That must be Uncle Theo, Sophie thought. Dressed in brown slacks, a red plaid flannel shirt, and work boots, he looked about as old as dirt. He wore a black knit hat that made his hair stand out like horns poking out of the sides of his head.
“I’m going to string me up some Christmas lights!” he announced.
Some people cheered while a few murmured dissents.
“It’s not even December yet!” Lola scoffed.
“Doesn’t matter, I’m stringing ‘em!”
“He’s a fool,” Lola said as soon as her husband stomped out of the room. “Luke! You better go make sure he doesn’t kill himself.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Luke said, grinning. He trotted after his uncle.
Sophie nibbled on her sandwich, watched Mia and Jamison out of the corner of her eye, and tried to disguise her jealousy. Jamison clung to Mia’s shirt and seemed happy enough. Sophie longed to rip him out of the girl’s arms and carry him home. But to what? Here was a large family who could love him. She had only a half-trained puppy.
The puppy! He would need her to let him out. She stood, determined to tell Mia and Luke that she and Jamison needed to go home and rescue Atticus. But where had Mia gone? Sophie wandered through the dining room and into the kitchen. She didn’t find Mia, but she did find a trash can for her paper plate. Through the window, she spotted Luke and Mia along with a small crowd of people standing beside the metal legs of an extension ladder.
Sophie pushed through the back door, headed across the porch, and tripped down the stairs. She gasped in pain as her ankle turned.
