After I dropped them off, I didn’t go back to the town house. I had dressed for a run through the country, so I hopped on the interstate, and eventually took an exit not far from the county line. Southwest Florida was not all sand, gulf and palm trees. Away from the water, this little corner of heaven still had centuries-old oaks, which no developer had yet destroyed, along with scruffy fields dotted with Hereford cattle and clumps of saw palmetto. Pastel concrete block farmhouses stood in the shade of chinaberry and silver buttonwood. Pools graced front yards, and substantial vegetable gardens were finishing one growing season and greening up with the next.

I parked where I usually did when I took this particular turn, off the feeder road about six miles from the interstate on a smaller dirt road. The signs at the crossroads that pointed in the direction I planned to run read Buttonwood Nursery, 1.5 miles, and Marvin’s Masterpieces, 3 miles. That particular sign claimed that Marvin, a taxidermist, specialized in “odd beasts and rare.” I always pictured a stuffed unicorn waiting in his yard to greet customers. Someday I planned to run that far and find out.

The biggest sign, Confidence K-9s, 2 miles, was the only one that was freshly painted and positioned in the best place for travelers to see. Mateo Santiago, who owned the kennel and training facility, was meticulous and smart. Teo rarely did anything without thinking carefully about the best way to proceed and then barreling full speed ahead.

I limbered up a little, although I would do the bulk of my stretching afterward. Temperatures had dropped into the low fifties overnight, and so far had only climbed into the sixties. I wore running capris patterned with a beach scene and a long-sleeved crop top shirt. Apparently it was important to protect my arms from the cold, but the designer had declared open season on my midriff.

For Christmas last year Wendy had presented me with this outfit and three other running ensembles, along with bright purple headphones. That much glamour is definitely out of place in my wardrobe. Most of my clothing looks like I picked it up on sale at Dollar General, but when I run, I’m the bomb. In exchange I gave her an embroidered Mexican shawl I’d found in a vintage clothing shop and a hand-thrown mug that read: “You and I are sisters. Always remember that if you fall I will pick you up...” And then on the other side: “...after I stop laughing.”

Sadly, I’m not laughing.

I started my jog slowly, keeping to the middle of the road since the ground was harder, and traffic was light to none. The route was nothing short of an obsession, and every time I ran, I told myself I could turn around before I reached Confidence K-9s. I never did. Seeing what Teo’s life had become was like picking the scab off a sore. Not that Confidence K-9s was anything to be ashamed of. In addition to boarding and obedience training, Confidence raised dogs for personal protection and security. Last month when I whizzed past, I’d seen a foundation for a new building behind an extra parking area. At home I tried not to call up Teo’s website, but I was sure he was doing well. It’s just that he wasn’t doing what he’d trained to do, the job he’d loved as much as he’d loved breathing. Teo was no longer a K9 officer, and I was the reason.