Page 80 of 50 Ways to Win Back Your Lover

“I bet you’ve seen it all,” I tell the old-timer while rubbing his graying ears. He’s a wiry dog a bit bigger than my girl, with extra weight around his middle.

“That’s Perci,” Delilah calls. “He’s a sweetheart. But not as sweet as Candy, obviously.”

“Obviously,” I say, loving how much Delilah loves my dog. “But Perci is a good name. Isn’t it, boy? Like Sir Percival, gallant knight of the round . . .”

Table, I don’t say as my clue-solving mind kicks into gear. Not only is Perci named after a knight, but his donut-shaped dog bed is decorated with a castle motif. I squint at the pup, then pull out the clue and reread it.

Find me where birds of a feather flock together, protected by a castle, with four minus one sentries guarding me.

Birds of a feather could easily be this store: the Sandpiper’s Nest.

Protected by a castle: Perci is curled up in a cute castle.

But I don’t see the tiny scarecrows.

Yvette might have forgotten to replenish the found scarecrows, or she could’ve hidden them really well. Either way, the “four minus one sentries” is a conundrum. Unsure I’m on the right track, I move to lift the edge of Perci’s bed. He stands before I get far, shoving his nose at my jeans pocket. He adds in some paw action and whines. I laugh and nudge his nose away, remembering I have Candy’s treats on me.

Hitting pause on my scarecrow search, I extricate a treat, hold it out, and gasp. “He’s missing a leg.”

Delilah joins me and scratches the pup’s head. “He came to the shelter with three. But it doesn’t hold you back, does it, Perci boy?”

Perci takes the treat and munches happily, unperturbed about his lack of limb and unaware I’m basically Sherlock Holmes. “He has three legs,” I tell Delilah emphatically.

“I think we already covered that.”

“Three legs—four minus one sentries.” I gesture at his bed. “He lives in a castle.”

She hitches her shoulders and grabs my forearm. “You found it! But where are the scarecrows?”

I curl my lip dramatically. “If they fed Perci the little buggers and we have to wait until he poops one out, the planning committee will be getting a strongly worded letter from me.”

Delilah smacks my stomach, then gets on all fours to search under the bed. Perci, of course, thinks this is great fun. He licks Delilah’s face and ear until she’s cracking up, fending him off. While they’re occupied, I drop back to my knees to lift the edge of his bed. Lo and behold, there are a couple of mini scarecrows.

“Victory!” I call, holding our spoils in the air.

Delilah shimmies over on her knees, the two of us grinning silly grins while Perci tries to grab our treasure. We kiss over him, then add our scarecrow to Delilah’s purse.

“I think it’s dancing-under-the-fairy-lights time,” she says.

“After we gloat to Maggie that we finished our hunt faster than she predicted.”

“And after we gorge on barbecue.” Her stomach rumbles as we stand.

“Food first, dancing after. And more hand-holding time in between.” I grab hers, linking our fingers firmly, happy to sink into this fun day.

Maggie’s at the barbecue tent when we get there. She’s with Thomas, the same glasses-wearing guy from the wedding, but she has a hazy expression on her face, like she’s half listening to whatever he’s saying.

When she sees us, she beams at Delilah, then her face neutralizes, as though liking me goes against her DNA. “Did you skip the last couple clues?” she asks me.

“Nope. I’m just a scarecrow-hunting champion.”

“I call bullshit. I wrote half those clues, and most people took twice the length of time.”

Maggie works for the town, helping run festivals and events. While I could tell her how great the event is and how fun the clues were, she would assume I’m being condescending. “Living in WITSEC gave us all superpowers. I have problem-solving powers, and Lennon reads minds now, even from a distance.” I tap my temple, then point knowingly at her. “If I were you, I’d be careful what you think.”

Her green eyes narrow into slits.

I grin broadly. “Also, this was a great event.”