“Oh, yes. Where? I’ve never seen you use it.”

  “It’s in the pantry, I think.”

  “Why don’t we use it?” Gladys asked.

  “Because it chips and breaks so easily for one thing, and there’s service for just ten or twelve.”

  “We should really use those dishes for special occasions,” Gladys said. She thought for a moment, then beamed. “Hey, why don’t we ask Mattie to serve our Thanksgiving meal on them tomorrow at the inn?”

  Savannah shrugged. “I guess we could, but there still won’t be enough settings.”

  “Why can’t we use them along with some of Iris’s china? With—what—nearly twenty of us and four children we’ll need more than one table, anyway. We can decorate each table differently—arrange bouquets from Iris’s flower gardens.” She clasped her hands together. “Oh, it could be so much fun.”

  Savannah smirked playfully at her mother. “I’m sure Iris would be glad to put you in charge of table settings and decorations.”

  “Oh…um…well…” Gladys stammered.

  Savannah grinned. “Listen, let’s let Iris and Mattie do things their way this year. They probably already have their plans made. We can entertain at our house sometime and use the china, okay?”

  “Okay,” Gladys agreed.

  ◆◆◆

  Meanwhile, Arthur joined Michael as he ate a plate of food at one of the tables. “Filling up before the busy day, are you?” Arthur asked. “That’s a good idea.”

  Michael nodded.

  “So, are you and Rags ready to treat the untreated street-dog and -cat population?” Arthur looked around. “Where is Rags?”

  “He’s in his pen in the temporary clinic, over there near the playground. Yeah, as soon as I finish my plate here I’ll be ready.”

  “Better hurry,” Arthur said. “Here they come. I see some dogs in the pack. Oh, and a cat.”

  Michael looked up, then continued eating.

  “How is it?” Arthur asked. “Worth serving?”

  “Pretty good, actually.”

  “Thank you,” Margaret said as she placed salt-and-pepper shakers on the tables.

  “You and Max did a great job,” Michael said. “Tastes like Thanksgiving at home, although Mom wasn’t a very good cook.” When he saw Margaret’s expression, he backtracked. “But really, this is good—much better than Mom’s. Very good. Yum.”

  Margaret grinned at him.

  “Well, Dr. Mike,” Arthur said, standing up, “let me know when Rags is ready for a rest and I’ll come with Koko to help you. She can be pretty therapeutic, too.”

  “Thanks,” Michael said. “Leave your phone on or put it on vibrate, maybe. I’d say he’ll probably be ready to get into trouble in about two hours, depending on what’s going on.” He looked around. “Where is she, anyway—Koko, I mean?”

  “Oh, with Suzette. She’s helping out in the used-clothing closet. They really collected a lot of clothes. Did you see all that stuff? I hear it was quite a job sorting it, but a couple of the volunteers found money in some of the pockets. One found a lotto ticket worth a couple of bucks.” When he saw people lining up at the food table, he excused himself and joined the servers. “Good morning,” he said cheerily when a woman approached, “and happy Thanksgiving.”

  “Hi,” she mumbled, keeping her eyes down.

  “Want turkey and all the trimmings?” he asked.

  “I guess,” she said, glancing up briefly. She watched as he filled a plate with turkey slices, dressing, and mashed potatoes.

  “Iris will serve your gravy and veggies,” he said, passing the plate to Iris.

  Before moving aside, the woman glared into Arthur’s face and snarled, “Does it make you feel good to serve the poor one lousy meal a year? Do you feel like you’ve done something important as you go back to your cushy life doing whatever it is rich people do?”

  Taken aback, Arthur simply stared at the woman. Before he could comment, Craig approached her and suggested quietly, “Let’s move along now. We have others who are hungry.” He took the plate Iris held, handed it to the woman, and started to usher her toward a table at the far side of the parking lot.

  She balked, turned the paper plate upside down and let it drop to the ground. She faced Arthur and shouted, “That’s what I think of your handout, rich boy!”

