CHAPTER 2

The next afternoon, Cassie and Ani stood at the top of the Big Sable Lighthouse. It was unusually cool for a July day, and puffy, white clouds scuttled across the wide-open blue sky. A strong gust suddenly whipped Cassie’s long, auburn hair into her face, and she smoothed it back with both hands, tucking it into the neck of her sweatshirt to keep it out of her eyes.

She and Ani had grown close when they’d been placed in the same foster home over ten years ago. Ani was only four at the time, and it was her first placement. But at the age of fourteen, Cassie had been a veteran of the system. She’d immediately taken Ani under her wing and the little girl idolized her, following her around everywhere. When Cassie was forced to move on to a new home, she’d promised to always keep in touch with Ani. And she’d successfully kept that promise. The two of them made it a priority to spend time together each week. Between Cassie’s busy schedule and Ani’s high school activities, however, that usually meant weekends. They would often work on cars together, hang out at the beach, or take hikes.

Whispering Pines had a gorgeous state park and was home to two of the three lighthouses that were strategically spaced along a thirty-mile stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline. The Big Sable Lighthouse was Cassie’s favorite. She and Ani often hiked the two-mile path out to the mid-nineteenth-century structure. The black-and-white tower rose over one hundred feet. It sat nestled among jack pines and offered breathtaking views of undulating sand dunes and the white-capped waves of the great lake.

Ani’s own dark hair flew about her face, but lost in thought, she didn’t seem to notice. Then she turned to look at Cassie, tucking her hands into the sleeves of the pale yellow sweatshirt she wore. “Thanks for hanging out with me today,” she said. “After last night, I wasn’t sure if you’d still be mad at me. That was such a close call with the cops.”

“Mhm.” Cassie gave her a sidelong look. “You’re lucky I’m the forgiving type.” She glanced down at Ani’s feet. “I wasn’t sure you’d be able to do the walk today, what with your sprained ankle and all.”

Ani at least had the grace to blush at this. “I’m sorry, Cassie. Really! I know I shouldn’t have tricked you like that.”

Cassie made a non-committal sound and looked out at the rolling waves.

“And I totally deserved to twist my ankle for real,” Ani continued, looking down at the ankle in question. “I’m just glad that officer’s advice about icing it helped so much.”

Cassie turned away from the view and leaned back against the iron railing. She rested her elbows on it and looked at Ani. “I’m not as concerned about your ankle as I am about why you wanted me to race in the first place.”

Ani lifted one shoulder. “I just know how much you used to love it. And you’re so good at it!”

“Careful, your ‘gushing little sister’ is showing,” Cassie said drily.

Ani laughed. “Besides, I love watching you kick Brett’s arrogant butt.”

Cassie couldn’t suppress her grin at this. “Yeah, I like kicking his butt, too. And you’re right, I do love street racing. Always will. But that’s part of an old chapter of my life that I want to put behind me. You know how much Rachel and Mark have done to help me turn my life around. If it weren’t for them, I would never have even considered college. Now, for the first time in my life, I’m actually doing well in school. And I’m trying to make a solid plan for my future.”

“I know,” Ani said. “I’m so proud of you, Cass. You’re inspiring me to do better, too. And to recognize that my circumstances don’t have to define me.” Her dark eyes were suddenly moist, and she swiped at them with her sleeve.

Cassie, seeing the emotion on Ani’s face, opened her arms. Without hesitation, Ani fell into the embrace. Cassie was a full head taller than her sister, and she rested her chin on the top of Ani’s head for a moment before letting her go.

Then she gave Ani a pointed look. “Now, I don’t want to be a nag, but you need to be extra careful if you intend to keep racing. That one cop in particular seemed pretty intense about it. It’s not worth the risk of getting busted and sent to juvie.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Ani grumbled. She was leaning on the rail now, chin resting on her folded arms. Suddenly, she straightened up and pointed. “What is that down there?”

