Page 53 of Three Little Wishes

“It was too far for me to ride my scooter, and you wouldn’t let me drive your car or the station wagon.”

He stopped, looked around at the crowd of people congregating around the different events, and said, “I have a few calls to make. I’ll wait for you and Riley in the car.”

“The event is three hours long. You’re not sitting in the car, and you’re not going home.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And why is that?”

She smiled. “Because I want you here and so does Riley.”

He blew out a breath. “Fine.”

She gave him a relieved hug. “You’re the best.”

“What I am is a sucker for your smile.”

She groaned. “Noah, you can’t say things like that to me, not when I can’t kiss you.”

His lips twitched. “We could go back to the car and make out.”

Willow was giving serious consideration to his suggestion—she was obviously a sucker for his kisses—when she heard a familiar voice calling her name. “That’s the event organizer. I’d better see what she wants.” She looked around for Riley and spotted her standing at the ring where several dogs were jumping hurdles. She pointed her out to Noah. “I’ll meet you there in a few minutes.”

She joined them five minutes later. “So, we have a little problem, and I need you guys to help me out.” She explained that three of their volunteers had bailed at the last minute. “I have to help the photographer, and I need you guys to help out over there.”

Noah followed her finger and then swung his head to face her. “No. Absolutely not. You can babysit two picnic tables full of children. Riley and I will help the photographer.”

Willow smiled. That’s what she’d thought he’d say. “Just so you know, you wouldn’t be babysitting the children. You’d behelping them build doghouses out of craft sticks and empty shoeboxes for their stuffed animals. But I’m happy to do it, and you guys can help dress people’s pets for the photo shoots.” She pointed at the long line of proud pet owners and their fur babies wending its way around the red barn. “You’re up to date on your hepatitis B and tetanus shots, right? If not, I could get the volunteers at the face painting to help out at the craft table, and you and Riley could take their places. I bet you’d both be great at face painting.” Willow pressed her lips together to keep from laughing at Noah’s horrified expression.

“I could do the face painting,” Riley said.

“We’re building doghouses,” Noah said to his sister, and leaned into Willow until they were nose-to-nose. “You owe me more than a smile for this.”

“I definitely do,” she agreed with a straight face. She walked with them to the picnic tables and introduced them to the other volunteer. The woman was so relieved that they were there to help that she looked as if she might kiss them.

Three hours later, as Noah and Riley walked around the barn, looking none the worse for wear, Willow decided they’d gotten off easy. She knew the same couldn’t be said for her when Noah froze five feet from where she sat on the ground and Riley gaped at her.

“What happened to your hair?” Riley asked.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Remember how you used to say you had clown hair?” Noah asked, attempting not to laugh and failing.

“Amos’s cat climbed me like a tree, and he liked my head so much, it took three of us to pull him off.” She pushed herself off the ground and then winced. “He scratched me.” She held up her arm. “I was also bitten twice.” She pointed at herhand and thigh. “So don’t even think of complaining about building doghouses with the rug rats.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it. We had a great time, didn’t we, Tink?”

Riley, with her lips still pressed together in an obvious effort not to laugh, nodded.

Willow sighed. That had been the whole point of getting them to work the build-a-doghouse station together. “I’m glad.” She motioned for them to follow her to the barn. “I want to find out how much we raised, and then we can go.”

One of the veterinarians who volunteered at the shelter ran over as soon as they entered the barn and gave her a big hug. “We surpassed our goal, and it’s all thanks to you, Willow. Can you forgive us for doubting you?”

The committee had pushed back—and pushed back hard—on her ideas for pet photo shoots, the build-a-doghouse station, and the dog relay. They hadn’t thought the work involved would be worth the return.

“I’m just happy it all worked out and that so many people came out to help.” She introduced Noah and Riley. Catching the speculative gleam in the veterinarian’s eyes, Willow distracted her by asking, “Were all the rescues rehomed?”

“Almost eighty percent, and we have a few people still on the fence.”

“Lucky?” she asked hopefully about the eight-month-old black Lab/golden retriever mix.

---