Page 11 of The Journey of a Lifetime (Tiny Homes and Happy Tails #2)

M aggie pulled into Pinnacle State Park near Little Rock, Arkansas. She had thought about driving as far as she could, but she also wanted to enjoy her trip with Walker.

She had picked up some essentials from the shop at the campground and was looking forward to cooking a meal tonight. While she was there, she overheard a couple talking about how much they enjoyed Pinnacle State Park so she decided to stop there for the night.

When she pulled into the park, she stopped at the visitors’ center.

She smiled and got into the back of the van. Walker wagged his tail with excitement as she reached for his leash.

She opened the van door and Walker eased out. Once he stepped onto the grass he did his business.

Maggie tightened her hand on the leash as a squirrel scampered a few feet away from Walker.

Walker didn’t move despite looking in the direction of the animal. Her heart sank in her chest. She knew Walker was old, but seeing the obvious signs broke her heart.

She knelt beside her dog and rubbed his head. “Your eyesight isn’t what it used to be, is it?”

Walker leaned into her hand. He looked in her direction and gave her a toothy smile as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

“I wish I had your outlook on life, Walker.” She pressed her head against him.

Her phone buzzed in her jeans pocket and she looked at the message.

It was from Mason.

What time should I come over for dinner tonight?

She gripped the phone in her hand, wanting to tell him exactly where he could shove his dinner.

She sent back a text.

I’m not going to be home tonight.

She waited a beat to see if he would follow up but he left her on “read.”

Walker let out a bark. She looked at the direction he was barking toward as a park ranger walked toward them.

Maggie stood.

The ranger gave her a stiff smile. “Hello, ma’am.” He glanced at Walker. “We just had to close one of the trails due to storm damage.”

Maggie frowned. “Storm damage?”

He nodded. “A large tree has fallen across the trail, making it impassable. But our other trails are open. Just make sure to pick up after your dog.”

She nodded. “Of course.” She glanced at the visitors’ center. “Do you know if there are any camping sites available for tonight?”

He cocked his head. “We don’t have sites for camping. But there are a couple of nearby campgrounds that are posted inside the visitors’ center. They shouldn’t be too booked up this time of year.”

She nodded and gave a gentle tug on Walker’s leash. “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

He tipped his hat and headed to his truck.

Maggie made her way to the entrance of the visitors’ center and checked to make sure it was okay for Walker to enter.

Once inside, a blast of cold air-conditioning hit her and she glanced around.

There were two female park rangers manning the desk.

She walked over to the bulletin board. She found the numbers for several campgrounds and pulled up their websites on her phone.

When she finally decided on one, she called and made a reservation for the night.

She grabbed a map of the park on her way out the door.

“Okay, Walker. Let’s pack some water and snacks and hit the trail.”