Dog Days

by Carol Cox

  Dog Days

  Mystery

  and the Minister’s Wife

  Through the Fire

  A State of Grace

  Beauty Shop Tales

  A Test of Faith

  The Best Is Yet to Be

  Angels Undercover

  Into the Wilderness

  Where There’s a Will

  Dog Days

  The Missing Ingredient

  Open Arms

  A Token of Truth

  Who’s That Girl?

  For the Least of These

  A Matter of Trust

  Funny Money

  To Have and to Hold

  How the Heart Runs

  A Thousand Generations

  Home to Briar Mountain

  Flight of the Sparrows

  A Firm Foundation

  Off the Record

  A Distant Memory

  Tea and Sympathy

  The Master’s Hand

  Strangers in Their Midst

  Mystery and the Minister’s Wife is a trademark of Guideposts.

  Copyright © 2008 by Guideposts. All rights reserved.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Inquiries should be addressed to the Rights & Permissions Department, Guideposts, 110 William Street, New York, New York 10038.

  The characters and events in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental.

  All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

  Guideposts.org

  (800) 932-2145

  Guideposts Books & Inspirational Media

  Cover design by Dugan Design Group

  Cover illustration by Rose Lowry, www.illustrations.com

  Interior design by Cris Kossow

  Typeset by Nancy Tardi

  Printed in the United States of America

  To Katie,

  whose love of dogs

  and colorful imagination

  inspired some great moments in this story.

  Chapter One

  What have I gotten myself into?

  Forcing her lips into a polite smile, Kate Hanlon shifted slightly in her seat and gazed around the second-floor meeting room of the Copper Mill Public Library with a growing sense of dismay. From the moment Renee Lambert requested—no, demanded—Kate’s help with the Harrington County Dog Show, only a month away, Kate suspected she would be out of her depth. Now, given a first glimpse at one of the dog club’s meetings, she felt sure of it.

  The air inside the meeting room on this Saturday morning seemed to crackle with tension as the dozen or so members of the Harrington County Dog Club reported on the status of show preparations with almost military precision.

  Arrangements were being finalized, from securing the transportation and housing of the judges to repairing or replacing any damaged show equipment to obtaining the necessary permits for the show to take place in Copper Mill Park, which stretched between Main Street and Hamilton Road.

  Kate tried to take it all in, hoping she didn’t appear as lost as she felt. Between reports, she leaned over and whispered to Renee, who was seated beside her. “Are you sure you want me to help out? I don’t have the slightest idea how to run a dog show.”

  Renee waved her hand dismissively, and the polish on her French-manicured nails caught the light. “That doesn’t matter. The thing to remember is that you’ll be doing a service to the community.”

  Kate tried to fight the uneasiness she’d been feeling ever since Renee informed her that she planned to “volunteer” Kate for dog-show duty. She knew she needed to rid herself of the tendency to suspect Renee of having an ulterior motive every time she drafted Kate into some new activity.

  And Renee did have a point about this being a way to serve the community. Kate’s husband, Paul, had recently wrapped up a powerful series of sermons on ministry by challenging every member of the Faith Briar congregation to develop relationships beyond their church community.

  “Don’t be afraid to think outside the box,” he’d said. “It’s time to try some new ideas. If we open ourselves up to what the Lord is saying to us, we’ll discover ways of reaching out that we never dreamed of before.”

  Like helping to run a dog show. Kate’s lips twisted in a wry smile. It definitely qualified as something she’d never pictured herself doing.

  Renee lifted a soft white-leather tote from the seat on her opposite side and cradled it in her lap. She opened the zippered mesh top and reached inside for Kisses, her beloved Chihuahua. She nuzzled the top of the dog’s tiny head with her cheek and murmured, “How’s my Little Umpkins? Are you enjoying your brand-new bag?”

  The action earned her a reproving glance from Wilbur Dodson, the club president, who was seated at the front table with two other officers. Renee appeared not to notice.

  Kate smothered a grin. In the time she and Paul had lived in Copper Mill, she had become used to Renee’s insistence on taking Kisses with her wherever she went, and to the loving care Renee lavished on him. Take the new doggie tote, for instance. Apart from the mesh panels on the top and sides, it looked more like a designer handbag than a dog carrier. And it probably cost as much, Kate assumed. Renee wasn’t one to stint on expense when it came to Kisses and his comfort.

  Kate turned her attention back to the meeting and tried not to flinch when she realized the gazes of all three people at the front table were focused on her and Renee.

  “Don’t let Wilbur intimidate you,” Renee huffed in Kate’s ear. “He may have produced a champion line of German shorthairs, but that doesn’t give him any special privileges.”

  Kate leaned slightly to her left, hoping to discourage Renee from any more whispering. She should have known better.

  “He only beat out Velma Hopkins for club president by two votes in the last election,” Renee continued. “Not nearly the landslide victory he’d like to claim it was. Velma wasn’t any too happy about having to settle for being vice president.”

  Kate could believe that. The sharp-faced woman sitting next to Wilbur had propped one elbow on the table and was eyeing Kate with an assessing stare she found unnerving.

