Chapter 41

To make matters worse, Jake had decided it was time to go out. He appeared at the deck door and, seeing Jester and me, began barking. Brad and his friends walked to the door and stood behind the dog

I heard Brad say, “What’s out there, Jake, what do you see?”

Then he switched on the lights, flooding the back yard with illumination. As he did, Andy walked up behind them, evidently home from his emergency call.

We all stood there staring at each other. I slowly lowered Jester to cover the Red Ryder Loon Symbol monogram.

“And this,” Brad said in a voice somewhere between astonishment and humor, “is my other dad, David Bennett, and his Christmas present, Jester.”

Weakly I waved my hand. Jester’s stump of a tail wagged furiously.

* * * *