Stevie jumped up on Cherry. Then jumped off.
“Stevie Nicks!”Tom shouted.
“Steven!”Cherry cried out.
Stevie was already running away from them. She had a specialgalloping run for moments like this, when she was playing and wanted to be caught.
She ran toward Tom, then bolted away when he reached for her—looking back at him, absolutely grinning.
“You terrible dog!”Cherry yelled.
“See?” Tom said. “She’s fine. She’s having the time of her life.”
“Stevie!”
“Stevie, come.”Tom made a fist and drew it toward him.
Stevie stopped galloping and looked at him.
“Come.”
She trotted back his way.
Tom stood very still, to show he wasn’t playing.
As soon as Stevie got close, he held out his fist.“Sit.”
She sat.
Tom leaned over and hooked his fingers around her collar. He looked up at Cherry. “Grab my gloves?”
Chapter 43
Stevie tried to get away from Tom all the way to the car. She still wanted to play.
Tom opened the hatchback, and Stevie made him lift her up into the car. She kept trying to turn and spring herself back over his shoulder.
“You’re being really awful, Stevie,” Cherry said.
“Get in the car,” Tom said to Cherry. “Turn on the heat.”
Cherry did. She held her hands in front of the vents, even though they were still blowing cold air.
Tom got in the car. His ears were bright red. His hair was curling over them.
He drove a long, circuitous route on the way home to avoid the steep hill. Stevie climbed into the back seat. Normally they’d clip her into the cargo space with her leash.
“Don’t let her up here,” Tom said.
Cherry petted Stevie’s panting head and pushed her back. “Come on, Stevie. Calm down.Off.” Cherry’s fingers stung. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen her this happy.”
Tom sighed. When they got home, he wrangled Stevie back into the house. The electricity was still out. Cherry turned on the flashlight on her phone.
The heat wouldn’t run without power, but it was still much warmer inside the house than out.
“Come on,” Tom said to Stevie, “let’s get dry.” He grabbed the towel they kept on her kennel.
Cherry took off her rain boots and stripped out of her wet tights.
