Mia and the puppy have enjoyed watching the hunky neighbor wash his sports car. After he goes inside his house, the puppy Bootsie decides to chew on Mia's favorite pair of shoes, and she does her best to rescue the footwear:

Bootsie finally plopped down next to the lawn chair so he could pant for several minutes. Running and being chased and harassing an innocent shoe was hard work for the little guy.

Not that she had much sympathy.

"Come on, Bootsie," Mia said, clapping her hands. "Let's see if we can find something more puppy–appropriate. Or maybe you need a drink of water."

To her surprise, the puppy loped along beside her, the shoe long–forgotten. Mia darted back to get it, sighing with relief. She reached down—

Bootsie swooped in and snatched the shoe, nearly biting her fingers.

"Ow! Now I know how the Wicked Witch felt about Toto! "

Mia stalked towards the back door. It didn't look like Bootsie was doing much damage—yet. At least puppy teeth were small and not able to bite her shoe to death without a lot of tries.

There was going to be a lot of puppy drool though.

To keep from gagging, she put a hand to her throat and swallowed.

Mia raced inside the house. Didn't Bootsie have something he played with? She wracked her brain trying to remember all the instructions she'd been given before her friends had left for their honeymoon.

Her eyes darted around. "Yes!" She picked up a ball from a crate near the back door. It was kind of heavy, more like a softball, but at least it would give Bootsie the leathery chewing experience he seemed to crave.

Outside, Mia tossed the ball into the air. "Here, puppy, puppy, puppy. I've got something that's lots more fun to play with."

Bootsie's ears perked up, and he tilted his head. In the next instant, he started flopping her shoe back and forth, as if wrestling a demon to the ground.

Mia bit back a groan. She rolled the ball across the lawn, and this time Bootsie hesitated. Mia swore she could see him doing a mental pros and cons list. Fortunately, the ball won his attention.

Unfortunately, he scurried over with the shoe still dangling from his mouth.

"Let's do an even exchange." She picked up the ball, holding it out, and tried to tug the shoe loose with her other hand, but his grip was too strong.

Her earlier giddiness over this new gig evaporated. How was she going to survive two whole weeks of this shoe–devouring monster?

Mia gave the ball another toss, this time away from the puppy. The ball sailed high into the air, fueled by her frustration. The dog raised his head, the shoe forgotten, and watched with Mia as the ball flew over the fence, picking up speed.

"Oh, no!"

Mia cringed, praying for a lucky bounce into the neighbor's grass. The ball hit the driveway and then practically leapt into the driver's side headlight. The breaking plastic made a tinkling sound as it drifted to the asphalt, bits of red and yellow glittering in the sunlight.

Mia heaved a sigh, and then bent over and picked up her doggy co–conspirator.

"You better hope he thinks one of us is cute."