Cassie followed her finger and could see something small and white moving through the fluttering dune grass below. She frowned. “I don’t know.”

But Ani was already clambering down the lighthouse steps. “Ani, wait!” Cassie followed after her. She came out through the bottom doorway to see Ani tripping over the sand to approach the object in question.

“It’s a dog!” Ani cried.

Cassie caught up to her a moment later. Sure enough, a small, white dog stood shivering amid the sharp spikes of dune grass. Two black button eyes and a dark, wet nose peeked through a mass of fluffy fur as the pup looked up at them.

“Oooh, he looks cold!” Ani exclaimed, moving closer to the dog.

“Ani, don’t touch him!” Cassie warned. “You don’t know if he’s dangerous.”

“He’s not dangerous,” she said, scooping the animal up into her arms. “He’s sweet.” The dog licked Ani’s face and settled comfortably into her arms.

Cassie looked around. There was no one in sight. Although farther up the beach, there was an old blue Impala parked at the side of the road. Cassie shaded her eyes and studied it. “Hey, I think there are two people in that car up there,” she said. “We should go see if it’s their dog.”

“Okay,” Ani said. “Can you hold him, though? I need to tie my shoe.”

“All right.” Cassie reluctantly took the dog, who immediately licked her cheek and settled his soft, furry head against her chest, protected from the wind.

After Ani tied her shoe, the two of them walked along the beach toward the car. As they drew closer, Cassie could see that there were two older women inside it.

Ani smiled and waved at the woman seated in the passenger seat. She smiled back and rolled the window down.

“Yes, dear?” The woman had a classic grandmotherly look, with soft, gray, perfectly coiffed hair and gentle, pale blue eyes.

“Is this your dog?” Cassie lifted the small animal toward the woman.

“Nope.” The abrupt answer came from the woman behind the wheel of the car. She sat low in the seat and had small, dark, penetrating eyes. Her hair was dyed a flat brown that had been teased and hair sprayed into an immobile helmet that didn’t move when she turned her head. “Never seen it before.”

Ani looked worried and turned back to Cassie. “What are we going to do? We can’t leave him here!”

“Oh good, our ride has finally arrived,” said the driver, looking up the road.

Cassie followed the woman’s gaze and saw with dismay a black-and-white police car rolling toward them. The car drove past and then circled around, coming to a stop behind the Impala.

Unbelievable! Cassie thought as she saw officers Riley and Garcia step out of the car.

“Well, hello again, ladies! Are you the ones who called for help?” Officer Garcia actually looked delighted to see them again.

In the daylight, Cassie could now see them both much more clearly. Officer Garcia was in his mid- to late fifties. He was thickset with a little roundness to his belly. His salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed, and a warm grin curved beneath a thick mustache. When he looked at them, his kind, dark-brown eyes crinkled at the corners. Cassie thought he had the type of face that seemed like it was always ready to smile.

Officer Riley, on the other hand, was much younger, maybe late twenties or early thirties. He was tall and broad shouldered with tawny-colored hair that matched the golden-brown flecks in his hazel eyes. His handsome face held a serious expression, and his eyes studied her now in a most unsettling way.

“Not them!” the driver shouted through her now open window. “It was us! Our car broke down.”

“Did you call a tow truck?” Officer Riley asked, coming up alongside the driver.

“No,” the driver said. “We called you!”

“May I see your license and registration?” Officer Riley said.

“What for?”

“Better just do it,” Cassie advised. “He’s a real stickler for the rules.” She met Officer Riley’s narrowed gaze that was now focused back on her.

“You know, Ms. Sherwin,” he said, noting the bundle in her arms. “Your dog is not allowed on this particular section of the beach. It’s against the law. You need to remove him or I’ll have to issue you a ticket.”

She was surprised he remembered her name, but didn’t let it show. She readjusted her hold on the little dog, who was now squirming in response to all the people. “Look,” she said sharply, staring Officer Riley down. “He’s not my dog.”