  At the other end of the table, Lucy Mae Briddle, the club secretary and wife of Copper Mill’s mayor, was taking notes.

  Renee returned the tote to the empty chair beside her, then leaned closer to Kate. “Velma is determined for her dog to do better at the show than Wilbur’s. And she just might get her wish. Her Irish setter has been winning a lot of prizes lately.”

  Kate smiled politely but didn’t offer a comment. She clasped her hands in her lap and willed herself not to squirm under Velma Hopkins’ scrutiny. She wasn’t used to feeling so out of place, but she supposed this was part of what Paul meant when he spoke about moving outside one’s comfort zone.

  This meeting was definitely outside hers. Kate thought wistfully about Abby Pippins’ request a couple of weeks ago for Kate to lead the Friendship Club Abby and Phoebe West were starting.

  “Its purpose is to help women find friends and fellowship,” Abby had explained. “With your experience as a pastor’s wife, you’d be perfect for the job.”

  “I’ll come to as many meetings as I can,” Kate had promised Abby, “but God put the idea in your hearts, and I think you and Phoebe are the right ones to head it up.”

  As much as Kate appreciated Abby and Phoebe for thinking of her for the job, she felt a need to take on a more challenging project that would stretch her the way Pau
l had been talking about.

  And by the look of things, Kate seemed to have found one.

  Wilbur Dodson cleared his throat. “We have one more item on the agenda today. We need to fill—”

  “’Scuse me. I got something I want to ask.”

  Kate twisted around in her chair and recognized Bud Barkley, a Copper Mill resident, standing at the back of the room.

  “What’s he doing here?” Renee murmured. “He isn’t a member of the club, and neither are those people with him.”

  Kate turned back around to see Wilbur glaring at Bud.

  “This is a business meeting, Bud,” he said. “You can’t just jump in whenever you feel like it.”

  Velma pursed her lips and nodded. “We have to follow the agenda. Parliamentary procedure, you know.”

  Bud held his ground and hooked his thumbs around the straps of his overalls. “Don’t get all riled up, folks. It’s just a question. It won’t take more than a second to give me an answer.”

  Wilbur rapped his knuckles on the table. “You’re out of order. The chair hasn’t recognized you.”

  Bud snorted. “What’re you talkin’ about, Wilbur? I’ve known you ever since fourth grade, when we used to whip the Pine Ridge team at Little League. If you can’t recognize me from across the room, you’d better get yourself some new glasses.”

  Appreciative chuckles circulated among the group gathered near Bud.

  Lucy Mae looked at Wilbur with a worried frown. “Should I put all this in the minutes?” she asked in a whisper loud enough for Kate to hear.

  Wilbur waved his hand at Lucy Mae and kept his attention focused on Bud Barkley. “You’ll need to wait until you’re called on to speak, Bud. You’re not even part of this club, but if you sit calmly and wait your turn, I’ll grant you the floor at the end of the meeting so you can ask your question.”

  Kate had to give Wilbur credit for digging in his heels. Stocky Bud Barkley was muscular enough to intimidate a man his own size, let alone a weedy specimen like the club president.

  Bud looked around at his companions and grinned. “Seein’ as how I already have the floor, I think I’ll just go ahead and say what I came here to say right now.”

  The sputtering from the trio at the front table was drowned out by the boisterous approval of Bud’s supporters.

  Wilbur rose and pounded the table with his fist. “That’s enough!” he cried. “This meeting is going to come to order now.” He glared at the noisemakers until things quieted down.

  Bud stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “All I want is to ask a question, Wilbur. It’s a question I know is on the minds of a lot of other people as well.”

  He nodded at the group near him, then turned his attention back to the club officers. “We’re real pleased that you’re gonna hold your dog show here in Copper Mill. But we want to know whether it’s gonna be open to real dogs.”

  A puzzled silence greeted his question. Kate, now sitting sideways in her chair so she could watch all the players at once, glanced at the front table, where all three of the club officers sat with their mouths hanging open.

  Wilbur pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, reminding Kate of a character from a TV commercial for a headache remedy.

  He closed his eyes for a moment, then glared at Bud. “What kind of question is that? Of course the show is for real dogs. What do you think we’d be exhibiting, stuffed animals?”

  A sprinkling of laughter rippled around the room, and Wilbur looked pleased with himself. He sat up straighter, and a smile stretched across his thin lips.

  Bud glowered at him. “That isn’t what I mean. What we’re askin’ is whether this competition is limited to prissy little fur balls, or if it’s open to real dogs who can trail a rabbit or tree a possum.”

  “Or run off a burglar,” called the man next to him.

  “Or be your kid’s best friend,” added a red-haired woman.

  “That’s about the size of it.” Bud nodded toward the officers. “Which is it?”

  Kate’s interest sparked at the idea of the dog show being open to include all the canine residents of Harrington County. At the same time, her heart went out to Wilbur Dodson, whose consternation was evident. If she’d had a bottle of aspirin in her handbag, she would have offered it to him.

