Introducing Riley Carson: Riley Carson

By Megan Wargula

Summer break has just started and Riley Carson is upset about the chained dog in her neighborhood, but she has no time to think about that right now. As Riley and her own dog, Sammy, are walking home, they are being followed by a strange man...block by block. 

When Sammy goes missing, Riley is terrified she'll never see him again. He is everything to her. 

Riley and her best friend, Finn Murphy, learn that looks can be deceiving, help can come from the unlikeliest of places...and sometimes grown-ups need help too. 

In this prequel to the Riley Carson Series, we get to know Riley and Finn and their love of dogs and adventure in their historic hometown of Roswell, Georgia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hound and Thistle, LLC
• Release date: Sep 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9780997380729

Book preview

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, locations, characters, and situations are the product of the writer’s imagination or are used fictitiously. In some cases, real places, names, and organizations are used and written permission was received. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2016 by Hound and Thistle, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to Hound and Thistle, LLC, addressed Attention: Permissions Coordinator,

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www.HoundAndThistle.com

Printed in the United States of America

Publisher’s Cataloging-in-Publication data

Wargula, Megan.

Introducing Riley Carson / Megan Wargula

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-9973807-2-9

Library of Congress Control Number: TBD

First Edition

14 13 12 11 10 / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

The Stranger

CHAPTER TWO

Dinner with The Murphy’s

CHAPTER THREE

Missing

CHAPTER FOUR

Hawk

CHAPTER FIVE

Pup Therapy

CHAPTER SIX

The Tethered Dog

CHAPTER SEVEN

Unwelcome News

CHAPTER EIGHT

Fences For Fido

CHAPTER NINE

Summer’s End

No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

-Aesop

CHAPTER ONE

The Stranger

Riley Carson felt like she was being followed. Normally, she loved strolling down Mimosa Street, admiring the historic homes that lined the street in her home town of Roswell, Georgia, but right now she was really freaked out. The odd man at the ice cream shop seemed to be making every turn she was making. She quickened her pace as she held on tightly to Sammy’s leash. Sammy, her beloved Yorkshire terrier, normally walked slower than he used to since he was now 15 years old, but she was glad he was keeping up with her pace right now. Riley was also glad that Sammy was small enough to pick up and carry if necessary.

As Riley headed home she debated what to do. If she led this guy to her neighborhood, he would know where she lived. She could go to Finn’s house, but he lived in her neighborhood and she certainly didn’t want to lead this guy to her best friend’s house, either. Her phone had died earlier, but she tried it just in case. Yep, still dead.

Riley slowed to let Sammy sniff a rose bush so she could casually glance back to see if the man was still behind her. Unfortunately, he was. He looked about 30 and had a full beard. Riley was about a block from her neighborhood and the man was another block behind her. While he wasn’t right on her heels, Riley was unnerved that he was still behind her.

Riley had to make a decision. If she could run fast enough, she could get to her neighborhood entrance before he rounded the bend. But what if he chases? She thought. There didn’t seem to be another solution. All of a sudden, there was a loud boom, an old car backfired down the street and the man with the beard looked back at it. Riley knew this was her chance, she picked up Sammy and made a run for it. Riley ran as fast as she could, praying while running