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Justin couldn’t help it. He got up from the table and hugged her, chuckling. “It’s okay.”
“What if this had been the real Thanksgiving? How could I make such a mistake?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Come here. Thank you for a delicious meal.”
“I’ll put the pie out for the deer. They’ll like the salt.”
They stood together for a long embrace, Justin smoothing her hair with his hand, kissing her, her arms tightening around his waist. He was ready for love.
Then he pulled back, looking over her shoulder.
“Wait. Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“Listen.”
They were quiet, holding their breath. Only Brulee licking her paw disturbed the peace. Then she heard it. A very slight squeal.
“What is that?”
“Where’s it coming from?” he asked.
“Brulee, stop it,” Maggie hissed.
There it was again, and this time, Brulee heard it, too, her ears popping up to attention, her hackles up.
“What is that?”
“I don’t think it’s inside,” Justin said. “It sounds like it’s coming from outside the cottage. I’ll get my flashlight. Brulee had better stay inside.”
Maggie followed him out, and they stood on the porch, listening.
“I bet it’s a fox or coyote, and that’s their cubs crying,” Justin said.
“It sounds like pups,” Maggie said, looking around in the dark. “Wait! It’s coming from under the cottage.”
The cottage was up on concrete pilings to prevent flood damage. Justin opened the box in back of his truck and got out a super-duper flashlight. They walked around the porch, and he shone the light under the cottage.
There she was, a skinny replica of Brulee, her eyes shining in the light, the sound of squealing puppies crawling on her, looking for a teat.
“Oh no! Is it a wolf?”
“No. It’s a shepherd.”
“What do we do now?”
“Can you spare some turkey?”
“Of course!”
“I’ll lure her out with food, and then we can get the pups, and I’ll take her and her family back to the clinic.”
“Thank you so much, Justin,” Maggie cried, beside herself.
She ran back in the cottage and piled a paper plate with turkey.
“Not too much,” he said. “I don’t know what she’s been eating, and something rich might make her sick.”