  Although he was shocked and infuriated, Craig knew he needed to hold it together. Not wanting to cause a commotion, he asked quietly, “Not hungry, huh? Well, that’s okay.” He acknowledged a man with a large dog on a leash. “Hey, could your dog use a meal? Come on over here. This woman dropped some turkey.”

  “Heck yeah,” the man said, leading his dog to the spill and delighting in the joy with which his best friend gobbled down the meal.

  Craig chuckled. “He even ate the cranberries.”

  “Yes,” the man said, “he’s a garbage pit, this one.” He nodded. “Thank you, man.” He bowed slightly to the woman. “And thank you, Missie.”

  “So I guess you’re ready to go, right?” Craig insisted, ushering the woman toward the street.

  “No. No, I’m not,” she spat. She whined, “I really am hungry. I want to eat. I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I just hate that man and what he stands for. I had to do something to—you know, act on my rage, I guess. I won’t do it again.”

  “Why do you hate him?” Craig asked. “He’s a really nice guy.”

  “Yeah, so you say,” she complained. “Well, not in my book. I hate him.”

  “Do you even know him?” Craig asked.

  She glanced back at Arthur. “Um, no. I don’t know him at all. No, not really.”

  “Then what do you mean, you hate him?”

  “I hate what he stands for. Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

  Craig studied her for a moment, then led her to a table. “Here, sit down. I’ll get you a plate.” He started to walk away, then asked, “You won’t dump it, will you?”

  She grinned. “What’s it matter to you? There are plenty of dogs here.”

  He shook his head, amused, and headed for the chow line. “So Arthur, do you know that woman?”

  “The troubled one?” he asked. “No. I sure don’t. Why?”

  “Oh, nothing. Just wondering. Can you fix me a plate of food for her? She has promised to behave.”

  “Sure,” Arthur agreed.

  ◆◆◆

  It wasn’t long before Michael received his first patient of the day. “Good morning,” he greeted. “What can I do for you?” When the couple didn’t speak, he looked at the small dog the man carried. “Do you need a well-check—possibly an update on your pup’s inoculations? Were you here last year? Do I have a file on this pooch?”

  The man finally took a ragged breath and said, “I think she’s dyin’. We want her put down so she won’t be in pain.”

  Michael felt that awful knot that sometimes comes with the duties of his profession, thinking, Well, this is an awful way to start the day. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked gently.

  The man looked down at the Chihuahua-mix he cradled in his arms.

  The woman said, “She’s only four or five years old, and she’s stopped eating. She sleeps a lot and she keeps coughing. Once we saw blood coming out of her mouth. We think it’s pneumonia from living out like we do, and she’s suffering.” The woman dabbed at her eyes as she continued, her voice cracking, “We don’t want her to suffer, so we’ve decided to do what’s best for her.”

  Michael studied the couple for a moment, then extended his hand. “I’m Dr. Ivey, and you are…?”

  “Oh…um, Butch. This here’s my wife, Eve.” He looked down at the dog. “Her name’s April, ’cause we found her in April.”

  “Nice to know you. Let me take a look at April. Want to put her on the table here?” When the dog began to quiver, he crooned, “It’s okay, little one. There’s no need to be frightened.” After a brief examination, Michael said, “She’s awfully timid. I don’t want to stress her any more than she already is. I’d like to…”

  “Yeah, I know,” Butch said. “We’re prepared. Go ahead and give her the shot of death. We just want to be with her when she goes.”

  Michael waved a hand in front of him. “No. No, that’s not it. I was going to say before we make any decisions, I want to conduct a more thorough examination, and she’s kind of nervous. I have a cat here and I’d like to introduce April to him, hoping he will soothe her a little.”

  “Cat?” Eve said. “She’s only met one cat before and that didn’t go well. I don’t know if she’d like that.”

  “Well, let’s try. If April doesn’t like the cat, I’ll put him away. Hold onto her, will you, Butch?”

  “Sure.” When he saw Michael lift Rags from his pen, he said, “Holy shhhh... Sorry. That’s one big cat. Are ya sure…?”

  “Let’s just watch and see, shall we?” Michael suggested. He explained to the couple, “This is Rags. He’s a therapy cat.”

