Dad laughed and Maggie Rose beamed a bright smile.
“Is there an adoption fee?” Mr. Martin asked quietly.
Dad just shook his head. “You volunteered your time and fuel for the Arctic foxes. The rescue isn’t going to charge you a thing.”
“You’re going to be so happy with your new puppy!” Maggie Rose exclaimed.
After a few moments, Mr. Martin put the puppy down and went back to sit at the front of the car. The puppy collapsed back into a nap. I curled up around him, feeling a little like a mother dog.
I get to know a lot of animals. Some of them have to go and live somewhere else after we’ve been friends for a little while. This happened to a skunk I once knew, and some baby geese who thought I was their mother, and two pigs. And, of course, Jumper and the rest of the foxes were that sort of friend, too.
Dogs are often different, though. Some, like Brewster, stay a part of my life. And others go off with their people. I didn’t know if I would be playing with this nameless puppy after our car ride was over, but I did know he would be going off to live with Mr. Martin in Up in the Mountains. They were meant to be together.
Every person needs a dog.
And every dog needs a person.
MORE ABOUT ARCTIC FOXES
Arctic foxes live on the tundra, the land near the North Pole where trees do not grow.
Arctic foxes hunt rodents, birds, and fish, and may eat berries and steal eggs from nests. They will also steal food from kills made by polar bears, wolves, and wolverines.
An adult male fox is called a dog. A female is a vixen.
Young foxes are called kits. A vixen usually has four to eight kits at a time, but she may have as many as twenty.
A fox lives in a family group with a mother, father, and kits. Sometimes one of the female kits will stay with her parents an extra year and help to look after her younger brothers and sisters.
A fox may weigh between six and a half pounds (about the size of a chihuahua) and seventeen pounds (about the size of a pug).
The soles of an Arctic fox’s feet are furry. This keeps their feet warm in the snow.
Arctic foxes live in burrows that may have a hundred entrances and exits.
An Arctic fox’s fur changes with the season. Some are white in the winter and brown in the summer. Others are pale gray in winter and darker gray in summer. Either way, they stay camouflaged in winter snow or summer dirt.
Arctic foxes are hunted by polar bears, brown bears, wolverines, wolves, red foxes, and eagles.
A fox will wrap its bushy tail around its body to keep itself warm.
READ ON FOR A SNEAK PEEK AT
LILY TO THE RESCUE:
THE THREE BEARS,
COMING SOON FROM STARSCAPE
“You get to see Freddy today, Lily!” Maggie Rose sang to me. I wagged because she was happy and because I recognized the name “Freddy.” Freddy is a sleek ferret who sometimes sits in a cage at Work. Freddy is my best ferret friend. Actually, I don’t know any other ferrets, but if I did, Freddy would be my favorite.
I was still wagging when we walked in the door at Work. Instantly I could smell that Maggie Rose’s two brothers were already here, along with Brewster.
Brewster is a dog who lives with us and sleeps on Bryan’s bed. He was napping on a dog blanket near the door and raised his head as we came in. I gave him a polite sniff.
“Hey, Maggie Rose,” Craig said. He was lugging a heavy bag that smelled of wonderful dog food. “Bryan’s outside in the back, playing with two puppies we just rescued.”
“Puppies!” Maggie Rose said.
Craig nodded. “I’m almost done stacking dog food, and then I’ll come out, too.”
My girl ran to the back door and I dashed after her. I didn’t know what we were doing, but I was excited to be doing it. It seemed that we were not going into the room of cages where Freddy was waiting for me. That was too bad. But whatever we were doing must be more important.
It wasn’t important enough to wake Brewster from his nap, though. Almost nothing can do that.
We burst out into the sunshine and I smelled Bryan and two puppies.
“So cute!” Maggie Rose exclaimed.
One puppy was covered with shaggy dark fur, and one was white with big dark spots. Of course, they were impressed and amazed to see a good dog and her girl.
They ran to me, tripping over themselves. I let them jump on me and chew at my face until Shaggy bit down too hard. Then I flipped him over on his back.
It’s the job of older dogs to teach younger dogs how to play properly.
“I’ve named them Biker and Slam,” Bryan told my girl.
Maggie Rose sat on the lawn and the puppies broke away from me and climbed into her lap. She giggled and picked up the spotted one, kissing him on the nose. I trotted over and shoved my face into my girl’s face for my own kiss.
Craig came out the back door. There was still no sign of Brewster.
“Those are the worst names ever, Bryan,” Maggie Rose told him.
“What are?” Craig asked, falling to his knees and reaching out to the shaggy puppy. Shaggy began chewing Craig’s fingers.
“Slime and Blinker,” Maggie Rose answered.
Craig hooted.
“That’s not what I said!” Bryan responded. “Biker and Slam.”
“What? Are you crazy?” Craig answered. “Slacker and Bam?”
“I’m not talking to either of you,” Bryan muttered. I saw he was trying not to grin.
I looked up and wagged as Mom came out to see us. She smells different every day. Today she carried the odor of cats.
Craig rose to his feet. “What’s wrong, Mom?”
ALSO BY W. BRUCE CAMERON
Bailey’s Story
Bella’s Story
Cooper’s Story
Ellie’s Story
Lily’s Story
Max’s Story
Molly’s Story
Shelby’s Story
Toby’s Story
Lily to the Rescue
Lily to the Rescue: Two Little Piggies
Lily to the Rescue: The Not-So-Stinky Skunk
Lily to the Rescue: Dog Dog Goose
Lily to the Rescue: Lost Little Leopard
Lily to the Rescue: The Misfit Donkey
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
W. BRUCE CAMERON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Dog’s Purpose, A Dog’s Journey, A Dog’s Way Home, A Dog’s Promise; the young reader novels Bailey’s Story, Bella’s Story, Cooper’s Story, Ellie’s Story, Lily’s Story, Max’s Story, Molly’s Story, Shelby’s Story, Toby’s Story; and the chapter book series Lily to the Rescue. He lives in California. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
More About Arctic Foxes
Read on for a Sneak Peek at Lily to the Rescue: The Three Bears, Coming Soon from Starscape
Also by W. Bruce Cameron
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
LILY TO THE RESCUE: FOXES IN A FIX
Copyright © 2021 by W. Bruce Cameron
Illustrations © 2021 by James Bernardin
All rights reserved.
Cover art by Andrew Beckett
A Starscape Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates
120 Broadway
New York, NY 10271
www.tor-forge.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-76272-6 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-250-76279-5 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-76273-3 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250762733
Our ebooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by email at [email protected].
First Edition: 2021
Lily to the Rescue: Foxes in a Fix Page 5