Olivia pulled up the voicemail again and played it over the speaker for Gabe to hear. Sure enough, it ended with the words she’d thought Principal Garcia had said: “There are the formalities, of course. We can never skip those. But I know who I want back here next year. And after this field trip of yours, there’s a motivated group of incoming eighth graders who are hoping for the same thing.”

“Listen to that,” Gabe said as Olivia hung up. He brushed the tip of one finger across the ridge of her brow. “Olivia Graham, not even finished with a full semester there and already making waves.”

“Oh, Gabe, I can’t tell you how many ideas I’ve been storing away in hopes of having my own students next year.”

Gabe locked her hand in his and pulled it to his chest. Morgan had finished scoping out the area and was ready to move on and made it known by tugging the leash in his other hand. Samson had wandered a few feet ahead and was busy sniffing out the next scent station, making Morgan whine with envy.

Gabe looked from the dogs to the jewelry store just visible beyond the trees and then back at her. “You know, all my bets are on next year being a really good year.”

As their lips met somewhere in the middle, Olivia couldn’t think of a single reason to disagree.

Acknowledgments

One of my favorite coffee mugs reads “Please don’t confuse your Google search with my medical degree.” As a fiction writer, I often find it necessary to dive headfirst into a subject I know little about, soak in what I can, and hope to do the subject justice in the manuscript. Understandably, one of the questions I get asked most about my writing of this series is, “How am I so versed in animal rescue work and dog training?”

While Google searches are helpful, they can’t compare to life experience or in-person interviews. Fortunately, the animal shelter world is one in which I’m fairly well versed. I’ve had considerable experience working for nonprofit conservation organizations and volunteering with animal shelters. When it comes to dog training, I know the basics and have taken my own dogs through obedience training courses, but I’m not a professional trainer. Fortunately, my two adequately trained shelter dogs fit right into my at-times chaotic house with teens!