Mikayla looked at the dog’s face now inches from her own, and found bright blue eyes blinking back at her and a pink tongue lolling to the side. Hot breath that smelled like day-old milk bones blew across her face.
Despite the scene she’d entered on, and Angel’s penchant for trouble, Mikayla was satisfied that her pet had not been mistreated in her absence.
Rubbing the top of the shaggy head of her ill-behaved beast, she asked Kim, “How was everything this week?”
Kim turned with a false smile in place. “Great! Just great. Me and Angel had a great time. Didn’t we, girl?”
“Down, Angel,” Mikayla said, but Angel was too busy licking her face to hear her name being said. “Down, Angel!” Mikayla said again, with little reaction from the dog.
She took the large paws and forcefully removed them from her shoulders.
Not the slightest bit put off by the rebuke, Angel shuffled away to her favorite end of the pool and dived in.
“What happened?” Mikayla asked, taking in the water-splattered patio, and various pool toys scattered around the area.
“We were in the pool—” Kim began to explain.
“She loves the pool,” Mikayla interjected apologetically as she began to understand what had occurred.
“Yeah, I know.” Kim gave the dog a long-suffering look. “Anyway, everything was fine and then I dived too hard, I guess, and my top slipped up—”
Mikayla stopped where she was bent over picking up a floaty. “Oh, dear.” She muttered. “Angel grabbed it.”
“It happened so fast!” Kim’s blue eyes widened in renewed surprise. “Before I even realized what had happened she had it and was out of the pool.” She sighed. “That’s where you came in.”
“I’m sorry about that. Angel feels that anything loose in the pool is, well…up for grabs.” Mikayla bent and picked up a chew toy, but just then Angel came loping up, leaving a trail of water in her wake, and snatched the toy from Mikayla’s hand. “I guess it’s my fault. I’ve let her get away with it for so long.”
“For the most part, she’s a real sweetheart.” Kim leaned forward and rubbed the dog’s wet head. “Just…a little rambunctious.”
“That’s an understatement,” Mikayla muttered. She glanced at the girl who, despite the bikini top incident, looked none the worse after a week with Angel, and decided now was as good a time as any to bring up her next trip. “Listen, Kim, I have another conference in a few weeks and—”
“I can’t!” Kim blurted. “I have plans for that week.”
I haven’t even said which week.
A brief glimpse of what looked like embarrassment crossed the girl’s face. “I mean, I’m going to be heading back to school soon. Spring break’s almost over. I doubt if I’d be able to do it.”
“I understand.” Mikayla forced a smile. Another one bites the dust. She was running out of neighbors. Soon Angel’s name and picture would be posted on the community board in front of the local library under the heading BEWARE. Then what was she supposed to do for dog sitters?
After all, Kim had been an unexpected prize. Mikayla and Angel had moved in a little over a year ago and with Kim being away at college most of the year, she’d somehow been spared the worst of the rumors about the new neighborhood nuisance, as Mikayla had heard her next-door neighbor refer to Angel.
When they’d run into Kim during one of their afternoon walks, Kim and Angel had taken to each other, and that was an excellent omen, considering how rare it was that Angel took to anyone.
Over the next few weeks, Mikayla had set out on a calculated campaign to win the girl over and it hadn’t taken much since she already loved animals, and when Kim was around Angel was on her best behavior.
So, when she offered to pay Kim to stay at her house for a few days to take care of the dog, and Kim, like most college students, needed money, it had seemed like a match made in heaven.
But still, during the entire five-day trip, Mikayla could not get rid of the nagging feeling that she’d set Kim up to be a victim. During her motivation lectures to the gathering of aspiring writers, Mikayla’s mind had wandered away on several occasions. And even during the book signing, she’d autographed a copy of her book “To Angel.”
And when she’d arrived home today, she’d expected to find the same scene she’d found after returning from her last two trips. Turned-over tables and chairs, torn pillows and damp carpets. The fact the house still looked like a house was a testament to Kim’s unique relationship with her pet. But that emphatic response had been enough to let her know they’d lost the last, best hope.
“Well, now that you’re back, I’m gonna head home.” Kim headed toward the glass doors leading into the house.
Mikayla looked down at her scruffy companion who was staring back at her with adoring eyes and a wagging tail, wanting to play.
“What am I gonna do with you?” Mikayla asked.
Angel’s response was the accelerated wagging of the tail and a loud bark. Play was all she had on her mind.
At the glass doors, Kim paused. “Um…Ms. Shroeder?”
“Yes?”
“Have you ever thought of sending Angel to an obedience school?”
“It’s crossed my mind,” Mikayla said, finding no need to mention that she’d tried it with three different schools, all of which had returned both her money and her dog and declared the task impossible. But Kim didn’t need to know all that. She was already enough of a lost cause as it was.
“Just thought I’d ask. I’ll just go grab my bag out of the guest room,” Kim said and headed toward the bedrooms. Angel glanced at the girl and then back at Mikayla, torn as to which to follow.
Mikayla watched the dog make her decision as she plopped down on her wide bottom. “What am I going to do with you, huh?”
Angel looked up at her owner with big, innocent eyes. A few minutes later Mikayla was in the kitchen, standing with the fridge door open, looking for something to eat when Kim entered, carrying the overnight tote she’d collected from the guest room.
“Here you go.” Mikayla turned and handed the girl an envelope. “I gave you a little more than we agreed on.” She nodded down at Angel who was sitting on her foot. “I know she can be a handful.”
“You didn’t have to do that—but thank you.”
Kim accepted the envelope and looked down at the dog with gentle eyes. “She’s certainly high-strung, but she is a sweetheart. Just mischievous.”
The young woman’s compassionate response made Mikayla regret losing her even more.
“See you later, Ms. Shroeder.” Kim paused again. “You know, I’ve heard about this dog trainer in Davies. Dr. Dusty Warren. He’s supposed to be some kind of dog whisperer, you know—gifted with animals.”
Despite her failure with trainers, Mikayla’s interest was sparked nonetheless. “Really?”
“Yeah, my aunt had an aggressive mastiff and from what she said this guy worked wonders.”
“Dusty Warren, you said?” Mikayla dug out some leftover sandwich meats, cheese slices and mayonnaise from the fridge.
“Yeah, he’s a really renowned vet, and from what my aunt said he has this huge sprawling ranch down in Davies with a full-size hospital and everything. I mean, if you ever consider