  Rags looked down at April from Michael’s arms, and struggled to join her on the table. At the same time, April noticed the cat. She looked inquisitively at him. When Michael moved closer with Rags, the two animals touched noses.

  “There,” Michael said, “I think she’s calming down already.”

  “Well ain’t that somethin’?” Butch said.

  “Okay if I put him on the table with April?”

  The couple looked at each other and agreed.

  “Just be ready to pick her up if something happens,” Eve insisted.

  However, when Michael placed Rags on the table, he lay down next to the dog and she leaned against him. “There,” Michael said. “I can get a better listen to her heart and lungs, now that she’s not trembling.”

  “A miracle,” Eve said.

  “Her heart sounds good,” Michael reported, “and I don’t hear anything in her lungs. When April coughed, he looked into her mouth. “I don’t like that cough, though.” He ran one hand over the cat and quipped, “What do you think, Dr. Rags? Do you have a diagnosis for little April?”

  Without warning, Rags stood up and pushed the little dog over.

  “Oh no,” Eve cried.

  Michael put up a hand. “It’s okay. She’s okay.”

  Rags then laid across the dog and began sniffing and licking her throat. April, meanwhile, laid very still.

  “Yes, Rags, that’s what I thought too. Okay, let her up,” he said to the cat, lifting him off her. He opened the dog’s mouth again and took a closer look inside, then he felt her throat. “I think it’s an obstruction. I have an x-ray machine here that might give us the answer.”

  “Obstruction?” Butch repeated. “Something stuck in her throat? What if it is something stuck in her throat, Doc?” he asked. “Will we have to put her down?”

  “Oh, I doubt that,” Michael said, “but she may require minor surgery to remove whatever’s in there.”

  Eve grabbed Butch’s arm.

  Minutes later, Michael held up the x-ray and said, “Well, will you look at that. Does she chew on plastic?”

  Butch smiled sheepishly. “Yes. We say she’s trying to help clean up the planet.”

  “Well, it appears that she has a small piece stuck in her throat—it might have pierced her throat and that’s where the blood was coming from.”

  “What can we do, Doctor?” Butch asked. “Is there hope for April?”

  “Yes, but it’s not something I can take care of here. Do you have a ride?”

  “To where?” Eve asked suspiciously.

  “To my clinic. I can have my partner meet you there and do the surgery. I think the sooner the better.”

  “Well…” Butch stalled.

  Eve spoke up, “We don’t have the money right now.”

  Michael looked into Eve’s face. “Hey, April’s what’s important here. Do you need a ride to the clinic? I can arrange that for you if you like, and you can pay whatever you can whenever you can. No worries about that, okay?”

  “Should we get a second opinion?” Butch asked.

  Stunned at the question, Michael assured him, “You’ll be getting one. Dr. Bud will do more tests to see exactly what he’s up against and proceed in the best way possible for April.”

  “Okay, Doc,” Butch said. “We’ll do as you say.”

  Eve petted Rags. “Thank you, Mr. Cat. What a wonderful assistant.” She then said, “Yes, we could use a ride. Do you know someone who can drive us to your clinic?”

  Michael nodded and pulled his phone from his pocket. While waiting for Arthur to answer, he said to the couple, “Don’t forget to fill your tummies. You can get plates to go, and eat while you’re waiting for April.”

  “Good idea,” Butch agreed.

  It took Arthur a few moments to answer his phone, as he was busy serving meals.

  Michael asked, “Can you arrange for a ride for a couple and their little dog to the clinic? Eve and Butch are on their way to the food table with a small white Chihuahua. Look for a middle-age couple wearing mostly green. He has on a green shirt and she’s wearing a green sweater. The dog needs surgery right away.”

  “Sure,” Arthur said. “In fact, I can drive them. Send them over.”

  Michael pulled his phone away from his ear and pointed. “A man named Arthur at the serving table wearing a brown sweater and white apron will give you a ride. He’s waiting there for you.” Once the couple had walked away with the dog, Michael said into the phone, “They’re on the way to you.”

  Arthur looked out over the crowd. “Okay, I think I see them coming this way. Sure, I can do that.”

  “Good. And, Arthur, make sure they get full plates to take with them, will you?”

