“I do!” Sheldon leans away from her. “I’m just saying there’s a positive to being unattached, and maybe after her dumb-ass marriage, Olivia’s enjoying the single life a bit too much. You know, nobody to answer to, no one to have to placate when they’re pissed at you for this or that…”
Cara starts to yell at him, but Hayley quickly interrupts. “Look, the show is starting.”
Jenson’s breath brushes against my ear as he leans close to me and murmurs, “Your brother’s driving me nuts. I’m this close to kissing you right now.”
I step away from his close proximity and turn to face him. Fixing a smile on my face, I whisper, “Later. Don’t let his baiting bother you.”
For the next hour, my world is filled with dogs, barking, and slobbering. Kyle and Connor get bored, and Jenson leaves to get them ice cream.
“I thought Corkscrew did very well,” I tell Sheldon as we wait for the results.
“Thanks, Olive.” Sheldon clenches his jaw. He doesn’t look sure of himself, a rarity, and my heart goes out to him.
“He really did do a good job,” Hayley pipes in. “I mean come on. They’ve got to give him something.”
The head judge walks to the center of the park and calls for attention over the microphone. Even the dogs go quiet as all of Liberty Falls Fair waits breathlessly for the panel’s decision.
“The award to the winner of Best Dressed goes to…” The judge pauses. “Blossom the Chihuahua!”
I can practically see Sheldon deflate.
“It’s okay.” Cara pats his arm. “That’s just one of the awards.”
But by the time it’s down to Best in Show and Best Bark, Sheldon’s lost most of his confidence. “There’s no way,” he says. “I know he won’t win Best in Show, and his bark even annoys me.”
“But it’s a distinct bark,” Hayley says.
The judge calls for attention just as my cell phone rings. I answer it, but before I hear who’s on the other end, the judge announces, “The winner of Best Bark is Corkscrew the Dachshund!”
We start screaming and shouting like lunatics, and Corkscrew barks and barks and runs as fast as his little legs will take him while Sheldon, leash still in hand, chases him toward the judge to accept his ribbon and get their picture taken for the Liberty Falls Gazette. Cara claps and stays where she is, saying this is Sheldon’s moment.
“You just don’t want your picture in the paper, do you?” Hayley says to her.
“Not even a little bit,” Cara says as Sheldon holds up the ribbon in our direction, and we all clap and wave at him.
Shit.I forgot about my phone. “Hello?” I say, finally bringing it up to my ear.
“What the heck is going on?” Jenson says. “Did Sheldon win?”
“Corkscrew just got Best Bark. I got distracted with all the celebrating.”
I start walking away from Hayley, who’s watching me with a smile.
“Olive.” Jenson’s voice in my ear is somber, and I immediately tense.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think I found my father.”
“Oh God, J.”
I start walking quickly, looking for somewhere I can be alone.
I always imagined Jenson might say those six words to me one day. But not like this. Not where I’m barely in the middle of a bunch of barking dogs and he’s not here with me so I can read his expression and look into his eyes and be there for him…
“How did you find him?”
“I hired a P.I. last month. Kind of a last-ditch effort to track him down. Anyway, he just called me. Can we meet?”
