CHAPTER 41
Naomi grabbed her phone,checked that the ringer was off, and shoved it in her pocket. Then she climbed out of her SUV and locked the doors.
Lord, I know this might not be smart. I know I don’t deserve to ask for Your protection in the mist of my stubbornness. But I’m asking anyway. Ihaveto do this. For Good Boy. I really do want to be wise about this, though. Please, give me Your guidance.
After murmuring a silent “amen,” she began moving carefully through the woods toward the property.
Fifteen minutes later, she caught sight of a house through the trees.
The place was small and run-down, with peeling paint and a sagging porch. An old white truck sat in the driveway, streaked with mud.
That wasn’t the vehicle the man had been driving when Good Boy had been picked up.
Yes, Good Boy. She knew the dog’s original owner had named him John. But who named a dog John? Good Boy was much more fitting.
Naomi crouched low and circled around toward the back of the property. She still heard the barking, and each time she did, the sound solidified her decision to do this.
Still, her heart pounded harder with every step.
I’m just going to look. Just going to see if he’s here. Then I’ll call Micah. I won’t do anything stupid.
This wasn’t like her. She was practical and organized. Not a risk-taker.
But she felt compelled to keep moving forward. Her concern for the dog outweighed her own logic.
Finally, she reached the edge of the tree line and stopped, pressing herself against a thick oak. She had a good view of the property from this location.
The backyard was small and overgrown, bordered by a chain-link fence that had collapsed in places. A rusted shed sat to one side. And near the back porch?—
Naomi’s breath caught.
It was Good Boy.
The dog was tied to a metal stake that had been driven into the ground, and he had a short length of rope around his neck. He stood, barking into the air.
Anger surged through her—hot and sudden and overwhelming.
How dare someone do this?
Howdaresomeone take her dog, tie him up like that, and leave him alone in the cold?
Okay, notherdog. But still . . . that’s how it felt.
Naomi lingered behind the tree and stared at Good Boy. She wanted to reach out. To comfort him. To do something!
But she’d vowed not to be rash.
The best choice right now was to go back and wait for Micah to act.
But more than anything, she wanted to get Good Boy. Take him to her SUV. Bring him home.
You can’t do that, Naomi. You know he’s here. Now go wait for Micah.
It took every ounce of her self-control to take a step back.
She glanced at her phone and considered calling Micah. Her heart fell.
She had no signal here. She couldn’t call anyone.
