CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE FIRST THING SHE was aware of was the sweet coolness of a morning breeze. Birds sang outside her window and, somewhere beyond the screens dogs barked and played. The sound made her sad, nostalgic. She missed her five dogs.
The thought gave her a moment’s panic. Where were they? Had she left them alone at home? Who’d been feeding them?
She struggled up from her half sleep and tried to open her eyes. A blare of golden light forced her eyelids shut again.
Sunlight.
Then she remembered. Her parents had the dogs. They were fine. Brita took a deep breath and settled back onto the pillow. Maybe she’d just try to go back to sleep.
Someone touched her arm and she twitched, jerking fully awake with a yelp. She rolled across the bed and landed on her feet on the opposite
