Page 109 of The Ampersand Effect

Anchor looked at her, then to Devon—searching for answers she wouldn’t find—and finally back to Tobin.

“Camps?”

Tobin took a deep breath, trying to fill her lungs with enough air to satisfy their craving and deliver her pitch.

“Children’s camps,” Grier said, her voice calm and clear beside

her.

Tobin’s head whipped to look at Grier—composed, radiant,

and maddeninglynotwinded from their sprint across the market.

Swimming does more for her than just make her body look good,Tobin thought wryly.

Tobin was enamored by Grier’s willingness to jump into the conversation—despite not knowing Anchor or Devon, and without fully understanding the direness of the situation. But she had Tobin’s back, and that filled her with a warmth she couldn’t quite put into words. Not that she had the breath for the words, anyway. She gave Grier’s hand a grateful squeeze, encouraging her to continue.

Grier’s eyes twinkled with understanding. “You could host children’s camps this summer. It would bring in some income, plus provide extra hands around the kennels. You get the money and the help, families get an activity for their kids. The kidslearn the benefits of volunteering, you might gain a larger pool of volunteers, and you may even adopt out a few dogs.”

Tobin beamed. She knew she hadn’t said any of that aloud while weaving through the crowded market. Yet somehow Grier had pieced it all together—practically reading her damn mind—and extracted her thoughts, verbatim, delivering them eloquently to a thoroughly stunned Anchor and Devon.

Anchor and Devon looked at each other with a silent communication reminiscent of the sibling synchronicity she shared with Harrow—and what she’d witnessed between Grier and Grove several weeks ago. A series of furrowed brows, puckered lips, and squinted eyes unfolded until Devon shrugged and Anchor released a surrendering sigh. She turned back to Tobin and Grier, shaking her head as if to rattle through her own thoughts.

“I’m sorry—um, whoareyou?” Anchor directed her question at Grier, who immediately extended her hand.

“I’m guessing you’re Anchor. I’m Grier. Good to meet you!” Grier said with confidence, standing tall in front of the booth— completely unaware of Tobin’s quiet admiration as she caught her breath from their mad dash.

Anchor shook her hand, then anxiously tucked a loose strand of blonde hair behind her ear, a nervous gesture that didn’t go unnoticed. Tobin could tell she was still uncertain, but also how desperately she wanted this to work. Tobin wanted it to work, too. Fetch a Friend had come to mean more to her than just the volunteer hours with the dogs. That sensation of sisterly protectiveness had settled in—and she wanted to see Anchor succeed.

“Grier was telling me how her niece has a habit of bringing home stray animals, which can be a bit of a burden on her family. Assuming she’s not the only kid in the area with that instinct, hosting a camp or two this summer could buy us some time—and bring in enough income to work toward a more permanent solution.”

Devon stood and disappeared into the back of the booth, while Anchor took her place, silently pondering her options.

“I’m not opposed to it,” she said slowly. “But how do we convince people to pay for a camp where their kids do the kind of work most people volunteer for? It literally doesn’t add up.”

“You’d be teaching them pet care,” Tobin offered. “Maybe even animal first-aid. You’d be giving them responsibility for the dogs. That’s more than volunteering—it’s education.”

As if she needed another example of how seamlessly she and Grier complemented each other, Grier met her rebuttal with one of her own. “Also, don’t disregard the fact that you’re doing some of these families a favor—providing adult supervision and a break from technology during their kids’ summer vacations. Don’t underestimate what value that provides.”

Anchor rubbed her forehead and grimaced, still trying to make the math make sense. “I’d need adult volunteers at the kennel that week. There’s no way I can monitor all the kids and dogs alone…”

“You know I’ll be there when I’m not working,” Tobin offered. “I’m happy to be trained as a volunteer, too,” Grier added. “I’ve

got some PTO to burn—I’d be happy to take a few days off to help out.”

Grier’s selflessness filled Tobin with a deep sense of admiration. The world needed more Griers—but she was so gratefulthisGrier was hers. That thought made her heart skip a beat. She squeezed Grier’s hand, still entwined with her own, mooring herself to the woman by her side.

“You don’t even know me—or Fetch a Friend. Why are you so willing to help?” Anchor looked at Grier, disbelieving.

“Actually, I do know Fetch a Friend. My brother adopted our family dog from your rescue—for my niece. Lake has been an absolute blessing to our family. So I’ve got just as much of an investment in your continued success as any of your volunteers.”

“I remember Lake!” Anchor’s face lit up. “I’m so glad she’s doing well and found a good home—and that she’s inspired your brilliant idea!”

Devon returned then, an expensive camera system strung around her neck. “So, does that mean we have a solution?” she asked, affectionately bumping her shoulder against Anchor’s.

“We have a lot of planning to do. And quickly—summer’s already started, some of these kids are probably booked with other activities,” Anchor said, her eyes clouding over as her brain processed a new, urgent to-do list.

“Let’s get some pics of the booth, and I’ll grab fresh ones at the kennel when we get back.” Devon patted the camera swinging from her neck. “We can print flyers, do an email blast to your volunteers and vendors, and roll out a couple of social media campaigns. It won’t take long to get the word out.”