  But then she caught sight of the expressions on Velma’s and Lucy Mae’s faces and realized she would have had to extend the aspirin to them as well. When Kate looked at Renee, her concern turned to thoughts of self-preservation as the older woman sprang to her feet and whirled around. Kate ducked to one side just in time to avoid being elbowed in the eye.

  Renee quieted the boisterous visitors with a cold stare. “This dog show is intended for pedigreed animals. I hardly see how any other type of canine would qualify.”

  Bud’s face flushed. He opened his mouth, but before he could voice a retort, Wilbur rapped on the table again.

  “That’s enough! We’ve listened to your request, and it has been duly noted. Moving on.” Wilbur continued as if the interruption had never occurred. “We need to fill Eddie Voight’s position. He’s been called away to attend to a family emergency in North Carolina and won’t be able to help out with the show. Renee Lambert has something to say to us in regard to that.”

  Renee rose with Kisses in her arms and smiled at her fellow club members. “I do indeed. Eddie’s sudden departure has left us in dire need of someone to replace him as head of the hospitality committee.”

  Hospitality! Why hadn’t Renee made that clear to her? Kate sat up straight, feeling confident for the first time since the meeting began. If she had learned one thing after nearly thirty years of being a minister’s wife, it was how to be a good hostess and make people feel welcome.

  She pressed her lips together to hold back a relieved laugh. The sum total of her knowledge of dogs could be placed in a thimble, but when it came to showing hospitality, she could do it blindfolded. Doing it in a completely unfamiliar setting would probably still prove to be plenty of a stretch for her. She pulled her attention back to what Renee was saying.

  “—a heart for serving others, and many years’ experience in hosting events of one kind or another. As many of you know, she was a driving force in setting up the Faith Freezer Program at Faith Briar Church. After an undertaking of that magnitude, I believe we can all see that she is more than capable of managing the hospitality aspects of our show.”

  Renee turned and swept her arm out in a dramatic gesture. “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the new head of the hospitality committee for the Harrington County Dog Show—Kate Hanlon.”

  The burst of applause that greeted Renee’s effusive introduction made Kate blush.

  “With approval from the membership,” Wilbur reminded Renee sternly, then called the meeting back to order.

  Kate fought back a chuckle. Given Wilbur’s apparent obsession with power, she wondered if he harbored secret political aspirations.

  “Mrs. Hanlon has been presented as a candidate for the position of the head of the hospitality committee. Do I hear a motion to accept her?”

  Renee resumed her seat and lifted her head regally. “I so move.”

  “I’ll second,” called Lucy Mae.

  “We have a motion and a second.” Wilbur spoke the words almost before Lucy Mae finished, as if he didn’t want to lose momentum now that the meeting was finally making headway. “Is there any discussion?”

  Kate took a quick breath and raised her hand. Wilbur’s eyebrows shot upward, but he nodded in her direction.

  “Yes, Mrs. Hanlon. Did you want to say something?”

  Kate smiled and stood, turning so she could look at both the head table and the audience.

  “Before you cast your votes, I just want to make sure y’all understand that my knowledge of dogs and dog shows is rather limited. To be perfectly honest, my husband and I have never even owned a pet, except for a desert tortoise our kids had
when they were little. I’ll be glad to help in any way I can, but I don’t want you to feel I’ve come to you under false pretenses.”

  Wilbur pinched his lips together. “In that case, I’m not sure—”

  Lucy Mae leaned forward and beamed. “Wait a minute, Wilbur. That’s actually a good thing.”

  Wilbur’s face twisted into a mask of bewilderment, and Lucy Mae chuckled.

  “She doesn’t have a dog entered in the show,” she explained, “so she won’t be distracted by grooming or training or other preparations. She’ll be free to concentrate on the show itself, and that’s a huge plus in my eyes.”

  Velma Hopkins nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense to me.”

  Wilbur blinked, then tapped on the table with his knuckles to get everyone’s attention. “Apparently the majority of the officers are convinced. If there is no further discussion, all in favor say aye.”

  “Aye!” chorused the members.

  “Any opposed say nay.”

  Wilbur slapped the palm of his right hand on the table. “The ayes have it. Mrs. Hanlon, you are hereby elected the head of the hospitality committee for the Harrington County Dog Show. There being no further business, this meeting is adjourned.” He whacked the table for the final time.

  Rubbing his hand, he leaned toward Lucy Mae and whispered, “Be sure to add another item to the next agenda. This club needs to buy a gavel.”

  Kate stayed in her seat while Bud and his supporters filed out. When Renee tucked Kisses back into his white-leather tote and headed toward the front of the room, where the other club members were chatting, Kate joined her. She welcomed the chance to get to know these people better and find out more about her new duties.

  “Y’all are coming to the workshop on Tuesday evening, aren’t you?” Velma asked the group at large.

  “Workshop?” Kate murmured to Renee.

  “It’s put on by the Tennessee Dog Fanciers Association,” Renee said. “Top breeders give tips on preparing your dog for the show ring.”