“Yep. And don’t knock it till you see it. It’s the Pupcake Walk. Every year, I play with one of the dogs till I win. There are killer cupcakes for adults and specialty pupcakes for the dogs. And the fun doesn’t end there. There’s a dog-and-owner agility course that’s made its fair share of appearances on YouTube, plus several activities just for the dogs, like dog-bobbing for miniature wienies, a sandbox skeleton yard, and the ever-popular game-scented straw maze.”
“By ‘game,’ do you mean like pheasant and duck?” Tess asked.
Kelsey nodded. “It’s amazing what you can find at hunting goods stores. And you’ll see how crazy the dogs go in the maze. It’s not funny how much scent-marking those straw bales get before the day is over.”
Tess laughed. “You guys really think of it all.”
“It’s because we’ve got a good group, and we’ve been able to perfect it over the years.”
“And you’re sure it’s okay that I take some of the shelter dogs through the activities?”
“Oh, no question.” Kelsey pulled her in for a hug as they neared the shelter, reminding Tess just how much taller her new friend was. Tess had topped out just below a petite-framed five foot four. Kelsey, an earthy blond, was a good six inches taller. “Just because you’re helping at an off-site location doesn’t mean you aren’t a shelter volunteer.”
“And in case she didn’t tell you, Kelsey’s been singing your praises around here,” Kurt added. “It’s the skilled help you’ve been giving us every day that is enabling us to train at the pace we’ve been keeping.”
Tess let the compliment roll over her, remembering that the best thing to do with a compliment was to accept it graciously. Whether it was any one person’s fault or a random sampling of genetics, she’d reached adulthood feeling a touch inadequate in just about every way except for when it came to her work with dogs.
Thanks to her transformative months in Europe, she’d found a peace and satisfaction with herself she hadn’t known she’d been missing. And she’d come home ready to make a success of the healthy-pet canine-consulting business she was hoping to get off the ground. And with it, she hoped to help give financial support to deserving organizations like the shelter.
Tess switched the leash to her other hand as the shelter came into view behind the surrounding trees that were in full fall color. Fannie let out a woof and wagged her tail.
The unassuming redbrick building was decorated with an array of pumpkins, life-size dog and cat scarecrows, straw bales, and spiderwebs. The front parking lot was already a buzz of activity even though the event didn’t officially start for another twenty minutes.
In addition to the activity stations, there was a food booth that sold snacks for people and pets, a silent auction, and a booth where one of the shelter volunteers would be drawing caricature sketches.
The shelter was small enough that it only employed a handful of people, and Tess knew each of them. The parking lot was filled with unfamiliar faces that Tess figured was a combination of volunteers, past adopters, and the public.
Many of the leashed dogs in the parking lot were in costume. Tess spotted a black lab who’d had an impressively anatomically correct dog skeleton painted onto his coat, a wiener dog in a banana suit, a three-headed dog whose two papier-mâché heads matched its real one, and a Lhasa apso Ewok. Tess’s favorite was a mixed-breed white dog that had been painted so realistically with zebra stripes, she had to do a double take.
With an uncharacteristic burst of energy, Fannie leaped forward, dragging Tess along behind her. It took rebalancing her weight the opposite direction of Fannie’s pull and locking her feet into the ground for Tess to keep Fannie from diving into the throngs.
Kurt chuckled. “Want a hand? I wouldn’t be surprised if she outweighs you.”
“No thanks. I’ve got this.” Tess pulled a treat from her jeans pocket and asked the excited dog to sit at attention. “I do, however, know which dog I’d like to start with.” Fannie gobbled up the treat, leaving a wet spot on Tess’s palm. “So, big girl, what do you say we get some of that energy out in the agility course first?”
“I think that’s a smart idea,” Kelsey agreed. “It’s set up around back, along with the game-scented straw maze. That should tucker her out. You too, by the way. That agility course is also a cardio burst for people.”
As if in understanding, Fannie tugged Tess onward. “Grab a dog, guys, and we’ll see who’s buying lunch later,” Tess called over her shoulder. “And no, I didn’t forget one of you is an ex-marine.”
Then she let Fannie lead her away, but not before hearing a duet of chuckles and agreement following her.
* * *
The penetrating flash from the photographer’s camera made Mason wince. He didn’t need to count back days to the accident to know that the effects of the concussion were lingering.
“A few more will do it.” The photographer, a middle-aged guy who’d recognized him in the crowd and asked for a few quick shots, was barely audible over the din from the crowd gathered at Ballpark Village for the city’s biggest Halloween party.
The woman at Mason’s side, the one whose name he hadn’t paid any attention to, moved closer into him, implying a connection they didn’t share. This season, Mason’s strongest yet, had left it all but impossible for him to go anywhere without being asked to pose for a picture. He’d not minded at first, and he didn’t mind it now, but in the days since the accident, he was becoming more conscious of the image each snapshot portrayed.
The woman had approached him after he’d left Thomas for a trip to the bathroom. She’d been coming on to him, holding nothing back, when the photographer spotted him. Mason’s left arm was bound in a sling, so she’d drawn