“She,” said the driver.

“What?”

“She’s not your dog. He’s a girl.”

“Oh,” Cassie said, faltering. “Well, we just found her wandering all alone on the beach, and we’re trying to find her owner.”

Officer Garcia walked over to pet the dog’s head and she licked his hand. “She’s so cute,” he said. “She looks like a little angel.”

“Doesn’t she?” Ani said, scratching the pup behind her ear.

The little fluffy tail thumped against Cassie’s side with all the attention.

Officer Riley stepped around the front of the car to stand beside them, “Is there an I.D. tag or anything?” He reached toward the dog, who immediately emitted a low growl. He quickly pulled his fingers back.

“Hmmm,” Cassie said with a smirk. “She doesn’t seem to like you much, Officer Riley.”

His face reddened, but he said nothing.

Then, before Cassie realized what was happening, the dog leaped from her arms and grabbed ahold of Officer Riley’s pant leg, tugging and pulling at it with her small, sharp teeth while continuing to growl.

“No, no! Stop that!” he shouted, dancing around in his attempts to shake off the little dog.

Cassie pressed her lips together hard to stop herself from laughing out loud.

“Release!” Officer Garcia said sharply, and the dog immediately let go of the pant leg and sat down. Her little pink tongue lolled to one side as she panted and looked up at him expectantly.

“I think she wants a treat,” Ani said.

Cassie quickly bent and scooped her up again. “Well, we don’t have anything.”

“Oh! I do!” Officer Garcia walked quickly back to the patrol car.

“Isn’t anybody concerned that she just attacked me!” Officer Riley exclaimed, bending over to examine his pant leg.

“Oh, don’t be such a baby,” the car’s driver said. “It’s not like she broke skin. I think she was just playing.”

Officer Garcia returned with a brown lunch bag. He fished around inside it and came out with a bit of cheese in his hand. “It’s from my lunch sandwich,” he explained. “My wife and I used to have a dog and he loved cheese.”

He held it out for the dog, who sniffed it suspiciously for a second before popping it into her mouth in one bite.

Cassie ran her hand around the dog’s furry neck, searching. “To answer your earlier question, Officer Riley, no, there’s no collar or I.D. tag on her.”

“We could call Animal Control for you, and they could come take her,” Officer Garcia offered.

“No way!” Ani said. “What if they can’t find her owner? Won’t they kill her or put her to sleep or whatever?”

“Likely,” said the driver.

Ani looked mortified. “You have to take her, Cassie!”

Cassie opened her mouth to protest, but Ani cut her off. “You know I would, but there’s no way I can keep her. And I’m sure Rachel and Mark will understand. It’s just temporary until we find her owner.”

Cassie looked at the concern in Ani’s eyes and couldn’t refuse her. “All right,” she sighed. “But only until we find her owner.”

Ani grinned.

“Hey, how is your ankle today?” Officer Garcia asked, looking concerned.

“Much better,” Ani said with a smile. “Thanks for the tip about icing it right away. I’m not quite at a hundred percent yet, but it made a huge difference, see?” She rolled her ankle around to show him. “I’m also doing a few physical therapy stretches I found on Instagram and YouTube.”

“I’m glad I was able to help.” Officer Garcia smiled at her, then shook his head slightly. “I wish I understood how to do all that internet social media techie stuff. My nieces and nephews are always encouraging me to get on different sites, but I find it all so overwhelming.”

“It’s actually super easy,” Ani said, then her face brightened. “Hey, you helped me with my ankle, how about if I return the favor and help you become a more tech-savvy uncle?”

“Really?” Officer Garcia looked surprised, but pleased. “But how?”

She put out her hand. “Give me your phone for a minute.”

Officer Garcia pulled it out, tapped the screen to unlock it, then handed it to her. Ani’s fingertips skimmed the surface for a few seconds, then she handed it back to him.

“What did you do?” Officer Garcia looked confused.

