Preoccupied with the dogs, the boy looked up when he realized Ali was pulling in to a hotel parking lot. “Hey,” he said. “I thought you told me we were going to Austin. To the hospital. I thought you said I’d get to see Lance.” “Sorry,” Ali replied. “There’s been a slight change of plans. It turns out Lance is in the process of leaving the hospital. Until we know for sure where he’s going, you, Mr. Brooks, and your grandmother’s dogs will have to hang out here.” Glancing in the rearview mirror, she could see that Connor was screwing up his face in preparation for turning on the waterworks. Leland quickly jumped into the rapidly deteriorating situation and steered things in a more constructive direction. “How would you like to go swimming?” he asked. “Swimming?” Connor asked. “It’s too cold to go swimming.” “The hotel has an indoor pool,” Leland told him. “I saw it this morning, and the sign says it’s heated.” “I didn’t bring a swimming suit,”
