Following the sand-encrusted sidewalk along the houses, I took a turn in the road and realized the homes reached far along the coastal land. Although I spotted a small primary school, there weren’t signs of much else, and I deduced that the children more than likely had to get a bus to a high school in a larger nearby town.

After walking back toward the main street, I’d just passed The Anchor when a dog raced past me, yanking my attention away from the details of the village. The dog made my breath catch, and I hurried after it, my heart racing a little.

“Duke?” The name fell from my lips even though I knew it wasn’t him.

I drew to a stumbled halt at the sight of the large, black, elegant Great Dane as it followed its nose along an invisible line on the sidewalk. He was the spitting image of my dog Duke. We adopted Duke when he was one year old, and we’d had him until he died of old age at nine. We’d gotten him only three months after my father died, and Duke passed away just after my fifteenth birthday. His death was heartbreaking, and it also brought back a lot of memories. It had been like losing my dad all over again.

“Shadow!” a male voice bellowed from behind me.

I was just about to turn toward that voice when the Great Dane followed whatever it was he smelled into the middle of the road.

Right near the blind bend toward the hill.

My feet moved, seemingly with a mind of their own.

“Shadow, come here, boy!”

Right then I heard the hum of a car engine and quickened my steps as the Great Dane suddenly lifted his head in my direction. Then the car appeared. Before I knew it, I was running, my eyes on the dog and the car.

The car that wasn’t slowing!

Heart in my throat, I dashed out onto the road, grabbed the startled Dane by the collar, and hauled him with me to the other side of the street. At the last minute, my foot caught on something, my weak left ankle turning on itself.

Down I went.

Pain scored across my knees and left hand as I shook my head, discombobulated.

A snuffling sound in my ear brought my head up to the side, and my nose met the cold wet one of the Dane. His head bent toward me as he stared inquisitively into my eyes, and I realized I still had a tight grip on his collar.

“Jesus Christ, Shadow, look what you’ve done.” A deep male voice sounded near. “Are you okay?”

Slumping to my side, I turned toward the voice I deduced was addressing me, my head falling back as I looked up.