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As the afternoon began to cool into evening, Gus stirred, and Bobby sat up. “Need to move, boy?” Gus didn’t answer but got to his feet and pushed his hind end back over his haunches, front legs stretching as far forward as they could. He shook side-to-side, sighed, and trotted down the steps, Bobby right behind him. They circled around to the back of the house and Gus lapped up water from his bowl by the back door. “Thirsty, huh? Me too, so what do you say we go on in?”

Gus’s answer was to stand at the back door and wait for Bobby to open it. Once they were

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both in the cool dark of the back entry, Bobby closed the door quietly behind them, took off his shoes and padded into the kitchen to the left of the doorway. Grabbing his cup by the sink, he opened the tap and when the water was cold, filled his cup and downed the contents. Filling it again, he turned to the little kitchen table and settled onto the bench by the window with Gus under the table at his feet.