Belle's Challenge Read online

  Grabbing a tree branch for support, Mr. Robinson scrambled onto the bank. “Stop it. All of you. Emily, come here.”

  Emily and Mrs. Robinson snatched at Katherine. She sprang away. Emily’s fingers closed on her arm. “You brat.”

  “Drop her,” the mayor ordered.

  Emily hung on. Katherine shoved her. “You heard Dad. Leave me alone, you big liar.”

  “Katherine,” Mrs. Robinson exclaimed. We don’t...”

  Emily wrenched Katherine’s wrist. Katherine twisted in her grasp. Emily dropped her. Foot slipping, Katherine tumbled, hit the ground, rolled, and crashed into the water. Her head disappeared. The current caught her, and she whirled to the surface several feet from shore. She tried to swim, but disappeared under water again.

  “Oh, no,” Emily screamed. “I didn’t mean to push her in. I didn’t.” Kicking off her sandals, she plunged in. The current flung her under, as it had her sister.

  “I’m coming,” yelled Mrs. Robinson as she dove in.

  “Jean,” the mayor snatched at her arm, but his hand closed on air. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed quickly and spoke rapidly. “Emergency at the story telling festival tent. Three people in the river just down stream from it.”

  Katherine’s arms flailed, sending sparkling splashes into the sunlight. Coughing and sputtering, she thrashed.

  “Katherine, Katherine,” Emily tried to swim to her, but the flow pushed her down stream.

  Mrs. Robinson bumped into a brush pile, startling a duck. Wrapping her arms around a branch, she shouted. “Try to grab something, girls!”

  Emily thrust a hand at a pile near her but missed. Katherine shot between two logs.

  “Get on your backs and float,” called the mayor.

  Jazzy, Buster and I exchanged a glance.

  “Much as I despise those people, I don’t want to see them drown,” Jazzy said. Lowering her head, she twisted out of her collar and before Susan could grab her, leaped into the water.

  “Watch out,” Buster woofed. “Remember how fast a current can be.”

  “I can handle this one,” she woofed back and headed toward the person closest to her, Mrs. Robinson.

  Darcy hung on tight to our leashes. “Come on you two, let’s get away from the edge.”

  She started to pull us toward the path. Buster spread his legs and jerked in the opposite direction. Before Darcy could react, he slithered free of the leash and followed Jazzy.

  Jazzy reached Mrs. Robinson. Clamping her jaws on the waist of her jeans, Jazzy pulled her free of the brush.

  Mrs. Robinson’s face turned as white as the full moon. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

  Buster raced toward Emily, and with swift strokes caught up with her. She kicked at him.

  Merciful dog heaven. The little flea bag. Hair on my neck rising, I snarled.

  “Belle!” Darcy tugged at me.

  Dodging the blow, Buster grabbed Emily’s blouse and followed Jazzy toward the bank. Shutting her eyes, Emily grabbed his back and clung. His head went under water, and he wrenched free of her.

  “Don’t hang onto him,” Darcy shouted. “Or you’ll both drown.”

  Emily grabbed him again. Further down stream Katherine bounced off a boulder.

  The mayor glanced at her, then at her mother and sister, and clutched his cell phone.

  Sirens wailed, making my ears twitch. “Thank God!” he shouted.

  I watched the water. Jazzy’s feet hit bottom. So did Mrs. Robinson’s. She stumbled as her husband jammed the cell phone into his pocket and raced toward the shore, hands outstretched.

  Buster plunged under water with Emily. Both came up gasping.

  “Emily,” Darcy cupped her hands to her mouth. “Let go of Buster. Give him a chance to bring you in.”

  “Jazzy.” Susan clapped. “Come here.”

  Wheeling, Jazzy swam for mid stream. “I’m coming, Buster. Hold on.” To me, she shouted, “Go get Katherine. She’s light enough for you to pull in.”

  The sirens moaned louder. Katherine looked very small and far away. Her head went under, then bobbed back up.

  Fleas on Jazzy. Why didn’t she go to Katherine? Why did I have to get soaked to the skin because of the Robinsons’ stupidity? Picturing water seeping through my coat, I shivered.

