Pauline Wayne waits for what seems like a very, very long time. In fact, it seems like far too long of a time. With a quick glance around her, the cow starts to walk down the same path that Sunny had gone off down. She tilts her head this way and that, but the hearing of a cow is nowhere near as great in comparison to a dog, or even a cat.
As such, it’s not until she’s right up on the little, cleared out picnic table that she hears it. A young woman is cooing, “you are just the cutest thing, I literally cannot believe that you’re out here, all on your own still! I was certain that your owners would be here by now!”
Pauline Wayne snorts. She scrapes a hoof over the ground, to catch Sunny’s attention.
The dog is being praised and loved on by a young woman. Sunny looks to the bushes, her ears flicking. She mouths, i’m so sorry.
Pauline Wayne flicks her own ears in return, doing her best to convey her unhappiness over this turn of events. And then, an idea striking her, she moves a little to the left and lifts her head, so the sun catches on the gold of the necklace and the large blue stone in the center of the charm.
Sunny’s whole body seems to light up. With a loud, cheerful bark, the dog takes off, abandoning the woman and running into the bushes – in the opposite direction!
Pauline Wayne thinks, what is that silly dog doing now?
The human looks just as confused. She straightens up, offering the bushes a little wave. “Bye, I guess? Careful finding your people!”
With a huff, Pauline Wayne turns and heads back to where she last saw Sunny. Much to her surprise, the dog is already waiting there, sitting and wagging her tail and looking pleased as a pile of peaches.
“I know that necklace,” says Sunny, happily. “Where did you find it?”
“In the bushes,” answers Pauline Wayne. “I thought it might be the clue we were looking for. Did you find anything out there?”
Sunny shakes her head. “Nope! Just that lady! But she caught me pretty quickly, so I didn’t get to look around too much. I don’t think anything’s over there, though.”
Pauline Wayne sits the necklace down on the ground in front of Sunny. “Where do you know this from?”
“That’s Momma’s necklace,” says Sunny. Momma, of course, refers to Michelle Obama herself; owner of the dogs Sunny and Bo.
“Okay,” says Pauline Wayne. “So what’s this necklace doing out here?”
And Sunny, after a long moment of serious thought, says, “I have no idea!”
Katelynn E Koontz – Author
