Jackie took several slow steps back towards Sloan.
She scooped up the child and then hurriedly started walking towards the patio.
"Come Dolly." Jackie told her.
The dog didn't move, she just continued to snarl at the ground.
"Come Dolly." Jackie said sterner this time.
To Jackie's relief Dolly turned and trotted towards her.
"Go inside the house." She told the kids.
"Why mama?" Karlie asked her.
"Because Mommy said, go inside." She told them again.
All the kids climbed the two steps to get into the house, except for Hundley who needed a little help, her little legs just weren't quite steady enough yet.
Skittles and Dolly followed the kids inside. After the kids were inside Jackie went and scooped up both of the babies and took them inside the house, she then set them down on the living room floor and then went back outside and grabbed the babies' swings, looking down with every step she took in case the snake had moved, or in case there were other snakes.
Jackie shuddered at that idea.
After she had the swings inside she locked the normal lock as well as the dead bolt lock on both doors so the kids couldn't get outside or so they couldn't let the dogs out. She then went back into the living room to check on the kids.
Sloan sat on the living room floor glaring at Dolly.
"Dolly bad dog." He scolded her, still angry that she had knocked him down.
"Oh sweetie, Dolly wasn't a bad dog, she didn't want to hurt you, there was a snake outside, Dolly was trying to help you." She told the little boy.
"Dolly good dog?" Sloan asked sounding stunned by that revelation.
"Yes."
"Mama me sad, me told Dolly her a bad dog."
"Well sweetie it's ok, you didn't know, I'll tell you what, why don't you give Dolly a doggie cookie and tell her you're sorry, she'll forgive you. Would you like to do that?"
"Yeah." Sloan said happily.
"Ok, come on."
"Come on Dolly, you get a cookie." Sloan told the dog.
Jackie and Sloan went out to the kitchen to the treat counter.
Dolly followed them out to the kitchen, her tail going a million miles an hour, she knew what the word cookie meant.
Skittles followed right on Dolly's heels, she knew what it meant too and she wanted in on that action.
Jackie reached into the cupboard and got a dog treat and handed it to Sloan.
Sloan happily gave it to Dolly.
"Me sorry Dolly, you a good dog." Dolly took the treat and then went into the other room to enjoy it, she apparently had forgiven her human brother rather easily.
Skittles waited patiently for her turn.
"Skittles, me not say you a bad dog, go away." Sloan told her.
Jackie laughed.
"How about we just be nice and give Skittles one too?" Jackie asked.
"Ok." Sloan said happily.
Skittles accepted her treat and then pranced into the other room to eat it.
Now that that had been settled Jackie got out the phone book.
After finding the number to the animal shelter to ask for advice she called them and explained her frightening problem.
The woman at the shelter told her to call a reptile rescue organization and gave Jackie the number.
After calling them a man assured her he'd be there within the hour. He advised Jackie to stay inside until he got there, which wasn't a problem Jackie wasn't planning to go back out onto the patio, maybe ever.
The man got there shortly and captured the snake and then looked for others. He didn't find any others but he recommended that the family stay out of their backyard for a while just in case.
Jackie gladly accepted that advice, but it'd be kind of a pain with the dogs because their front yard wasn't fenced and so every time one of the dogs had to go to the bathroom she or Nick would have to put them on a leash and take them to the front yard but she'd gladly do it if it meant that everyone would be safe.
When it wasn't one thing it was another, nothing was ever dull in their house!