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.Here it comes, I thought.I knew Toby was gonna mess up sooner or later.I braced myself for what was going to come next, waiting for Toby to tell Mama about Willy and Carmella and all.I tried to give him the evil eye, but he wouldn’t look at me.“I don’t know,” he said.“Maybe we could find some.”Mama chuckled.“Wouldn’t that be nice?”“Yeah, Toby,” I said.“Be sure and let us know when you find a million dollars on the sidewalk, okay?”Mama shot me a look, but Toby grinned and said, “Okay.”We finished up our supper, and then Mama drove around looking for a place to park for the night.The car was chugging and rattling and jerking like crazy, but she acted like she didn’t even notice.As we pulled into the parking lot of the Motel 6, I spotted one of Carmella’s signs.Suddenly that greasy corned beef in my stomach didn’t set too well.I lay down on the seat and curled into a ball.Then I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.Later on, after Mama and Toby had fallen asleep, I pulled out my How to Steal a Dog notes.I read through every page.When I got to the part that said: You will have to wait and see what happens next, I got out my colored pencils and drew little flowers and hearts all around the edge of the page.Then I used a sky blue pencil to write again:You will have to wait and see what happens next.I looked out the window at the Motel 6.Inside the lobby, a man was watching TV and sipping from a coffee mug.A soda machine outside the door sent a flickering red glow across the parking lot.I wished we could’ve got a room there.Just for one night.We could stretch out on a real bed.Take a bath in a real tub.Act like real people.We didn’t have school tomorrow, so we could spend all day watching TV and stuff.But Mama had said no.I looked over at Toby, curled up on the backseat with his head propped against the door.I hadn’t told him about Mookie yet.I knew he’d get all scared and worried.He’d say we weren’t supposed to talk to strangers and Mama would kill us and stuff like that.And I guessed he would be right.But what choice did we have? We couldn’t just forget about Willy, could we? We had to feed him and take care of him.Besides, Mookie was probably gone by now.Toby wouldn’t ever even know he’d been there.I closed my notebook and stuffed it back down inside my bag.Then I lay down on the car seat and closed my eyes.No sense worrying about Mookie tonight, was there? I could worry about him tomorrow.15“Okay, now listen, Toby.” I took him by the shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.Then I gave him a little shake just to make sure I had his attention.“There might be a man back there with Willy.” I jerked my head in the direction of the old house.Toby’s eyes got wide.“Who?” he said.“A man named Mookie.”“A man named Mookie?”I nodded.“But it’s okay,” I said.“He’s nice.He gave Willy some sardines.”“What’s he doing back there?I shrugged.“Just, like, kinda living there, I guess.”Toby glanced nervously at the house.“How’d he get in?”“Not inside,” I said.“He’s living outside.Out in the back where Willy is.”“You mean like a bum?”I kept my hands on Toby’s shoulders and made him face me so he’d pay attention.“Look, Toby,” I said.“He’s liable to be gone.But just in case he’s there, don’t be scared, okay?”“Okay.”I dropped my hands from Toby’s shoulders and started toward the house.“Hey, wait a minute,” Toby said, grabbing the back of my T-shirt.“How do you know about that man named Mookie?” He stamped his foot on the gravel road.“You came here without me.”“I had to,” I said.“When?”“Yesterday.”“Yesterday?”I put my arm around him and gave him a little jiggle.“Look, Toby, I just did it without thinking ’cause I needed to see Willy.I’m sorry, okay?”Toby looked down at his feet.I jiggled him again.“Okay?” I said.Finally, in a little tiny voice, he said, “Okay.”“I won’t do it ever again.”“Pinkie promise?” he said.I crooked my pinkie at him.“Pinkie promise
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