Holiday Homecoming. Pamela Tracy

by whistling for Pepper.

      Only the dog responded, with a strange echo.

      Jimmy’s cell phone sounded. Instead of a hello, he answered with, “Tell me what’s happening?”

      “There’s a bunch of us in Ray’s living room,” Danny said. “Where are you and what do you want us to do? We’ve called the sheriff, and Dad’s all for organizing a search.”

      Meredith stepped next to him, closer than she’d been in years. Tears shimmered in her eyes, just below the surface. Jimmy wanted to reach out, touch her, but he knew she’d step away, so he didn’t. Instead, he said, “We’re about five minutes north of Bandit Hideaway. We can hear the dog but can’t seem to get to him. I’ve got the first-aid kit with me.”

      Danny said something Jimmy couldn’t hear, and then Zack Stone took the phone. “Doc Thomas is on his way and bringing his dog. Zeus loves Pepper and will lead us right to him.”

      “Hope Doc gets here soon,” Jimmy said, ending the call and then sharing the information with Meredith.

      They spent the next fifteen minutes investigating different paths and trudging through underbrush. Jimmy felt the first inklings of real fear. No way should Ray have come this far alone. The man was a veteran of not one but two wars, had been part of the volunteer fire department and lived alone at age eighty-two. Two days ago he’d showed no signs of poor judgment. He’d been distracted, yes. Almost as if he was expecting someone.

      But Ray wasn’t careless and didn’t take chances.

      “If we don’t find the dog or Ray in five minutes, we’re heading back to the house to regroup—”

      Two things happened then.

      First, they rounded a corner and found Raymond Stone. He lay on the ground, conscious, but obviously in pain.

      Second, Ray wasn’t alone.

      * * *

      “THAT’S A WOLF!” Jimmy stopped so quickly he almost stumbled.

      Meredith stepped in front of him. She didn’t need him to go all heroic, not right now. “It’s a wolf dog. Just stay still. Grandpa, are you all right?”

      “I will be if I can get up without that fool animal attacking me.” Ray held a stick in one hand. Even though he now had two rescuers, he still shook it at the animal.

      “Did he bite you?”

      The wolf dog barked, thinking Grandpa wanted to play.

      “He nipped me on the leg. It was enough to knock me down, but he didn’t break the skin. Pepper lit into him after that.”

      Pretty impressive for an old dog. Glancing around, Meredith found the mutt hovering a few steps behind Grandpa, shivering, limping, but still ready to fight if his owner was threatened.

      “Stop waving the stick,” Meredith said. “He thinks it’s an invitation to play.”

      Grandpa dropped the stick to the ground.

      To Jimmy, Meredith said, “I’m going to deal with the wolf dog, lead him away from Grandpa. You help Grandpa, make sure he’s all right, no broken bones.”

      Jimmy stared at the animal. “Wolf dog? You’re kidding. How did one get way out here?”

      “Since she’s got a collar, I’m thinking she must have escaped from her owner. Let’s hope she’s trained.”

      “How do you know it’s a she?” Jimmy asked.

      “I’m guessing.”

      Walking sideways, Meredith slowly moved closer to the wolf dog. Behind her, Jimmy knelt at Grandpa’s side and helped the elderly man to a sitting position. The wolf dog kept looking at Grandpa, clearing wishing that he would start playing with her again. Meredith wasn’t sure what the wolf dog thought about her.

      A bird chirped in the otherwise silent world. The wind picked up, blowing Meredith’s hair into her eyes. She resisted the urge to pat it back into place. Instead, crouching down, she moved even closer to the animal. Now the wolf dog was on alert. Her eyes stayed on Meredith, and her tail stopped wagging. The wolf dog didn’t know whether to meet Meredith’s eyes and try to establish dominance or whether to be submissive. When Meredith got within a foot of the wolf dog, she halted, waiting to see what the animal would do.

      “I’m not sure this is wise,” Jimmy said.

      Meredith agreed with him, but... “Look at the collar. It’s tight, hurting her. We can’t let her run off without trying to help her.”

      “We need to help your grandfather first,” Jimmy pointed out.

      “I’m fine,” Ray said.

      That the wolf dog hadn’t run off indicated that she had been a pet. But the tightness of the frayed collar suggested that she’d been in the wild for quite a while, probably abandoned or maybe an escape artist that the owner hadn’t found.

      Or looked for.

      It made Meredith furious.

      Her favorite animal in the world was a wolf dog named Yoda. But if Meredith had her choice, Yoda would be a dog, nothing else. Breeding wolves with dogs was a risky endeavor. Most people who chose a wolf dog as a pet got rid of the animal within a year. They were hard to train, expensive and destructive.

      By the time the owners realized the commitment involved, the wolf dog was no longer a cute puppy but a demanding teenager quite willing to eat a couch.

      Forget about shoes. A wolf dog could actually chew his way out of a wire cage.

      Shelters didn’t want them.

      Neither did zoos. They didn’t quite fit anywhere.

      Slowly, the wolf dog’s tail went between her legs, and she turned her head away. Meredith didn’t wait for another sign. She reached for the collar, praying she’d not lose any fingers. The collar was too tight for her to get a grip, but she managed to force the wolf dog to look her in the eyes. After a moment, the wolf dog sat, lay down, then finally put her head down to rest.

      Meredith let go of the collar.

      “You’re either a miracle worker or stupid,” Jimmy said.

      Meredith wasn’t a miracle worker, but she wasn’t about to admit that what she’d done was a little stupid. “How’s Grandpa?”

      “I can answer for myself. Help me up.”

      “Right, Grandpa.” Meredith left the wolf dog and headed for Grandpa, going down to her knees to stroke his forehead. “Where do you hurt?”

      “Everywhere but the bottom of my left ear. Help me up.”

      They’d just got him to his feet, though he was clearly favoring one leg, when Pepper starting barking. A group of people, dogs and horses appeared from behind a small hill. Afraid the loud noises and sudden movements would spook the wolf dog, Meredith turned to her.

      She was gone.

      But it only took a groan from Grandpa to convince Meredith not to pursue the wolf dog. Jimmy got Grandpa to his feet and slowly the trio started toward the noise.

      Meredith’s brother met them halfway and the two men hoisted Grandpa between them.

      “Don’t ask me to get on a horse,” Grandpa said.

      When they finally made it to Grandpa’s house, it echoed with people. Meredith’s brother went right to the phone, trying to get a hold of Doc Thomas, who’d not made it to the house yet.

      “He’s got a sprained ankle at least,” Zack predicted. He was more than annoyed that Grandpa refused to go to the hospital in Adobe Hills.

      “You’ve already iced it,” Grandpa called from the bedroom.

      Zack ignored Grandpa’s