Overcome with enthusiasm, as usual, the dog panted and barked. It began with a throaty growl then rose to a shrill high note on the end. The sharp sound echoed painfully in the stairwell. “Runt, hush! Hi, Ellen,” Temerity said. “I’m taking Runt out to the dog park, want to come? We could pick up some muffins at Tami’s and eat them there.” Ellen considered the stairs, thought about the oversize muffins Temerity often brought home from the organic bakery on the corner, and her mouth watered. As much as Ellen had enjoyed the cellophane-wrapped cousins of those muffins over the years, when Temerity had brought her a freshly baked one, still warm, it had been a food revelation. It was chilly out this morning, with a gray sky and air roiling with mist, and the thought of a scalding-hot cup of coffee and a muffin straight from the oven was irresistible. Plus, she didn’t like Temerity to take Runt out alone, he was not the brightest of his species.
