The sheepdog lets its nose direct its paws, following a tantalizing aroma through the neighborhood, violating the sanctity of private yards, at will, ignoring property boundaries as he tried to zero in on the tempting scents wafting through the entire subdivision.
He finally reached a yard where the scent permeated everything, but he was stopped by a tall fence.
Jared whined. He just had to get to the source of those wonderful smells. He walked the perimeter of the fence, looking for weak spots, and finally found a place where rainwater had collapsed earth beneath the fence and left a bowl-shaped hole. To his optimistic eyes, it looked deep enough for him to slide his entire body beneath the barrier.
When midway beneath the fence he got stuck, he whimpered even more. The enticing smells continued to tickle his nostrils and send urgent impulses into his mostly doggy-oriented brain. He clawed with his front paws and tried to push with his hind legs, finally succeeding in shoving all of his bulky, shaggy body under the fence and into the backyard of the Reed family: father Spencer Reed, mother Lilian Reed, and twin daughters, Shae and Renee.
The girls were seniors and among the school's elite. They were athletic-minded girls. Shae enjoyed running and ran for the high school girls track team. Her sister played for the girls softball and basketball teams. They were winsome girls with medium-length light brown hair and attractive, identical figures.
After Jared managed to infiltrate their yard, he quickly discovered the source of the aroma wafting through the air was coming from an outdoor patio grill manned by Mr. Reed as he watched and, when needed, turned the four steaks sizzling on the grill.
The smell of the cooking meat drove Jared nearly bonkers and, losing all inhibitions, he bounded across the yard and leaped against one surprised Spencer Reed, hooking his forepaws on the apron the middle-aged man wore over his sporty outdoor wear.
"Whoa!" Mr. Reed reacted. "Who are you, boy? Where'd you come from?"
"Give me! Want it!" Jared barked as he looked up at the surprised man's face. "Oh, please! Feed me!"
Mr. Reed's two daughters hurried to their father's side. "Looks like you made a friend, dad," Renee said.
"He's so shaggy," Shae added and patted Jared's head.
For the first time, he noticed the girls and began to ignore the tempting smells from the grill. He detected other scents coming from the twins that changed his focus entirely. He dropped onto all fours and got between Shae and Renee, who shamelessly petted the unexpected canine in their midst. Shae even scratched behind his ears, sending him into sensory orbits.
"Ohgod! That feels so good!" Jared barked.
Suddenly, a terrific explosion rent the neighbor's peaceful serenity. Sparks showered in the darkening overhead sky, and more concussive booms sent the sheepdog into a quivering fit. Jared bolted for cover and hid beneath the Reed picnic table, shivering as more of the rockets exploded in air, painfully hurting his sensitive ears.
The girls tried to coax him out, bending over to look at the frightened animal beneath the table. Even getting a glimpse of cleavage, however, didn't penetrate Jared's fears from the loud sounds.
"Make it stop!" Jared growled. Another explosion caused a whimper. "Please!"
As he cowered and look like a petrified pooch to the family bewildered by his arrival, upon the scene arrived...