“I just put my contact info into it. I’m Ani Bolivar. Now, go into your contacts, find me, and send me a text.

Officer Garcia complied, laboriously poking at his screen with one finger.

Moments later, Ani’s phone buzzed. She tapped a message back. “There! Now we can communicate. And you just finished your first lesson!”

Officer Garcia and Ani wore matching grins which Cassie almost found endearing, except that the dog was squirming again. Plus, she really had no interest in prolonging their interaction with these cops any longer.

“Look,” said the driver, addressing Officer Riley, “here’s my paperwork. Now, can we get this show on the road? I’m hosting cards this evening. Margot and I need to get back to my house to prepare before all the ladies arrive.”

Officer Riley examined the paperwork and handed it back to her. “Thank you, ma’am. We’ll call a tow truck for your car, and we’ll give you a ride home to assure your safety.”

Ugh. He is so ridiculously formal. It’s almost painful to watch, Cassie thought.

“You always so formal?” the driver asked, echoing Cassie’s thoughts.

“Gretchen! Be nice!” Margot looked appalled.

“I’m always nice,” Gretchen snapped back, and Margot sighed audibly.

“I need to get back home too, Cassie,” Ani said with a quick look at her cell phone screen. “I don’t want to be late.”

Officer Riley was already helping Gretchen out of the car, and Officer Garcia turned to help Margot. As the two older ladies were escorted back to the police car, Gretchen called back over her shoulder, “Hey, girlie, you better stop and get doggie poop bags. She may be cute, but she’s still gonna poop.”

“Great,” Cassie muttered as she and Ani started walking back up the beach toward her car. “Now I’ve got to mess with dog poop.”

“It won’t be for long,” Ani said. “Will it, little pup? Will you make little poopies for Auntie Cassie?” she addressed the dog, who gave a short staccato bark, making Ani laugh.

Inside the car, Cassie handed Ani the dog, who curled up on her lap as they drove off. Ani ran her hand over the soft, white fur, threading her fingers through it. “She’s so pretty. Officer Garcia is right, she is a little angel. Can we call you Angel?” she asked, leaning close to speak directly to the dog again. The pup lifted her head and licked Ani’s face. “You like that, huh? Okay, Angel it is!”

After dropping Ani off, Cassie made a quick call to Rachel and Mark Wainwright. Rachel and Mark had become her foster parents when she was in her junior year of high school. And although Cassie was now an adult, they continued to help her and act as true parents in her life.

Unlike the couple Ani currently lived with, Rachel and Mark had been wonderful foster parents. When their own children had grown and moved away, they’d decided to put their parenting skills to work making a difference in hurting children’s lives.

They’d participated in the program for several years before Cassie came to live with them. And she’d been their last placement before they finally decided to retire. Now, they allowed her to rent the studio apartment above their garage while she worked and went to school. With their encouragement, she’d been taking one or two classes per semester at the community college for the past few years. Progress was slow, but it didn’t really matter since she still didn’t know what sort of degree she even wanted yet.

Rachel answered the call and put it on speaker as Cassie explained to them about Angel. And just as Ani predicted, they were totally fine with it.

“Poor little dog,” Rachel’s voice filled the car. “Remember our sweet Oreo, Mark?”

“Yes, yes,” Mark replied. “I know you still miss him.” Oreo had been their black-and-white cockapoo who’d died a little over a year ago. “But, honey, we’re traveling so much now to visit the kids and grandbaby Logan, you know it doesn’t make sense to have a dog to take care of.”

“I know, you’re right,” Rachel sighed. “But it will be nice to have a dog around again, even if it’s only for a little while.”

After disconnecting, Cassie looked over at Angel, now curled up into a comfortable ball on the passenger seat. The dog lifted her head, dark eyes studying Cassie.

“Well, pup, I guess we have an errand to run before I take you home.”

