Pug and Peach: The Adventures of Zelda, #3

by Kristen Otte

  The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach

  Kristen Otte

  Contents

  The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach

  1. The Mouth Game

  2. Good Night, Peach

  3. The First Walk

  4. The Toy Thief The Toy Thief The Toy Thief

  5. The Polar Vortex

  6. Squirrels!

  7. The Cat Whisperer

  8. The Chase

  9. The Race Track

  10. Squirrels – Part 2

  11. The House Guest

  12. The Easter Egg Hunt

  13. Zelda’s Fourth Birthday

  14. A Long Trip

  15. The Beach

  16. Epilogue: A Peach Tale

  Afterword

  About the Author

  Series By Kristen Otte

  The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach

  * * *

  Kristen Otte

  The Adventures of Zelda: Pug and Peach

  Copyright © 2014 by Kristen Otte. All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: 2014

  Editor: Candace Johnson

  Cover Design: Michael McFarland

  * * *

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  * * *

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons —living or dead— is entirely coincidental.

  * * *

  ISBN: 150071053

  ISBN-13: 978-1500710538

  Created with Vellum

  This book is dedicated to Peach Doodle. You earned a chance for the spotlight.

  1

  The Mouth Game

  I jump on Lucy’s bed and curl up under the covers with her for the night. I close my eyes and let the exhaustion take over. My pug body is tired after a long day of playing and chasing my brand new sister. My sister is my Christmas gift. She was the best gift ever—making me the happiest pug on the planet. She is a Boston terrier, and her name is Peach.

  Peach is a little bigger than I am, with tall, pointy ears, droopy lips, and a pug-like smashed face. Peach doesn’t have nearly the number of wrinkles I do. She is dark, brindled-brown with patches of white, including a white stripe down her head to her nose, and a small peach spot on her nose. I think that’s why she is named Peach. Although she is a good-looking dog, Peach is not as pretty as me, especially since she doesn’t have a curly tail. Her tail is short and a bit crooked. Honestly, I don’t really care what she looks like; I am just excited to have a canine friend.

  When I open my eyes the next day, light shines through the window, and the spot next to me is empty. Lucy is awake already. I stand and stretch—my body isn’t used to all this exercise during the cold season. I hear movement downstairs as I go through my morning round of sneezes.

  My family is gathered in the living room and eating breakfast. I see Peach nestled in a spot between Lucy and Hannah on the couch. Lucy is laughing as Peach repeatedly licks Lucy’s face. I feel a pang of envy rip through me, but I ignore it and walk into the kitchen.

  I smell bacon!

  Nate is cooking in the kitchen, so I sit patiently next to him. If I stay calm, I am sure he will give me a piece of bacon. But it is so hard to remain calm when bacon is at stake. I sit and stare. I can’t see the bacon, but the smell is overpowering.

  Ruff. Ruff.

  “Zelda, quiet,” Nate says. I sit again. I didn’t mean to bark, but I couldn’t help it. Peach wanders into the kitchen.

  “Hi, Peach,” Nate says. “Do you want some bacon?” Peach trots over to Nate and starts leaping into the air.

  She is springy!

  “I think that means yes,” Nate says, laughing. I inch closer to him. He better not forget about me. Nate grabs a piece of bacon. I do my best sit and stare at Nate with my bulgy, brown eyes.

  “Good sit, Zelda,” he says. “Peach, can you sit?” Peach continues to leap for the bacon while I wait patiently like the model pug that I am.

  “No, Peach,” he says and tries to get Peach to sit.

  How long will I have to wait?

  Finally, Peach sits, and Nate gives her a piece of the bacon.

  “Good girl, Zelda,” he says and gives me the remaining bacon. I scarf it up in a second.

  “Okay, that’s it for now. You’re free,” he says. I walk to the living room. Peach follows.

  I find a comfortable spot on the couch next to Lucy. Peach jumps onto the couch and squeezes into the spot next to me. I look at her, and she nips at my face in a playful manner. I bite back, aiming for her mouth, but she shifts out of the way. I try again; this time she opens her mouth as mine approaches. We lock mouths, attempting to maneuver our mouths over top each other’s.

  We shift and squirm as the game continues, trying to get an advantage. Peach ends up upside down on Ben’s lap. I jump on top of Peach, confident that I have her mouth cornered.

  “Mom, what’s happening?” Ben asks. I snap at Peach, but she dodges to the right. I pause for a moment to listen.

  “They are playing, don’t worry about it,” Hannah says.

  Oh, good. Hannah understands.

  While I am distracted, Peach nips for my neck. I jerk backward just in time.

  “They seem like they are trying to hurt each other,” Ben says.

  “No, this is how dogs play. If they were trying to hurt each other, you would know,” Hannah says. “Although this is a funny game they are playing.” I go in for the final bite.

  I have her mouth!

  “It kind of seems like they are trying to figure out whose mouth is bigger,” Ben says. Hannah laughs.

  “It does,” Hannah responds.