  Then I remembered how Katherine’s confidence had grown as she told her story and held me. Turning away from the river, I tried to shut out the image, but it grew bigger and bigger in my mind. I recalled the moment she’d taken command of the stage with her cartwheel; felt her arms around me when she whispered her ‘thank you’. Bones, I had to save her.

  But could I swim fast enough to get to her? No, but I could run then – dog heaven forbid – dive into that flea bitten water. That is I could if I could get away from Darcy. She pulled the leash very short.

  Katherine bobbed under and came up again. Chokes and gasps reached my ears.

  “Katherine!” Mrs. Robinson moaned.

  Jazzy and Buster dragged Emily closer to shore. Screaming, she hung onto both of them.

  With a lunge, I tried to break Darcy’s hold on me, but had no room to wriggle out of my collar.

  “Belle!” Bracing herself, she hung on.

  I yanked back. The leash slipped in her hands. With a final leap, I broke free and took off down the path. Far ahead, I saw the park entrance and flashing lights. In the time it takes to snatch a dog treat in mid air, a white vehicle raced past me. I saw a man inside lift what looked like a cell phone to his lips except it had a cord attached to it.

  Faster and faster I ran, until the landscape blurred and my breath tore at my lungs. Another set of lights flashed at the park entrance. Katherine’s sour stomach smell filled my nostrils. Spinning off the path, I dived into the water, leash trailing behind me. “Dog heaven, don’t let it catch on anything,” I whispered as I began to swim.

  The current buffeted me, and my coat stuck to my skin. Foam filled my nose, making me sneeze. Shutting out the unpleasant sensations, I focused on Katherine.

  Her head disappeared again. How could I have been so selfish as to let her wash down stream? Recalling her pink cheeks so flushed with excitement after she finished her performance, I paddled as hard as I could.

  Katherine bobbed up near a mess of branches. A cheer echoed from behind me. I guessed Buster and Jazzy had hauled Emily to shore.

  Katherine reached for a limb. It snagged her sleeve, holding her head just above the water. She gasped and sputtered.

  Could I get to her without tangling my flea-bitten leash in the brush? Stretching, I inched within touching distance and opened my mouth to clamp onto her shirt.

  The branch snapped. She disappeared. Taking a deep breath, I dived after her, forcing my eyes open.

  The branch pile loomed under me. Katherine lay in it, trying to push herself up, but something held her.

  Grasping her blouse, I yanked. The material ripped, and I shot to the surface.

  As I cleared my nose, I realized the smell of the water that makes cars go hung on the bank. Swiveling my head, I saw the second vehicle. A man in blue shorts and t-shirt jumped out and raced toward the river. He carried a long rope.

  “She’s here,” I barked, paddling over the place where Katherine had gone under.

  The man began swimming toward me. The current pushed him, and for what seemed like the time it takes to eat a whole bag of dog food, he made no progress against it. Filling my lungs to bursting, I dived again and snatched Katherine’s skirt at the waist. This time she moved, and with a yank I freed her and pushed her. Up and up we bounced. Her head bobbed out of the foam, and I heard her gulp. Pushing hard, I tried to come up too, but a jerk held me down. My leash must have snagged a branch.

  Water splashed against my side. The man with the rope must be getting close. Dog heaven,
let me hold my breath until he gets here.

  My lungs burned. Pressing my lips together, I tried to relax, but Katherine’s weight pressed my shoulders. I fought to keep her from following me into the branches.

  More water hit my tail and hind legs. Chest aching and mouth opening, I choked. Dog heaven, I would die here. What else could happen? Darcy, I love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t a better therapy dog. . .

  A jerk and a shove wiped the thought from my mind. I shot upward and sucked in air. Shaking my head, I gasped and sputtered. Water exploded from my mouth.

  The smell of damp earth slapped my nose. Wet Buster! He must have swum over and freed me. Searching, I saw him holding Katherine and turning toward the man in blue. I caught my breath and seized her sleeve. Together, we pushed her into the man’s arms.

  * * *

  The man in blue put Katherine into the vehicle with blinking lights. I staggered to the bank, sides heaving. Foam burst from my mouth, and I spat. My legs folded under me, and I collapsed on the bank, too exhausted to shake off the water.

