Page 67 of Three Little Wishes

She was about to go to the kitchen and get him a treat when there was on a knock on the door and the knob began turning.

“Don’t open the door!” Riley cried, sprinting across the living room. It was too late. Willow’s sister walked in carrying boxes of pizza. Lucky shot through Sage’s legs, knocking her off balance, and the pizza boxes went flying.

Lucky stopped to sniff one, and Riley lunged. He slipped through her hands and scampered down the stairs.

“Sorry!” Riley shouted over her shoulder as she ran after Lucky, calling his name.

He didn’t stop. He rounded the garage and tore down the driveway. “Treat, Lucky, treat!” Riley yelled, her heart racing as he took off down the road, terrified he’d get hit by a car.

This wasn’t the first time he’d made a great escape, but her brother, Willow, and Cami had been with her the last time. Even with the four of them, it had taken thirty minutes to find and capture him.

Riley guessed she’d been chasing him for fifteen minutes down the dirt road that had turned muddy from the rain and wasn’t any closer to catching him. It was just her luck that the rain hadn’t let up. Definitely not the sunny afternoon Willow had predicted in this morning’s forecast. She’d be hearing from Amos, that was for sure.

Willow’s friend Veronica, the receptionist at the station, had gotten so tired of fielding his complaints that she’d given Willow’s cell phone number to Amos. He called her twice a day. Willow routinely put him on speaker when Riley was there. Willow always let him know he was on speaker, and that Riley was there, so she felt as if she knew him too. He’d even ask her opinion after giving Willow the what for, as he called it.

It was all kinds of hilarious. Willow thought it was hilarious too. She also thought Amos was a much better weather forecaster than she was. Not that Riley would say anything to Willow, but she was kind of right.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.Please be afraid of the thunder, Riley thought. If he was, Lucky might run back to her, seeking comfort. She could swear there was a quarter of a mile between them now. He was a black dot on the middle of the road.

“Crap!” she cried when, instead of running back to her, the black dot veered to the right and disappeared into some bushes.

She pumped her arms in an effort to pick up her pace while praying she’d find him shivering in the bushes instead of making a beeline for the water. But she was relieved she didn’t have to worry about him getting hit by a car. For now.

As she closed in on the bushes he’d disappeared into, sheheard a dog barking. It was a much lower, fiercer bark than Lucky’s. She spotted a thick tree branch on the side of the road and picked it up. Then she moved toward the bush. “Lucky,” she whispered, hoping to avoid alerting the other dog to her presence. It was growling now.

“August, you’re going to miss the best part! He’ll be fine. It’s probably just a squirrel,” a girl called out.

“Come here, boy,” a guy said, probably the August person the girl had called to.

“August!” the girl cried, sounding all kinds of whiny.

“Go watch the movie, Zoe. Killer’s got something cornered in the bush.”

The dog’s name was Killer? Riley shoved her way into the bushes, wincing as the branches clawed at her arms and neck. She burst out the other side, waving her stick like a sword.

A guy wearing board shorts and a T-shirt stared at her. “What the hell?” Then he frowned. “I’ve seen you before.”

Oh no, not him! She knew Sunshine Bay was a small town, but really? She had to run into the guy Cami had chased down Main Street. Could her day get any worse? Apparently, it could.

“What’s going on, Aug?” A guy sauntered over. It was Green Board Shorts Guy from the sandbar. He looked around August, and his eyes lit up with recognition. “I know you. You were with the crazy blond woman who was trying to pick us up. She did the same thing to you, didn’t she, Aug?”

“She’s not crazy,” Riley muttered. “She has a head injury. Now if you don’t mind getting your killer dog out of here, I’d like to get mypuppyand go home.” She pointed her stick at the huge black dog digging under a bush a few feet away.

“You might want to drop the stick,” August advised at the same time the big, black dog spotted her.

“Killer, no!” August yelled, moving toward her, but his giant dog was faster, and he took a flying leap, pushing her onto the ground. Then he licked her face, stole her stick, and took off.

August was trying not to laugh but Green Board Shorts Guy was busting a gut. August offered his hand. “Sorry about that. He’s playful.” His gaze moved to the bush the dog had been digging under. “Is that your dog?” he asked, just as Lucky darted out of the bush and took off after Killer.

“I don’t believe this!” She threw up her hands and ran after both Lucky and Killer, only she hadn’t factored in that the grass was wet and slippery, and she slid down the slope in the lawn. Both dogs sat and watched her grass-surfing action.

“What do you think, Aug? Ten-pointer?” Green Board Shorts Guy asked, grinning at Riley.

August didn’t get the chance to tell his friend what he thought, not that Riley cared. Two teenage girls in short-shorts and tight tank tops were standing in the window, banging on the glass. When they got the boys’ attention, they simultaneously cocked their heads and pointed at her. They must’ve raised their voices because Riley heard their “Who’sthat?” loud and clear.

Definitely mean girls. She rolled her eyes, making sure they saw her do it.Total Cami move, she thought with a small smile. August must’ve seen her roll her eyes at them because he laughed. She tossed her wet hair in another move that would make Cami proud and carefully picked her way to the dogs.

“I’m warning you, Lucky, if you move, I’m going…” She swore in Italian when Lucky ran for the dock, this time with Killer chasing after him. Riley hoped her brother never learned Italian.

---