gabe, in a chef apron, had joined him. When she turned back to the table, Eleanor waved her away.
“Go on, be with the young ones. Have fun.”
Shelby said her goodbyes and approached Logan. "Need some help?"
"Sure thing." Logan handed her some hotdogs to put on the sticks to roast over an open fire.
"Oh, that smells so good," Shelby said. As people came over, she used tongs to place hotdogs on their plates. At an adjacent table were buns and every kind of fixing possible, from onions, to chili and cheese, to sauerkraut.
When the crowd thinned, Logan asked Gabe to take over so he and Shelby could eat. They loaded a few hotdogs on their plates and wandered over to dress them.
"What do you like on your dog?" Logan asked.
"I like everything," Shelby said. "Mustard, ketchup, onions, relish, cheese. No sauerkraut please.”
"Me too,” he said as they moved down the table. “This is my mom’s secret Fourth of July potato salad her friend Jude