Phoebe smiled in that slightly lopsided way I’d always found so endearing. “I bet.”
“Do you have any pets?” I asked.
She shook her head. “My condo in Boston doesn’t allow them.”
“Fair enough.” I watched as Minnie dropped her stick at Phoebe’s feet yet again. With a smile, Phoebe chucked it down the path ahead of us. “You’re good with them, though.”
“I like dogs,” she said. The afternoon sun filtered through the trees overhead, casting dappled flecks of light over her skin.
I knew every step of this trail like the back of my hand. I knew every tree root and rock that bisected the path and every seasonal nuance to the scent of plants and earth along the way. But there was something new on the breeze today, a vaguely fruity fragrance that had to be Phoebe, her perfume or maybe her shampoo. Whatever it was, it was messing with my head.
Ahead, the trail curved sharply to the left. If we followed it, we’d wind up at the field. Instead, I waved a hand, indicating for Phoebe to follow me into the woods to our right. “If we cut through here, we’ll come out on the public trail.”
“You’re sure you know where you’re going?” she asked before shaking her head. “What am I saying? You’ve been hiking these woods your whole life. Lead the way.”
“It’s not far.” I tromped over the leaf-strewn earth. “There’s a scenic lookout up ahead, if you want to go that far.”
“Sure,” Phoebe agreed. She ducked beneath a low-hanging branch as Minnie trotted beside her.
I looked down at Blue, who walked quietly at my side. He was a quiet dog in general, anxious and withdrawn from whatever he’d gone through before he was surrendered to the shelter, but he looked relaxed out here in the woods, tongue out and tail up.
“Why does he stay on leash while Minnie runs loose?” Phoebe asked.
“Minnie’s my dog. I’ve had her since she was a puppy and done extensive recall training with her, so I know I can let her run loose in the woods and she’ll come when I call her,” I told Phoebe. “Blue is my foster dog. He was only surrendered to the shelter a few weeks ago, and he’s still extremely nervous.”
“Aw,” Phoebe said, giving the dog a sympathetic look.
“There’s no telling how far he’d run if I let him off leash, and honestly, he probably feels more secure wearing it for now. He was so scared at the shelter, just shaking all the time, so I brought him home to help him get settled and gain the confidence he needs to go to a permanent home.”
“Do you do that a lot?” she asked. “Bring dogs home from the shelter?”
“Yeah, I foster when I can, especially when we have a dog that could really blossom with a little extra care. My lease only allows me to have two dogs, though, so I can only foster one at the time since I have Minnie.”
“Which is why you wanted to buy my grandma’s cabin,” Phoebe observed.
“One of the reasons.”
There was a stream ahead, separating Margery’s property from the public land. Minnie leaped across it without hesitation, still with the stick in her mouth. “Stay, Minnie,” I called, and she stopped, looking over her shoulder as she waited for us to catch up.
There were plenty of flat rocks in the stream that we could use to cross. Phoebe went first, sticking her arms out to the side for balance as she tiptoed from rock to rock. I followed, while Blue sloshed through the water, pausing for a drink. He slurped noisily, drawing a laugh from Phoebe.
I kept my eyes on him, ignoring the tug of yearning I felt at the sound of her laugh. It reminded me of afternoons just like this, afternoons when she and I explored these woods together, so caught up in each other, a bear could have walked right past us and we wouldn’t have noticed.
On the other side of the stream, we joined up with the public hiking trail, and I directed Phoebe to the left. A few minutes later, we came to the scenic overlook. The Parks & Rec department had constructed a wooden gazebo where people could sit and look out at the mountains beyond.
“Oh, I remember this place,” Phoebe said as she walked into the gazebo. “You and I used to come here sometimes. I never could find it on my own.”
“Yeah, we did.” I walked to the railing and looked out at the hilltops visible in the distance. “Sometimes I bring a book out here with me and just hide from the world.”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Not so different from why you’re here in Vermont,” I said.
“It’s exactly why I’m here.” Blue walked over to sniff her leg, and she sat on the bench to pet him. His tail wagged slowly at first, picking up speed as he relaxed into her touch. Phoebe looked up at me, eyes bright. “He likes me.”
“Yeah, he does.” I watched as she rubbed Blue behind his ears, talking softly to him. Soon the dog had rested his shoulder against her thigh, gazing up at her adoringly. “You’re good with him.”
“I’ve always liked dogs,” she said. “I’ve just never had one of my own.”
