Lucy on the Loose (4 page)

Lucy gave a happy bark.

All the baseball players clapped.

That woke up Ginger. “ME-OW!”

Bobby grabbed Lucy’s collar. He didn’t want the chase to start again. But Lucy didn’t seem interested in running anymore.

Ginger didn’t seem very interested, either. He started licking his paws.

Butch, on the other hand, was tugging on his leash. He wanted to see his pal, Lucy. And he was curious about that big orange-colored ball of fluff with a tail.

“I’m getting Butch out of here,” Candy said. “Lucy and Ginger might be tired, but Butch isn’t.”

Candy pulled Butch away. “Come on, Butch. Maybe there will be some bones at home. Or if there aren’t, I’ll give you one of those cookies that look like bones. Or if we’re out of those …”

“All right, show’s over,” the umpire said. “Everybody back to their positions.”

Bobby felt so happy that without even thinking he said, “Thanks, everybody.”

The players said things like, “No problem” and “So long, doggie.”

Mrs. Adams picked up Ginger. He was a big load, but she didn’t seem to mind. Ginger was so tired, he didn’t even wiggle. Lucy rubbed against Bobby’s leg. “I think Lucy wants to go home,” Bobby told Shawn.

“I should think so,” a familiar voice said. “I think it’s time you came home, too.”

Bobby didn’t have to turn around to see who was speaking.

It was his mother.

“Uh-oh,” said Bobby under his breath.

His mother looked mad. Usually, Bobby could see his mother’s dimples, even when she wasn’t smiling. But not now.

“Bobby, what’s going on?” Mrs. Quinn asked.

“Lucy ran away,” Bobby started to explain.

“I know that much,” his mother said. “I went to Shawn’s house to find you. Ben told me that Lucy was gone. He gave me her leash.” Mrs. Quinn pulled the leash out of her pocket and clipped it to Lucy’s collar.

“She was lost,” Bobby said quietly.

“Why didn’t you come and get me?” Mrs. Quinn asked.

Bobby hung his head. “I wasn’t watching Lucy the way I should. I was afraid you would be angry.”

“Bobby was really, really worried about Lucy,” Shawn told Mrs. Quinn.

“But I was really worried about Bobby. And you, too, Shawn,” Mrs. Quinn said. “I didn’t know where you went. I’ve been driving all over town looking for both of you.”

“I thought we’d find Lucy a lot sooner,” Bobby said. “I didn’t think we would be gone so long.”

“That’s no excuse, Bobby, and you know it.” But Mrs. Quinn reached over and gave Bobby a hug. She hugged Shawn, too. Then she hugged Lucy.

Mrs. Adams put down Ginger. As soon as he was on the ground, he stretched out. It was time for another catnap.

“I am Mrs. Agatha Adams.” Mrs. Adams introduced herself to Bobby’s mother. “And this is Ginger,” she said, pointing to the sleeping cat.

“The cat that was in our yard!” Mrs. Quinn said.

“Lucy was chasing her,” Bobby explained. “They took off together.”

Lucy flopped down next to Ginger. Everybody was busy talking, and she was still tired.

“Your son was quite bold today,” Mrs. Adams told Bobby’s mother.

Bobby looked at Mrs. Adams. Him? Bold?

“Really?” Mrs. Quinn said faintly.

“Oh, yes,” Mrs. Adams continued. “He went from place to place asking about Lucy. He would not rest until he knew Lucy was safe.” Mrs. Adams turned to Bobby. “And because you kept looking, I found Ginger, too.”

Mrs. Quinn looked at Bobby with surprise. “My goodness. You’ve had a very busy day.”

Bobby was still a little surprised himself.

Lucy gave a small yip.

“Yes, so did you,” Mrs. Quinn said to Lucy.

Mrs. Quinn said she would give Mrs. Adams and Ginger a ride home, and Shawn, of course.

That evening, Bobby had to tell his father what had happened.

Mrs. Quinn was making dinner. Lucy was asleep again, this time curled up on her blanket in the family room. Her favorite chewed-up slipper was under one paw. Mr. Quinn was sitting on the couch, ready to listen.

Bobby told him the whole story. He even told his father that he had snuck back to their house to look for Lucy. Bobby knew that’s when he should have told his mother Lucy was gone.

After he had confessed everything, Bobby felt better. He felt almost as good as when he saw Lucy chasing the ball out to left field. But he had one more thing to say. “I’m really sorry, Dad.”

“I know you are, Bobby,” Mr. Quinn said. “But you see what can happen when you aren’t paying attention.”

Bobby nodded.

“Lucy was very lucky today,” Mr. Quinn continued. “She could have gotten lost or hurt. Or worse.”

Bobby didn’t even want to think about Lucy not being lucky today. It was too horrible.

“And what about you?” asked his father. “Something bad might have happened to you. You know better than to go somewhere—anywhere—without asking your mother or me.”

