have four legs.”
“It’s not fair. Poor Bremolo.”
“We saved him, Poppy, and the ones we save make it all worthwhile.”
When we get out of the car, I hear Stu barking in the house. I hug Uncle Sanjay. The tears are spilling down my cheeks. “We can’t let Stu run out in the road, or ever get hit by a car.”
“There, there,” he says, patting my back. “Not to worry. Stu will be fine. Everything will turn out for the best.”
Chapter Fourteen
SEAGLASS
I dream of Bremolo. He stands on his hind leg like a white fluffy circus dog and hops around on crutches.
In the morning, Hawk and I walk Stu on Witless Cove Beach, a few minutes’ walk through town. The wide ribbon of sand goes on forever, following the curves of the shoreline. Stu races around, his nose wiggling at piles of kelp, rocks, and driftwood.
I tell Hawk about Bremolo. “One minute, he was happy. The next minute, he got hit, and his leg got amputated.”
“If anyone can save an animal, Doc can, whatever it takes.” Hawk shades his eyes and squints in the sunlight. “But sometimes, there’s nothing he can do. I remember a chow dog that got hit by a car. Not a mark on him, but inside, the dog was bleeding to death. We were too late. Doc did his best, but the dog died anyway. The injuries were massive.”
“That’s so sad.” The poor chow. I keep an eye on Stu. He stays close to the waterline, away from the road.
“Another time, a man brought in a golden retriever with a big black tire mark down her back. He didn’t see her sleeping on the driveway, backed the car right over her.”
I gasp. “Oh no!”
“He said he felt a bump under the tires. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. He put her in the car and raced to the clinic. He thought he’d killed her, but she was perfectly fine. Not a scratch on her. No broken bones, nothing.”
My mouth drops open. “But how could that happen?”
Hawk shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe it was the way the dog lay on the concrete, or the way the car went over her.”
“I guess Bremolo was lucky, too.” I reach down and grab a handful of sand, let the grains slip through my fingers. “I hope I get lucky today. I need to find a clear,round piece of seaglass. Toni told me so. I have to stare into the stone and meditate. I’m supposed to search for my inner self.”
“Can’t you look in the mirror?”
“You’re making fun of Toni.” I breathe in the smells of salty air and seaweed.
“No I’m not. She gave me a psychic reading once, too. She said I have to be more truthful.”
“Are you a liar?”
“Only white lies. The kind that don’t matter. Like when my mom colors her hair, she asks how she looks. I always say she looks great, even though her hair looks as red as a fire engine.”
“Maybe she wants to know the truth.”
“Nah, she just wants me to tell her she’s beautiful.” He throws a stick, and Stu runs after it, all the way into the water.
“Hey! What are you doing? Stu! Come back!” I chase after him, but I can’t run fast in the sand, and I keep tripping over driftwood.
“Don’t worry!” Hawk shouts. “Have a little faith, Poppy. He’ll come back.”
In a moment, Stu trots back with the stick in his mouth. He flops onto his belly and stares at his prize.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Hawk throws the stick again, and Stu gallops off into the surf.
“Don’t throw it too far.” I crouch and sift through a pile of rocks.
“What about this?” Hawk picks up a flat piece of clear glass with part of a paper label still hanging from the corner.
“Not smooth enough yet.”
“Probably came from a beer bottle.” Hawk pulls a crinkled plastic bag from his pocket and drops the shard of glass inside. “This bag is for garbage and dangerous objects.”
We pick up everything from cigarette butts to bottle caps and a couple of empty soda cans. I don’t know who could mistake this beach for a garbage dump. Maybe litter bugs need glasses so they can see the true
“It’s not fair. Poor Bremolo.”
“We saved him, Poppy, and the ones we save make it all worthwhile.”
When we get out of the car, I hear Stu barking in the house. I hug Uncle Sanjay. The tears are spilling down my cheeks. “We can’t let Stu run out in the road, or ever get hit by a car.”
“There, there,” he says, patting my back. “Not to worry. Stu will be fine. Everything will turn out for the best.”
Chapter Fourteen
SEAGLASS
I dream of Bremolo. He stands on his hind leg like a white fluffy circus dog and hops around on crutches.
In the morning, Hawk and I walk Stu on Witless Cove Beach, a few minutes’ walk through town. The wide ribbon of sand goes on forever, following the curves of the shoreline. Stu races around, his nose wiggling at piles of kelp, rocks, and driftwood.
I tell Hawk about Bremolo. “One minute, he was happy. The next minute, he got hit, and his leg got amputated.”
“If anyone can save an animal, Doc can, whatever it takes.” Hawk shades his eyes and squints in the sunlight. “But sometimes, there’s nothing he can do. I remember a chow dog that got hit by a car. Not a mark on him, but inside, the dog was bleeding to death. We were too late. Doc did his best, but the dog died anyway. The injuries were massive.”
“That’s so sad.” The poor chow. I keep an eye on Stu. He stays close to the waterline, away from the road.
“Another time, a man brought in a golden retriever with a big black tire mark down her back. He didn’t see her sleeping on the driveway, backed the car right over her.”
I gasp. “Oh no!”
“He said he felt a bump under the tires. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. He put her in the car and raced to the clinic. He thought he’d killed her, but she was perfectly fine. Not a scratch on her. No broken bones, nothing.”
My mouth drops open. “But how could that happen?”
Hawk shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe it was the way the dog lay on the concrete, or the way the car went over her.”
“I guess Bremolo was lucky, too.” I reach down and grab a handful of sand, let the grains slip through my fingers. “I hope I get lucky today. I need to find a clear,round piece of seaglass. Toni told me so. I have to stare into the stone and meditate. I’m supposed to search for my inner self.”
“Can’t you look in the mirror?”
“You’re making fun of Toni.” I breathe in the smells of salty air and seaweed.
“No I’m not. She gave me a psychic reading once, too. She said I have to be more truthful.”
“Are you a liar?”
“Only white lies. The kind that don’t matter. Like when my mom colors her hair, she asks how she looks. I always say she looks great, even though her hair looks as red as a fire engine.”
“Maybe she wants to know the truth.”
“Nah, she just wants me to tell her she’s beautiful.” He throws a stick, and Stu runs after it, all the way into the water.
“Hey! What are you doing? Stu! Come back!” I chase after him, but I can’t run fast in the sand, and I keep tripping over driftwood.
“Don’t worry!” Hawk shouts. “Have a little faith, Poppy. He’ll come back.”
In a moment, Stu trots back with the stick in his mouth. He flops onto his belly and stares at his prize.
“Didn’t I tell you?” Hawk throws the stick again, and Stu gallops off into the surf.
“Don’t throw it too far.” I crouch and sift through a pile of rocks.
“What about this?” Hawk picks up a flat piece of clear glass with part of a paper label still hanging from the corner.
“Not smooth enough yet.”
“Probably came from a beer bottle.” Hawk pulls a crinkled plastic bag from his pocket and drops the shard of glass inside. “This bag is for garbage and dangerous objects.”
We pick up everything from cigarette butts to bottle caps and a couple of empty soda cans. I don’t know who could mistake this beach for a garbage dump. Maybe litter bugs need glasses so they can see the true
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