  Buster nuzzled me. “Nice job, Belle. Are you okay?”

  I thought I was, but I didn’t have the strength to say, ‘Sure, and thanks for pulling me loose,’ so I licked his nose.

  Another man in blue raced up and wrapped me in a blanket. Squeezing and rubbing, he pushed more water out of me. Pressing round metal to my chest, he listened.

  Footsteps pounded up the path, and Darcy gathered us in her arms. “Buster, Belle. Are you all right? Belle, you’re shivering.” She looked at the man in blue. “Both these dogs are mine, sir.”

  The man in blue handed me to Darcy. “My name is Frank. I’d take her to a vet. She’s swallowed a lot of water.” Then he wrapped Buster in the other blanket and gave him a brisk rub. Then he put the metal thing on Buster’s chest and listened. “This boy’s okay. Let him rest. Make sure he has plenty to drink.” Wheeling, he dashed back to the white vehicle. It backed to the park entrance, spun on to the road and raced away, siren piercing my ear drums.

  Cradling me in her arms and whistling to Buster, Darcy jogged back to the spot where the Robinsons had tumbled into the water.

  Mrs. Robinson sat huddled in a blanket crying, while the mayor held her hand. Another man in blue squatted beside her, holding a metal object against her chest.

  Beside her, also wrapped in a blanket, Emily yowled. “I didn’t mean to push my sister in, I didn’t.”

  The mayor ignored her.

  “Are you having trouble breathing, Mrs. Robinson?” the man in blue asked.

  She shook her head. “No, I’m not, Joe. Where’s Katherine?”

  A box on his belt squawked, and he grabbed it. “This is ambulance 4. Go ahead, please.”

  Garbled voices and crackles hurt my ears.

  Joe listened for about as long as it takes to run half an agility course, then turned to Mrs. Robinson. “Katherine’s safe and alert and on her way to the hospital. She swallowed quite a bit of water, and we’d like to take her to the hospital and let a doctor look her over.”

  “Of course,” Mrs. Robinson whispered, dabbing her eyes. “Thanks for saving her.”

  Joe smiled at us. “Here are the ones you should thank.”

  Emily’s wails grew louder. “I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t.”

  “Calm down, sweetie,” soothed another blue man who knelt beside her.

  Mrs. Robinson stared at Buster and me, then at Jazzy, who stood a little ways from us with Susan. “These animals...”

  Joe nodded. “According to Frank just now, the little dog held Katherine’s head up, and almost drowned doing it.”

  Mrs. Robinson studied me. I sat very still but hung my head, glad to know she’d never find out how close I’d come to letting Katherine drown. Sometimes, doing what I didn’t want to do was important, I reflected.

  Rising, Mrs. Robinson extended a hand in my direction, then paused. I didn’t move. She let her fingers hover over my head, then brought them down and touched me as if it pained her. Squeezing my eyes shut, I cuddled against Darcy.

  She stepped back. “It’s okay, Belle, let’s go.”

  Emily let out a scream that forced me to flatten my ears. “B–Belle never b-b-bit me. Ever. Honest. I made that up because – because – I don’t know why.”

  The blue man who had been sitting with Mrs. Robinson rose to join the blue man attending Emily. He looked at her, then spoke to Mr. Robinson.

  “Your wife is all right. She can go home and rest. I think we should take Emily to the hospital with Katherine. Who’s your family doctor?”

  Mr. Robinson stood up. “Dr. Reilly. Is it possible to arrange for a psychologist to evaluate Emily? I think she needs help.”

  The blue man nodded. “You can ask the doctor on duty at the hospital.”

  Mrs. Robinson lifted a hand in protest. Mr. Robinson stopped her with a look. One of the other blue men pulled a stretcher out of the back of the vehicle, put Emily on it and strapped her down. She screeched as they lifted her into the vehicle.

  The mayor took Mrs. Robinson’s arm. “Let’s get you home and into dry clothes.

  Buster’s nose wiggled. “I smelled dry leaves on Emily just now. She’s miserable.”