  “Absolutely,” Arthur said.

  “Thanks. Then come back here to the clinic when you’re finished, if you can get away. I see quite a few people showing up with animals.”

  After calling Bud and confirming that he could do the surgery, Michael texted Savannah. How’s your day going?

  Great, she responded. The kids are all so cute. How about you?

  Just sent a couple and their dog to the clinic for surgery. They came here to have their Chihuahua put down—thought she was dying. Looks to me like an obstruction in her throat. Arthur’s driving them to the clinic and Bud will do the surgery. By the way, Rags agreed with my diagnosis.

  Wow! She typed back. Starting off with a bang, aren’t you?

  Michael smiled, pocketed his phone, and greeted his second patient of the day, actually his second five patients. A family of multi-colored kittens of around six months old arrived in a duffle bag, all needing their first well-check and vaccinations. Although Rags wasn’t needed as a calming resource, he seemed delighted to help keep the kittens company as they waited their turn.

  ◆◆◆

  “May I help you?” Savannah asked when she saw a woman standing outside the children’s playground a little while later.

  “Just watching,” she said.

  She’s the one I saw earlier wearing the long skirt, Savannah thought, glancing at the woman’s flowered leggings. She must have stashed it someplace. I’ll bet she shops where Iris does—high-class second-hand stores. That blouse looks expensive. “Did you eat?” Savannah asked.

  She nodded, then insisted, “Better feed those kids.

  Taken aback, Savannah said, “They’re fine. We’re making sure they’re all getting something to eat.”

  “They’re probably hungry. I’ll go get them more food if you want. I don’t have anything to do yet.” She glanced toward the food table and asked, sounding panicky. “Hey, where’d he go?”

  “Who?” Savannah asked.

  “That rich Spence kid.”

  “Arthur?” Savannah asked.

  “That’s right. He was there a minute ago,” she said, twisting and turning frantically in every direction. She pointed. “Oh damn, there he goes with Eve and Butch. Hey, where’s he taking them?” She called out, “Butch, wait!”

  “I think they’re too far away to hear you,” Savannah said.

  “Do you know where he’s taking them? Is something wrong?”

  In an effort to calm the woman, Savannah spoke quietly, “I understand their little dog needs surgery and Arthur’s taking them to the veterinary clinic to have it done.”

  “April?” the woman said. “I thought they were going to have her put down today. She’s having surgery? Why can’t they do it here? There’s a dog doctor here. That’s why we came.” She glanced after the couple and said, “Well, that was one reason we rode the bus here this week. We came special to get help for April. Been staying with people we know at their campsite.” She looked at Savannah. “So why can’t the dog doctor here help her? They aren’t going to rack up a big bill, are they? My friends can’t pay. We came to get free help.”

  “No one’s going to charge for April’s care today. My husband’s the veterinarian here and he told me a few minutes ago that he’s sure the dog can be saved, but he can’t do surgeries here.” Savannah peered into the woman’s eyes. “How do you know Arthur?”

  “Oh, um…I don’t, really. I just…I know who he is.” She scowled. “I don’t like him. He’s one of those stuck-up rich kids. Is he a friend of yours? Are you a rich kid, too?”

  Savannah chuckled. “No. I’m not a rich kid, but…” Before she could finish, she noticed a child struggling to get off a tricycle and she ran to his aid. She looked back and the woman was gone. She glanced around. I wonder where she went and who she is. What does she know about Arthur and what makes her dislike him so much?

  When she saw Teddy sitting in the sandbox with a big dump truck, she joined him. They’d been scooping up sand and dumping it for several minutes when she heard a voice behind her. “Hi, need a break?”

  “Colbi, hi. Hi, Rosemary. Did you come to play with Lily and Teddy?”

  Rosemary nodded and stared at the children in the playground.

  Savannah reached for the child. “Come with me and I’ll push you on the swing.”

  The child turned toward her mother and hid her face.

  “It usually takes her a few minutes to warm up,” Colbi explained. “But then, you know that.” She laughed. “Last time we went to the park she wouldn’t participate until we were ready to leave.”