Her father cleared his throat. “Yes, of course. That’s what I meant. Keep me updated on when you start heading back here.”
Before she could answer, he had ended the call.
She glared at the phone and tossed it onto the seat beside Jack.
The dog looked down at the phone and pawed at it until it fell on the floor.
She gave the dog a scratch behind the ear. “Good thinking, Jack. We don’t need any more distractions, do we, boy?”
Jack licked the back of her hand and then looked straight ahead out the window.
CHAPTER24
Jack was grateful for the stop at the turnoff. They’d driven for hours, and when they’d crossed over into Montana, Grandma Cecilia decided she wanted to fix a sandwich. Elana found the next turnoff and took him for a long walk in the grassy area.
Jack’s ears perked up when he heard an unusual sound. He jerked his head in the direction it was coming from.
He spotted two rodent-like animals sitting in a hole and “chattering” to each other.
Jack let out a bark. The two ground squirrels’ chatter intensified.
“Oh my gosh. Those are prairie dogs.” Elana gasped. “I’ve never seen a prairie dog.”
Jack looked up at Elana. She must be seeing things.
Jack knew his own kind, and those two things were notdogs.
Elana turned and called back to the van. “Grandma Cecilia, come see.”
Jack kept his eyes on the two fat squirrels and growled.
“What’s going on?” Grandma wiped her hands on a dish towel she was holding.
Elana pointed. “Look, prairie dogs.”
Jack barked in disagreement. Why would Elana think those two creatures were dogs? Maybe she needed glasses. The old man had to start wearing glasses when he got old.
“I’m going to get a picture.” Grandma Cecilia pulled out her cell phone from the pocket of her jeans.
Suddenly, another large squirrel poked his head out of another hole.
They were being surrounded! He had to protect Elana and Grandma Cecilia!
Jack let out a string of barks and tugged at the leash.
“Jack, calm down.”
How could she not see they were being surrounded? He had to take matters into his own hands. Tugging as hard as he could, he pulled the leash out of Elana’s hand and raced toward the large ground squirrels.
Elana screamed behind him, but he was on a mission. He had to protect his family!
Letting out a string of barks, he raced toward the fat ground squirrels. He was almost at the hole they were sitting in when they suddenly disappeared.
Sticking his snout into the hole, he started digging.
“Jack, stop!” Elana screamed.
He could smell the animal and knew he was close to capturing it.
