Page 94 of The Cowgirl's Chosen Love
“Welcome. We’re so glad you could come out today. You know like anything we do here in Heart Falls, we like to do it up right. A lot of you put in time to help make this happen and we sure appreciate it. But it’s not about us, is it? It’s about those sweet puppies we rescued. And all the other animals we plan to help over the years to come with your support.”
There was a smattering of applause from the crowd standing in the arena. Some of them had pets on leashes as well and the entire group moved constantly as the animals explored.
Sonora smiled down at the kids in the front row. “I think we need to hear straight from the dog’s mouth, so to speak. What do you think of that?”
A far more enthusiastic cry went up, the kids jumping up and down.
Lisa had finally removed the last elastic, the cards moving freely through her fingers. Thank God. She stepped toward Sonora because it was time for her and Josiah to begin, when a cry went up, laughter following hard on the heels of delighted squeals.
Lisa spun to discover a human-sized dog was joining them on the stage. With long, floppy brown ears and big brown eyes, the person in a dog costume waved their arms in the air and then clapped overhead as the crowd got excited.
When the dog rotated on the stage and wagged his tail, the walls echoed with laughter.
Lisa blinked in confusion. This wasnoton the agenda.
The dog wiggled its way over to her side, poking her gently in the arm with one big, furry mitten. “Your turn, darlin’,” he whispered.
Oh. My. God. “Josiah?”
He did an exaggerated stage bow before standing and nodding his head vigorously.
She should have known. No way would Ollie have let anyone else get that close to her without reacting.
She would’ve gaped at him for a little longer, but Josiah tilted his head in a move so reminiscent of Ollie, she slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud.
Instead, she turned toward the crowd and lifted the first of the cue cards, trusting they would help get her through without making a mess of the event. “We’re here to fundraise for the shelter, which is going to help a lot of animals over the years. We’re also here to talk about how pets make things better right here at home. Let’s see what’s up with this very adventurous puppy…”
She gestured toward Josiah as the card instructed her to, watching with amusement as he raced around the stairs pretending to sniff everything. He stomped back to her side and pretended to sniff her as the kids at the foot of the stage squealed with delight.
When he pretended to run his tongue up the side of her face, Lisa squeezed her eyes together and grimaced, and giggles raced in from the crowd.
She lifted the next cue card. “He doesn’t need bright lights or faraway places to be happy. There’s tons to explore right here in his own backyard.” Lisa kept smiling, but she turned toward Josiah, lowering her voice in the hopes it wouldn’t get picked up on the microphone. “I am so getting even with you for this.”
Out of nowhere, Josiah pulled out a fake microphone of his own. He lifted it deliberately until it was right in front of his oversized canine mouth.
All the kids leaned forward in anticipation.
“Woof.”
Lisa had checked the next card. “If any of you don’t speak dog, I’ll interpret for you. He said this puppy hopes to stay right here in Heart Falls. But more importantly, he wants to stay with the people he loves. That’s what every dog wants most.”
Josiah had lowered the mic and was pacing along the front of the stage. He peered here, and there, as if trying to spot the perfect person.
With one paw held over his brows, he twisted. Looking, looking—
Kids were waving and pointing and making suggestions, but it wasn’t until he was once again facing Lisa that anything happened.
Josiah threw his arms in the air and jumped before rushing to her side to poke his head against her, tail waggling the entire time.
She was laughing so hard it was difficult to read the card. “Every puppy has to decide what’s important to them and that’s a lot easier to do when you’re with someone you love.”
Josiah barked. Not just once, but a dozen times.
Ollie barked back.
The entire room exploded with laughter.
“What did he say?” the kids shouted.
