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Sarah pondered this a minute. “I don’t know Toby well, but it sounds like he probably dug that hole because he was afraid. Maybe he’s still hanging out close by your house, hoping that someone will come back.”
“You think so?” Cameron asked eagerly.
“It can’t hurt to look there again.”
“I agree,” Luke said. They’d already thoroughly combed his sister’s neighborhood, but at this point, he was willing to do anything that made sense.
They drove through the streets slowly with the car windows rolled down while Cameron shouted out Toby’s name. But other than an occasional glance from a curious onlooker, it was eerily quiet. Luke glanced up at the sky. It would be dark within the next thirty minutes. If they didn’t find Toby soon, they might not find him at all.
Not an option, he thought grimly. He’d stay out all night if he had to.
“It’s past Toby’s dinner time,” Cameron said. “Do you think he’s hungry?”
Before Luke could think of how to answer that, the sound of barking caught their attention. They looked at one another with guarded hope on their faces. Sarah pointed to a side street. “I think it’s coming from over there.”
Luke swung his truck into a cul-de-sac and slowly circled the road. A beagle jumped up and down a chain link fence, barking. “That’s the Sheridans’ house,” Cameron said, deflated. He didn’t have to say it out loud. They’d all been hoping it had been Toby they’d heard.
“Let’s investigate,” Sarah said. “He’s got to be barking at something.”
Luke parked his truck on the side of the road. The beagle was still barking its head off, but at what, Luke had no idea. There was no sign of Toby or any other dog for that matter.
“To-by!” Cameron called out again. The poor kid was almost hoarse from yelling.
“Is there any place that you walk Toby that he particularly likes?” Sarah asked. “Like a park or a jogging path?”
“Not really,” Cameron said. “Sometimes we take him to the soccer field. He likes to watch us kick the ball around and it’s close by. But we already tried there.”
“Let’s try again,” she said.
They drove back to the soccer field, but it was deserted. Luke was about to suggest that they take a break and grab some food. He wasn’t hungry, and he doubted Cameron wanted to eat, but all they’d had today was snacks. He tried to think what his sister would do in this situation. Would she insist that Cameron stop to eat dinner? It might be the practical thing to do, but it smacked of giving up and no way in hell was Luke about to do that.
“I think I see something!” Sarah shielded her eyes from the setting sun as she peered into a distant clump of trees.
“Where?” Cameron asked, excited. He yelled out Toby’s name again, and this time, there was a faint bark in return.
Sarah turned to Luke. “Did you hear that?”
“Yep.” Luke took off running for the nearby wooded area with Cameron and Sarah on his heels. The barking grew louder and then out of nowhere, Toby emerged from the trees, running toward them.
“Toby!” Cameron yelled.
Toby dashed forward, barking in excitement. Cameron reached out to grab him but at the last second, the dog zipped past him.
“Toby! Come back here!” Cameron ran after the dog, but every time he got close enough Toby ran the other way.
Luke lunged for Toby, trying his best to grab him by the collar, but Toby was too quick. He continued to run, zigzagging and dodging their attempts to grab him like it was all some big game. “What the—”
“He thinks we’re playing!” Sarah said, leaning over to catch her breath. “Where’s his leash?”
“I didn’t think to bring it.” Cameron looked as if he was about to cry. “I wish I had a bone or something.”
“Oh!” Sarah glanced down at her apron. “I’d forgotten I was still wearing this. Here, this might do the trick.” She reached into her apron pocket and pulled something out, then softly called the dog’s name. Toby stared at her, his long tongue panting in excitement. His ears perked up, and then, out of the blue, he trotted toward her and gobbled up whatever it was she had offered him.
Before Toby could get away, Cameron grabbed the dog, wrapping his arms around him. “Toby! You really scared me, boy,” he sobbed into the dog’s neck. Now that Toby had allowed himself to be “caught,” he stopped playing his catch-me-if-you-can game.
Toby licked Cameron’s face, or rather slobbered all over it, but Cameron didn’t seem to mind. Boy and dog were reunited and that was all that mattered.
Luke and Sarah exchanged a relieved look. “Thank God,” Luke muttered.