  I have Peach’s mouth for only seconds before she wiggles her way out of the hold. But the moment of victory supercharges me. I leap off the couch and sprint around the coffee table, into the dining room, sliding as I go, and back to the living room. I jump to the couch and give Peach a quick nip, urging her to follow my next move. I leap again, but this time I run up the stairs and away from the slippery floor. I hear thumps behind me, and I know Peach is following. She catches up to me quickly, and I run under Lucy’s bed. She’s unable to fit, so she stops and barks at me. I lie on the floor panting for a few minutes. Peach keeps barking.

  “What’s going on up here?” Nate asks. He walks into the room. Peach stands on her hind legs and licks his hand. I crawl out from the bed.

  “Oh, hi, Zelda. Come on, let’s go downstairs,” he says. We follow him downstairs to the living room. I see an open blanket.

  “It looks like they are done playing the ‘Whose Mouth Is Bigger’ game,” Ben says.

  For now, but we will play again.

  2

  Good Night, Peach

  The rest of the day is a blur of games, chases, and sprints throughout the house. When the darkness comes, I am ready for a long night of sleep. I walk upstairs, leaving Peach and my family behind. I jump onto Lucy’s bed. She isn’t in bed yet, but I don’t care. I plop onto the pillow and close my eyes.

  “Okay, Lucy, time for you to go to bed,” Hannah says. I open one of my eyes in time to see Lucy’s hand coming for me. She picks me up and moves me to the side to claim her pillow.

  “Hi, Zelda,” she whispers. I gently lick her face. She covers me with a blanket before Hannah tuck
s her into bed.

  “Mom, where is Peach going to sleep?” she asks.

  “Peach is sleeping in the kitchen again tonight.”

  “Why?”

  “In case she has to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. She is still adjusting to her new home.”

  “Why can’t she sleep with us?” Lucy asks. “She would be happier here than all alone.”

  With us? I don’t want to share this bed and my Lucy-cuddles with Peach!

  “I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Lucy. What if she has to go to the bathroom, and you don’t wake up?”

  “Please, Mom. I will wake up and take her out. And I bet Zelda wants to sleep with her new sister,” Lucy says.

  No, I don’t!

  Hannah remains silent. I raise my head and look at her trying to figure out how to convey my opinion on the matter. If only they could read my eyes and wrinkles like Peach does.

  “Please,” Lucy says again.

  “Fine, okay,” Hannah says.

  “Yay!” Lucy shouts and rushes out of bed, flailing the blankets onto me. “Let’s go get Peach!”

  “Settle down, Lucy, it’s still bedtime,” Hannah mumbles as she follows Lucy out of the room.

  I crawl out of the mound of blankets and find a comfortable spot at the head of the bed next to the pillow. Moments later Lucy, Hannah, and Peach return. Lucy finds her place under the covers again. Hannah picks up Peach and places her next to Lucy’s feet. I relax, knowing my prime real estate next to Lucy is secure. Hannah says good night, and the darkness engulfs the room.

  I jerk awake to a loud noise.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  Whatever is making that sound interrupted my squirrel dream. I had almost caught up to it!

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  Yikes, that is loud. I am definitely not sleeping anymore.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  The sound is coming from the end of the bed. I tiptoe so I don’t wake Lucy. Peach’s smell overtakes my nostrils.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  I can’t believe I didn’t remember Peach was sleeping with us. She snores louder than I do! Although I don’t really know how loud I snore, but it can’t be this loud. I gently nudge Peach with my paw. She stirs; the snoring stops. I wander back to my spot.

  Before I close my eyes, the snoring returns. I must not have woken her. I walk back and nudge Peach with my head.

  Grrrr.

  Her growl is halfhearted—she is definitely not completely conscious. I nudge again. This time she opens her eyes and gazes into mine. Then the tongue comes in a laser quick fashion, attacking my forehead before I can move. After she gets in one lick, I back away out of tongue range. She nestles back into her spot; I lie with Lucy’s head on the pillow.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  Oh, man.

  I squirm my way under the covers to escape the noise. I find a spot and nuzzle up to Lucy, but I still hear Peach. I can’t escape it. I close my eyes and try to remember the dream I was having. I think about squirrels and my old friend Squeaks. My eyes feel so heavy.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  I keep my eyes closed and think about bacon and steak. I can almost smell it.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  I give up. I can’t sleep with all the racket. I get out of bed and wander down the stairs to my blanket on the couch in the living room. The room is a bit chilly, but it’s quiet. I fall asleep.

  The next evening I claim my spot in Lucy’s bed near the pillow. Peach follows me into the bedroom. She waits on the floor, unsure if she should jump on the bed. I am hopeful the loud snoring was a fluke. After a few minutes of staring, Peach makes the leap onto the bed. Her leap is more graceful than mine. One of these days, she needs to teach me how to jump like she does.

  Peach sits in the middle of the bed, unsure about what to do. Lucy arrives and moves Peach to the foot of the bed again. Hannah and Nate say good night to all of us, and the darkness comes. I fall asleep.

  When I wake up, Peach is lying next to me. I have no recollection of her arrival, and magically, she isn’t snoring. Her warm body does feel good in this cold, but she squeezed her way between Lucy and me and stole my spot. I have no idea how she did it. I paw at her, but she is sound asleep. I don’t see how I can move her. Frustrated, I rise and move to the end of the bed where I have space to stretch my paws.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  The snoring is back. I walk to the top of the bed. Peach is now sprawled across the pillow and the blankets.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  I am not sleeping here. I go downstairs to my new bed on the couch.

