Animal Whisperer: Take Back My Life and Love Chapter 37: The Squirrel Witness

Nancy could feel Barry’s eyes lingering on her, tracking her every movement.

"Suddenly I’m a bit hungry again," she muttered to herself. She shifted a few steps toward the dessert buffet, pretending to be incredibly busy choosing a treat. She was a whirlwind of fake indecision, making eight hundred unnecessary gestures a minute just to avoid eye contact.

Just then, she felt a large, bushy tail brush against her ankle from beneath the table.

Nancy lifted the tablecloth an inch. The Squirrel Bros had somehow snuck under the buffet. Each one was holding a macaron in its tiny paws, chewing furiously with bulging cheeks.

"So the two of you came here for the buffet, too?" Nancy couldn't help but smile.

The younger squirrel wiped the cream off his mouth and said, "Pretty lady, I want some strawberry cake!"

"Alright. What else do you want to eat? I'll grab you some."

Just as Nancy went to grab some food for the squirrels, the older squirrel asked. "I've seen stray cats faking a limp to garner sympathy from humans, just to get more food, but why did that human fake a limp? Was it because she's too lazy to walk on her own?"

Nancy froze, her suspicion immediately piqued. "Who’s faking a limp?"

"The one in the chair, she's faking her limp!" the younger squirrel chirped.

The older squirrel said, "My new squirrel friend told me that he saw the girl get down from her wheelchair and walking around. She even went to pick up her necklace. She doesn't seem to be struggling at all!"

Nancy’s heart skipped a beat at the news. Ginnie really was a master of deception—keeping up the charade of a plaster cast for this long. She should have seen it coming. Ginnie would stop at nothing to frame her, but she was far too selfish to actually let herself be seriously injured.

With a bright glint in her eyes, Nancy gathered the desserts the squirrels wanted and slipped them under the table, her mind racing with ways to expose Ginnie’s lie.

"A server has brought your medical kit," Barry’s voice sounded from behind her.

"Do you have the energy to perform an examination now?"

Nancy nodded like a woodpecker. "I’m ready right now!"

She beckoned to the wolfhound. "Star, come here. I want to ask you a few questions."

To the shock of the onlookers, Barry’s wolfhound—a dog that notoriously only obeyed its master—trotted over to Nancy the moment she called. It practically skipped to her side, nuzzling her neck with its snout.

The dog was a completely different creature with her. It acted as if Nancy were its true owner.

"Good grief, what kind of spell did she cast on that dog?"

"My daughter saw Nancy’s live stream once. She claimed she could understand animals. Is that actually true?"

"Barry’s dog has been suffering for a long time. A full recovery isn't something that happens overnight."

Even Barry felt a twinge of something akin to jealousy. Ever since the onset of its condition, even he struggled to maintain full control over Star during an episode.

He glanced at Nancy, his gaze unreadable. "Follow me. It’s too loud in here."

Nancy followed him eagerly. Ten million dollars in prize money—here she came!

Barry held Star’s leash. Usually, Star walked ahead of him, but now the dog lagged half a step behind, pressing its body against Nancy’s side and letting out affectionate little whuffs as they walked.

"Miss, will you come and play with me forever? Only you could understand me. I feel safe with you."

The wolfhound was practically frolicking at her side.

Nancy patted its head. "Sorry, boy. I can't stay with you forever. I have a whole sanctuary of animals to look after. I’m a very busy woman. But if you miss me, you can always come visit the villa. You can even stay there if you like—there are plenty of friends for you to play with."

"We’ve only known each other for a few hours, and you’re already trying to kidnap my dog?"

Barry pushed open the door to the dog’s quarters, eyeing Nancy with a look that wasn't exactly friendly.

Nancy immediately fell silent.

When she saw Star’s "room," her heart nearly broke for herself. It wasn't a room; it was a detached mini-villa, complete with every toy and training apparatus imaginable. Outside the windows stretched a private, manicured lawn.

Her entire dormitory back home was smaller than the dog’s bathtub.

"Jacob says you can understand animals."

Barry fixed his gaze on her. "What was Star saying to you on the way here?"

Jacob was an idiot, but he wasn't a liar. Combined with everything that had just happened, Barry was beginning to believe Nancy really could communicate with animals.

Under his intense scrutiny, Nancy swallowed hard. "He said... he feels very safe when he's with me."

Barry searched her face for any sign of a lie, but her doe-like eyes were clear and honest.

He let out a cold snort. "You certainly know how to flatter yourself."

Nancy found his attitude strange. Was he actually jealous because his dog liked her? Fine—she’d just have to cuddle the dog even more to spite him!

Barry picked up a thick file and handed it to her. "This is Star’s medical history."

Nancy flipped through the report. Star was a six-year-old purebred Wolfdog. His spine and three of his legs had suffered gunshot wounds or shrapnel abrasions. As a search-and-rescue dog, he had spent two years in a war zone before returning home with Barry.

This was a dog that had literally charged through a hail of bullets. It was heartbreaking.

Nancy’s eyes grew red as she read, and she leaned down to give Star a massive bear hug.

Sensing her emotions, Star nuzzled his head against her. "Don't worry, miss I'm really active now and my owner is more wrecked than I am, so I need to be brave like him!"