Bobby hung his head. “I know.”

“You shouldn’t have been running around town any more than Lucy. Even with a whole parade of people.”

Bobby looked up at his father. “I’ll never do anything like that again. I promise, Dad.”

Lucy was awake. She’d heard her name. She got up and trotted over to Bobby.

Bobby picked up Lucy and put her on his lap. It felt so good to have her there. The best feeling in the world.

“I was going to punish you, Bobby,” Mr. Quinn said. “But now that you’ve told me the whole story, I guess I won’t.”

Bobby was surprised. “Why not?”

“You were already punished. You had to worry about Lucy on the loose.”

Bobby was having a party. It was a party for all his friends. It was one of the last days before school. Mrs. Quinn had set up the picnic table in the backyard. Mr. Quinn was grilling hamburgers and hot dogs.

Mr. Davis was sitting in a lawn chair talking to Candy. They were looking at Bobby and Shawn’s drawings. There were new pictures of the Lone Ranger and Silver. Silver looked like a horse now, not a cow.

Bobby and Shawn were throwing a ball back and forth.

“Me, too! Me, too!” Ben yelled.

The boys took turns throwing the ball to Ben, too.

Lucy and Butch were playing their own game. They were both pulling on an old stuffed bear. They growled at each other, but it was only pretend growling.

“When are we going to eat?” Candy asked Mrs. Quinn.

“As soon as our special guests arrive.”

Candy sat up straight. “Special guests? Who are they? Did you hire a clown? I love clowns. We had a clown at my birthday party when I was seven and—”

Mrs. Quinn laughed. “No, Candy. No clown.”

Bobby stopped tossing the ball. “The guests are Mrs. Agatha Adams and Ginger.”

Candy looked surprised. “Ginger! Ginger started all the trouble.”

“It wasn’t really Ginger’s fault,” Mrs. Quinn said. “Mrs. Adams and Ginger just moved to the neighborhood. Ginger got out of the house, and he didn’t know how to get home.”

Mr. Davis spoke up. “But what if Ginger and Lucy start chasing each other again?”

“Mrs. Adams was worried about that,” Bobby’s mother said, “but she told me she thinks she has solved the problem. She didn’t say how.”

Bobby flopped down on the grass. Shawn flopped down next to him.

“They can’t go too far,” Shawn said. “Not with your fenced yard. I wish I’d come over here the day Lucy got loose.”

“I don’t like to think about that day,” Bobby said quietly.

“I know,” Shawn said. “But Bobby, we did something good that day. You hate to talk to people you don’t know. Me, too. But we talked to plenty of people that day.”

Bobby had to smile. “There sure were lots of people. The kid in the park and the cashier in the store.”

“And the people in line,” Shawn added. “We talked to them, too.”

“Joe the butcher,” Bobby continued.

“And Mrs. Agatha Adams,” Shawn said.

“Well, mostly she talked to us,” Bobby pointed out.

Both boys grinned.

“We talked to that fireman,” Bobby remembered.

“That was pretty brave,” Shawn said.

“Absolutely,” Bobby agreed.

“And the family at the picnic table,” Shawn said.

“And we talked in front of two baseball teams,” Bobby said. “And don’t forget the ump.”

Shawn nodded.

“We did it for Lucy,” Bobby said.

“We weren’t shy when it came to finding Lucy,” said Shawn.

Bobby looked over at Lucy. She was still playing happily with Butch. “I have Lucy to thank for lots of things,” Bobby said. “I’m not so shy anymore. I have friends.” Bobby smiled at Shawn. He punched his arm. “Like you.”

Shawn grinned right back. “Like me.”

A noisy car pulled into the Quinns’
driveway. Mrs. Agatha Adams got out of the car. Her orange hair was piled on top of her head. She wore a dress covered in big gold stars. She wore long star-shaped earrings.

“Hello,” she said. “Sorry I’m late.”

Mrs. Quinn waved. “Didn’t you bring Ginger?” she asked.

“Yes, I did.”

Mrs. Adams went into the backseat. She lifted Ginger out and put him on the ground. Ginger was wearing something new. Around his neck was a collar. The collar was made of shiny stones that looked like diamonds. Attached to the collar was a gold leash.

Ginger didn’t seem to mind being on a leash. He glided along like a small tiger. He looked very proud of himself.

Mrs. Adams looked proud of Ginger, too. She walked him into the yard.

Butch saw Ginger and barked. Ginger ignored him. Lucy didn’t bark. She bounded right over.

“I guess Lucy remembers Ginger,” Bobby said to Shawn.

Lucy certainly did. She stood in front of Ginger and gave one long howl.

Ginger had a greeting for Lucy, too. Ginger lifted his paw. He tapped Lucy on the chest. Cats can’t smile. But Ginger sure looked like he was smiling.

“Lucy has a new friend,” Shawn said.

Bobby laughed. “Humans, dogs, even cats. Everybody loves Lucy.”