as she watched him cross the street and slip around the back of the house to the screened-in porch. Shelby closed the door and shut off the light. She could hear Scarlett barking softly from her grandmother's room and hoped Alice wouldn’t wake up. In the kitchen she filled bowls with dog food and water and brought them to her room in case Mutt woke up.
It was too dark to wander down the lake path to Mrs. Williams' home, and the mist would make the walk slippery. The dog had probably escaped again, looking for food. She knew her grandmother would be up in a few more hours and would know what to do. Shelby went back into her bed and set her phone alarm, hoping to get a little more sleep. Mutt was curled up at her feet, lightly snoring. He seemed content, Shelby assured herself. Warm covers, full belly, and thanks to Gabe he was safe.
She slept for a few hours then checked on Mutt again. The dog was bundled up against her and in a deep sleep. It almost looked like there was a smile on his face. She propped up in bed and watched the early morning sun trickle through her blinds. There was no sleeping now. What if Mrs. Williams...? She tried not to let her mind go there. And what about poor Mutt? Gabe had looked heartbroken. Dried tears had stained his face. He must have wiped them with a dirty hand; they looked permanently embedded in his cheek. Finally, she heard her grandmother's door open and the familiar sound of letting Scarlett out for her morning routine in the yard.
Shelby threw some clothes on, then made sure Mutt was still asleep before shutting the bedroom door behind her. She didn't want Mutt coming out, just in case he and Scarlett didn't get along.
"What are you doing up?" Alice said when she opened the front door. “And dressed?"
"Something happened," Shelby said. "Do you remember when I told you about Mrs. Williams and her dog Mutt? The one that showed up the Fourth of July?"
"Yes, I do. I mentioned it to Eleanor because she is still involved with social services. She said Meals on Wheels were delivering to her and she would put in a request for a wellness check as well.” Alice paused. “Why, what happened?”
"A few hours ago, Gabe showed up at my window holding a pretty ragged-looking Mutt. Gabe was worried when the dog woke him, crying outside their screened-in porch.”
"How did the dog know to go there?" Alice asked. She let Scarlett off the leash and took a seat in her recliner.
"Gabe likes to sleep out there,” she said. Of course he would, Shelby thought. That way he can spend more time with Mutt when he shows up looking for food. “Actually, he’d been sneaking Mutt food for a while as well as helping Mrs. Williams out."
Alice frowned. “Where is Gabe now?”
"Gabe was pretty worried, but I made him go back to bed. I told him we'd check on Mrs. Williams as soon as you woke up. I wasn’t sure what to do. Should we call 911?"
Shelby’s stomach growled. A hot cup of coffee would be welcome, but it could wait until they figured this out.
Alice shook her head. "That's probably panicking. I think what we should do is put Mutt on a leash and walk him back to Mrs. Williams’ house and check on her before we make any decisions."
"Agreed," Shelby said. "I'll get the dog and my cell phone." When she got into the room, Mutt was awake. Tail wagging, he was munching food and looked happy to see her. A small wet spot on her floor alerted her that he’d probably needed to be let out. He was used to having a doggy door. She did a quick clean up while Mutt finished his breakfast.
Shelby was elated her grandmother was there to help figure this out. She put the dog on the leash, and he scrambled into the living room to meet Scarlett. They sniffed and circled, then seemed satisfied to ignore each other after. At the door, Scarlett barked after them, hoping to come too. But it was best to leave her behind for now.
“Thanks for coming,” Shelby said.
“Of course. You could have woken me last night,” Alice said.
Shelby wasn’t used to having someone who was truly there for her day and night, especially in a crisis situation like this. It was usually her mother waking Shelby