a minute to spare, she slipped on her tennis shoes and assured Scarlett she’d be back soon. When she reached the walkway to Mindy's house, Karma must have heard her coming. She could hear her whining behind the door.
Mindy opened the door looking refreshed and ready to go in her jogging clothes and her hair in a neat braid. "You can see how anxious Karma is to go for a W-A-L-K,” Mindy said.
"Come here, sweetheart," Shelby said, leaning down to pet Karma, who was panting with excitement. “We’ll take you. Don’t worry.”
"I really don't know what I'd do without her. She’s the best companion ever.” Mindy strolled across the living room floor. "Look at this, me walking. Next thing you know, I'll be running again.”
“Today we’ll take it slow," Shelby said with a smile.
“Whatever you say,” Mindy said. She closed the door behind them as they stepped outside.
Shelby put a leash on Karma and helped Mindy down the steps of the front porch. They walked toward the park overlooking the lake. Mindy was slow, and Karma was anxious to get going. She sniffed the ground and checked the trees for squirrels.
The town was buzzing with people. August was their biggest tourist month and every type of lodging was filled to capacity. Shelby had heard Steph talking about hiring another person just until after Labor Day.
“Let’s walk over to the park,” Shelby said. “A bit more shade and quiet.”
Mindy nodded. “I heard the sirens the other day and asked my neighbor what had happened. She told me about Mrs. Williams. Do you know how she is?”
"Sadly, she fell and broke her hip,” Shelby said.
"That's going to be a long recovery,” Mindy said. “I feel bad for her.”
"If it wasn’t for her dog, who knows when she would have been found.”
“She has a dog?” Mindy asked.
“Remember the dog that came to the Delucas’ on Fourth of July? That was Mutt, Mrs. Williams’ dog. She was living all alone out there except for Mutt. Gabe is taking care of the dog for now.”
Mindy put one foot slowly in front of the other. "A dog by your side can make all the difference,” she said. “I wish my parents would understand that. They never let us have a pet when we were growing up.” Mindy sighed. “It's hard to stand up to my parents, but that's what I’ve been doing. Sometimes you have to risk everything to get what you really want."
Shelby gasped. "That's exactly what I've been thinking."
They walked in silence for a few minutes until they reached a bench. “Short rest,” Shelby said. It felt strange sitting on what she thought of as “Theo's bench.” They looked out at the bright turquoise water. Karma curled up at Mindy’s feet, but her eyes kept watch on every passerby.
"And how have you been doing?” Mindy asked.
Shelby felt confident confiding in Mindy, and told her the story of her mother calling and the possibility of having to move to Florida soon.
“Sounds like your mother is trying to include you and make a better life.”
She hesitated, not sure she wanted Mindy to know the full extent of her difficult and unstable life. No one here knew much about Shelby’s past besides her grandmother and Logan.
"That’s one way to look at it," Shelby said. “My mother has a history of moving us relentlessly from place to place. Only once was I allowed to have a dog. We had a little house with a small fenced backyard, and my mother's job was finally going well, so she told me I could have one. We went to the Humane Society and I picked out an older dog that no one else seemed to want. She had big droopy ears, sad brown eyes, and her muzzle was mostly white. But she was my very best friend and I loved her. It wasn't a month later when my mother met a new man, quit her job, and we moved again."
"And the dog?" Mindy asked.
Shelby sniffled. "She went to the pound. I was so heartbroken. I prayed as hard as I could that someone else would take her. But she was old. And even now when I think about it..."
Mindy put her arms around Shelby. "I understand. I'm so sorry.”
"I want to stay here at Moonwater Lake,” Shelby said. “Even if I’m only sixteen, I know what I want and what’s best for me.”
“Of course you do. I want to stay here too," Mindy said. “And I’m a full-grown adult still fighting