  I twitched my nostrils. Dry leaves mixed with the lingering scent of Emily’s rose perfume. “You’re right, Buster,” I said. “She’s probably been unhappy all along, but she’s sometimes hard to smell under the scents she wears.” I began to feel sorry for her.

  Keeping a firm grip on Mrs. Robinson, the mayor turned to Darcy. “Thank you for working with Katherine this winter. I think you and Belle really helped her.” He patted me. I gave him a tiny tail wag. The mayor wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

  “I misjudged the importance of the reading therapy dog program.” Mr. Robinson kept stroking me. “I’m sorry. When library funding comes up for consideration again, I’ll support figuring out a way to keep the dogs.”

  I flicked my tail again. Katherine would be thrilled. I could not say the same for me.

  Buster danced on his hind legs and wagged his whole self. Water flew off him, and he shook.

  The mayor laughed. “Buster’s great with people.”

  “Yes, he is,” Darcy said. Holding me with one arm, she rubbed Buster’s head.

  Disappointment all but swallowed me. I had let Darcy down by not being a good therapy dog.

  Breaking away from us, Mr. Robinson guided his wife toward the parking lot.

  “Let’s go.” Susan took Buster and Jazzy’s leashes, and Darcy cradled me.

  “Good girl,” Darcy crooned. “You would rather be something other than a therapy dog, wouldn’t you?”

  I tucked my tail between my legs and waited to hear how disappointed she was in me.

  Instead, she gave me a hug. “We won’t make you go to the library anymore. I’ll teach you lots of tricks. Maybe we can find a place for you to do agility. Or…” She laughed. “Maybe next year for my social studies project, I can see what would be involved in developing a dog park with agility equipment in Appleton.”

  Wriggling my nose, I took a good sniff of her feelings. She gave off the aroma of happy flowers.

  “Buster can be the therapy dog.” She smiled at him. “You can be the racer, Belle. It’s okay.”

  I felt like a giant garbage pile had fallen off my back. Lifting my ears, I looked around the park. The river sparkled as ducks glided on the current.

  Buster wagged his tail. “You happy now, Belle?”

  “Happy? I feel like I’ve landed in a mountain of liver flavored treats. It’s kind of nice to not be good at something and have it still be okay.” I buried my nose in Darcy’s hair.

  She and Susan laughed. Darcy nudged Susan’s shoulder with her own. “Thanks for helping me stand up to Emily.”

  Susan grinned. “No swe
at. Maybe she’ll go see a psychiatrist.”

  “I hope so,” Darcy replied.

  We strolled down the walk into the parking lot. Josie was climbing into a little red car. Waving to us, she winked. “Come on over to the shop tomorrow. There might be some free samples around for you. Right now I’m going to check on Katherine at the hospital.”

  Susan turned toward home. “We can get some ice cream, Darcy, when you’re done taking Belle to the vet,” she said.

  Darcy giggled. “I could use some of Josie’s special peppermint.”

  “You’re on,” laughed Susan.

  I rubbed my head against Darcy’s shoulder. She pressed her cheek to mine. “Belle, I love you. You are a good sport.”

  Her lilies of the valley scent filled my being with happiness. Taking a deep breath, I smelled pines, the river, and sage – aromas as wonderful as bones.

  Then a popcorn scent tickled my nose. One of the kids from the library skipped up the walk.

  “Hi, Buster,” she called as she clattered by us.

  Buster wagged his tail in greeting.

  I watched the ground, scouting rocks and logs to jump next time we came to the park.

  About the Author

  Connie Gotsch based the character of Belle on her dog Kiri. This is the final book in the Belle series. Connie was a resident of Farmington, New Mexico and worked for San Juan College as program director for KSJE, Public Radio for the Four Corners. In that role, she hosted the award-winning morning classical music show, “Roving with the Arts,” and produced a segment for authors called “Write On Four Corners.” She loved classical music and opera and did many radio interviews with famous musicians. In cooperation with the Farmington Public Library, she created the story time program, “Cuentos Hahne and Tales” for kids and kids at heart. Her writing earned awards on both the state and national levels. Connie passed away on July 15, 2012.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2