  I sleep downstairs for the next few nights. I am comfortable, but I miss my cuddles with Lucy. When I wake up shivering one night, I decide it’s time to reclaim my bed.

  Long before Lucy goes to bed, I stake my claim by lying on Lucy’s bed. When I hear footsteps coming up the stairs, I know it is bedtime. I smell Peach trailing behind Lucy, and I hunker down.

  “Hi, Zelda,” Lucy says, walking into the room. “Are you going to sleep with us tonight? I miss cuddling with you. You are so soft.” Lucy gets into the bed next to me and pets me. Peach jumps onto the bed and tries to squirm her way between Lucy and me.

  “Oh, hi, Peach,” Lucy says, letting Peach squeeze in between us. I look at Lucy. She is smiling and laughing as Peach licks her face. I walk to the other side of Lucy, away from Peach. I curl up in a ball of pug fur next to her.

  ONNNKSHHHHOOO.

  Peach’s loud snores awaken me, but her snores are coming from the foot of the bed. I get up, fumbling through the dark. My spot is open! I snuggle with Lucy and close my eyes. Peach is still snoring, but I am so tired that I barely hear her.

  “Shhh, Peach is still sleeping,” says Lucy. My eyes remain closed, but I listen carefully. Lucy’s small fingers pet my forehead and back. The bed stirs, and I feel her getting out of bed. I hear the shaking of Peach’s ears and collar from the other end of the bed. When I open my eyes, I am shocked to see light shining through the window. I slept through the night!

  Peach wanders over to me and licks my face. I hate when she does that, but for some reason I let it happen. Then she nestles with me. Her body warms mine, and before I realize it, we drift to sleep again.

  3

  The First Walk

  The next few nights, I wake up less and less to the terrible snoring noise. Peach and I rotate our sleeping spots on the bed. Some nights I am next to Lucy. Other nights I am at the foot of the bed. I miss sleeping wherever I want, but this will have to do.

  Today Peach and I are relaxing on the living room couch while the family paces throughout the house. I am daydreaming about treats when I see Nate put on his walking shoes. I perk up and watch him closely. He grabs the harnesses and leashes from the shelf.

  It’s time for a walk!

  I jump up and sprint to him. I run in circles around Nate in excitement. I haven’t been on a walk in forever because of the cold, white stuff. I don’t think Peach has even gone on a walk yet!

  Ben starts tying his shoes, and Peach joins us. She looks into my eyes, and I tell her we are going on a walk—the best thing ever. She is clueless about walks.

  “Okay, okay,” Nate says. “Zelda, chill out. I need to get your harness on you. Ben, you get Peach.” I run another two laps before I allow Nate to harness me. My harness is blue. Peach is wearing a matching pink one.

  “Okay, let’s go!” Nate says. The four of us walk outside. The coldness hits my nostrils, and I sneeze four times before we get out of the driveway. Peach is hesitant, waiting by the door. I bark, telling her to follow us.

  The white stuff is piled high, but the sidewalk is clear. I don’t want to get lost in the snow, so I stay on the sidewalk. Ben and I lead the way. I hear Peach coming toward me from behind. Before I realize what is happening, Peach is jumping at me and biting for my neck. My instincts kick in, and I bite back. We tumble into the snow.

  “Zelda, Peach, no,” Nate says, pulling us apart.


  I look at Peach. She thought it was playtime, but we have all this ground to sniff and explore.

  We move forward, sniffing for clues of nearby dogs or squirrels. When we hit the intersection at the end of our street, I pull Ben to the right—our usual path.

  “Which way, Dad?” Ben asks.

  I lunge again, but Ben holds his ground. I stop and wait. Peach is trying to take us left. I glare at her. She goes left, ignoring me.

  Doesn’t she know I am a pug? I am not giving in.

  I lunge right, dragging Ben with me.

  “Zelda wants us to go this way,” Ben says.

  “Okay, that’s fine. C’mon Peach, this way,” Nate says.

  Good call, Nate. I knew I liked you.

  Peach turns and trots toward us, listening to Nate but not me. When she catches up to me, she takes a flying leap. I meet her on my hind legs and nip at her ears before I run as far away from her as my leash will allow. She whimpers, trying to get me to play with her, but I am busy sniffing for dogs and squirrels.

  I amble forward, keeping my nose on high alert for an intriguing smell. Winter walks can be a bummer. Many of the animals are in hiding, and the white stuff mutes the smell. Plus it’s hard to walk in the white stuff. The snow rises to my chest in many areas. I hear Peach approach me again, but this time something is different. I look to see that she is trembling with every step—Peach is freezing.

  I could keep going for another hour around the neighborhood since I have thicker (and softer) fur than Peach. But I pick up the pace when I look into her sad eyes. When we are in sight of our home, Peach sprints for the door. I follow at a nice trot. When I cross through the front door, the warm air hits my wrinkles. It does feel good.