Chapter 36
“Ready for another break?” Mike asked, glancing into the back seat. Buddy, who had been stretched across the bench snoozing, lifted his head and blinked.
“The sign we passed said there’s food, gas, RV parking, and a convenience store up ahead,” Mike continued. “With any luck, they’ll have picnic tables outside. I’ll grab a sandwich, fill your water bowl, and we can get some exercise.”
Buddy thumped his tail once in agreement.
Mike took the next exit and pulled into a small roadside complex.
After topping off the gas tank, he drove to the adjacent convenience store.
It looked unexpectedly modern with large glass windows, bright signage, and unblemished concrete walkways.
He grabbed Buddy’s collapsible water bowl, and they headed inside.
The store was spotless. Mike located the sandwich counter and ordered a meatball sub that a large sign above the menu proclaimed was THE BEST SANDWICH WITHIN 500 MILES. “Bold claim,” Mike observed. He added a bag of chips, a soda, and a large bottle of water to his order.
Behind the store was a small patio with several round metal tables surrounded by half-moon concrete benches anchored to the ground. Mike chose a table in the shade and filled Buddy’s water bowl.
Buddy slurped noisily, then folded himself neatly into a down position beside Mike’s feet, resting his chin on his paws while Mike dug into his sandwich.
The sun shone in a cloudless sky. Mike shrugged off his light jacket and draped it over the table.
Beyond the patio was a grassy berm separating the store from the neighboring RV park. That’s when he noticed the crowd.
Thirty or more people sat in folding camp chairs arranged in a loose circle. They were laughing, cheering, and clapping at something happening in the middle. Suddenly, a chorus of barking erupted.
Buddy sprang to his feet.
“Oh no,” Mike said—too late.
Buddy bolted across the grass like a golden missile.
“Buddy!” Mike abandoned his sandwich, grabbed his jacket, and jogged after his pup.
“Is that your dog?” a woman asked as Mike squeezed between two lawn chairs.
“It is,” Mike replied breathlessly as he stepped into the circle. Then he stopped. And burst out laughing. In the center of the gathering, a dozen dogs milled around, happily sniffing, wrestling, and greeting one another.
“We’re having an impromptu dog show,” the woman beside him explained proudly. “This round is best costume.”
Mike scanned the contestants. A dachshund waddled past dressed as a hot dog, complete with mustard squiggles.
A corgi was outfitted with glittery fairy wings and a crooked tiara.
A dignified German Shepherd sat patiently in a chef’s hat and apron.
And a shaggy mixed breed sported a skeleton costume with bones printed down each leg.
“It’s amazing what people manage to pack into the storage compartments of an RV,” another woman said with a shrug.
A man wearing a baseball cap stepped forward. “All right, folks,” he announced. “We’re going to pick the winner by applause. I’ll point to each dog, and you’ll clap for your favorite!” He made the rounds. The corgi with the fairy wings won by a narrow margin.
Meanwhile, Buddy had ignored the competition and was circulating among the spectators, greeting people one by one like a politician at a campaign rally.
“Well, hello there!” someone laughed as Buddy leaned in for a pat.
Mike folded his arms and watched the spectacle. If I were a novelist, he thought, this scene would definitely make it into a book.
“Next category,” the man in the baseball cap called again. “Best trick! Who’s got a dog with a trick?”
The dogs continued wrestling and sniffing while their owners looked at each other.
“Does sit count?” someone asked hopefully.
“Sit, come, and stay aren’t eligible,” the man replied.
A ripple of laughter moved through the crowd.
“Anyone got a dog that can roll over? Shake hands? Play dead?”
The owners shook their heads.
“Okay then,” the man said with a grin. “Let’s do best smile. Every dog can smile.”
Buddy chose that exact moment to wander into the center of the circle. He stood proudly, turned slowly in place, and looked at the audience with his mouth open in a relaxed pant and his eyebrows raised.
“Oh my goodness,” someone whispered.
“Same rules!” the man called. He began working his way through the dogs, collecting thin applause. Then he pointed at Buddy. The crowd erupted.
Mike threw his head back and laughed.
“Well now!” the judge declared. “Looks like our newcomer here has stolen everyone’s heart!”
Buddy’s tail drummed out his excitement.
“Best smile goes to this handsome fella!”
The crowd applauded again.
Mike stepped into the ring and picked up Buddy’s leash. “Thank you,” he said, shaking the judge’s hand before moving to make their exit.
“You’re not leaving yet!” a woman protested. “We haven’t picked Best in Show! There’s even a prize,” she added proudly, holding up a crown she had fashioned from a boutique tissue box decorated with tissue-paper flowers and glitter.
Mike grinned. “That’s really something,” he praised. “And this has been terrific fun.” He scratched Buddy’s ears. “But we’ve still got a long way to travel today.”
The woman reached down and stroked Buddy’s side. “He really does have the best smile,” she said warmly.
Buddy wagged his tail and looked up at Mike as if to say: Obviously.