Cassie stopped at the pet supply store. Quickly scooping Angel up into her arms, she made it inside fifteen minutes before closing. With the guidance of the store clerk, she hurriedly picked out dog food and dishes, a collar, leash, and the dreaded doggie poop bags. Then, as a quick afterthought, she tossed a package of liver treats and a squeaky stuffed squirrel into her cart.

She parked in the Wainwright’s driveway and put the collar and leash on Angel, escorting her to the back of the property for a potty run. Angel sniffed around with interest before completing her business. To Cassie’s relief, the dog didn’t poop, because she’d totally forgotten to grab a poop bag before taking Angel back there.

Cassie took the dog into the main house to meet Mark and Rachel, who made a big deal over her. Attention that Angel enjoyed immensely. Then she carried the little dog back outside and up the white wooden staircase to her studio apartment above the garage. “You need to be good,” she told the ball of fluff in her arms. “I still have a bunch of homework to do tonight.”

She finished unloading the car while Angel made an in-depth sniffing tour of the tiny space. Cassie filled the new pink-and-white ceramic doggie dishes and placed them near her kitchen area. Then watched as Angel devoured all the food and lapped up the water. Wow. The poor dog must have been starving. Cassie added more to each dish for Angel. Then she grabbed her laptop, pulled out her psychology textbook, and grabbed some pita chips and hummus to snack on while she studied. She was taking Psychology 101, and despite the accelerated speed of the summer session, she was determined to ace it. Plus, she really loved what she was learning in it.

She placed everything at her tiny four-seater kitchen table and sat down. The chairs were old and made from a hard, light-colored wood, and the white paint on the small, square table was slightly chipped and worn from use, but they served their purpose of providing the flexible work and eating space she needed.

She was typing up her notes when Angel finished eating. The pup came over and curled up comfortably at Cassie’s feet. Actually, on her feet. She looked so peaceful though, Cassie didn’t have the heart to move her.

Just before midnight, Cassie yawned and closed her textbook. Then she looked down at Angel and sighed. One more thing to do. Cassie pulled up the local county Lost and Found Pet social media page on her laptop. She snapped a photo of the sleeping Angel with her cell phone and posted it, along with information about where and when Angel had been found. Then she used the photo to create a flyer and printed off several copies to post around town the next day.

Finally, she closed the laptop, stood, and stretched. Angel stood, too, looking at her expectantly. “It’s time for bed, pup,” Cassie said. Under the watchful eye of Angel, Cassie brushed her teeth, changed into her soft pajama T-shirt and boxers, and headed for her bed, which was separated from the rest of the room by a simple Japanese shoji screen, its translucent white paper framed in glossy black lacquer trim.

She climbed into the bed and fluffed the soft, pale-blue quilt several times before cocooning herself within its inviting depths. Angel trotted around the screen and sat down, patiently watching her. Cassie suddenly noticed her. And it was only then that she realized she’d neglected to get a bed for the dog. While she was still considering what to do about this, Angel leaped up beside her on the bed.

“Oh no you don’t!” Cassie said. But it was too late, Angel was already walking in tight, little circles, pawing at the covers to make a nest for herself before settling down comfortably on the pillow next to Cassie’s.

Cassie eyed the dog, whose head rested on her little paws, dark eyes open, just looking back at her. Too tired to argue, with a sigh of resignation, Cassie slipped down beneath the covers again. Once she settled in, she reached over to turn off the lamp on the nightstand beside her. Before she hit the switch though, Angel got up and moved in closer, snuggling her warm, little body right up against Cassie’s.

Cassie lay there for a moment, wondering how she was going to sleep with this furball heater next to her on the bed. She reached down and stroked the dog’s soft side. It surprised her how quickly Angel seemed to trust her. Aside from Ani, Cassie hadn’t ever had anyone else rely on her in her life. And even though it was just a dog, she had to admit, it kind of warmed her heart. “You’re lucky you’re so darn cute, puppy,” she said, and turned out the light.