by Susan Hughes
Aunt Jenn had said “we”! Kat swallowed hard but didn’t say anything. Maya clutched her arm hard.
“And the second thing: you’ve really proven yourselves to me. You’ve done a fine job following instructions and being so good to Bailey. I hope that you’ll be able to help me out on a regular basis. Even if I do get an assistant, and—I know, I know, I need to do that…” She waved her hands around. “Anyway, I wanted to check with you first to make sure you could continue to come and give me a hand.”
Kat and Maya beamed. “We’ve love to,” Maya cried.
“Thanks so much for asking!” said Kat.
“Well then, it’s a deal. Okay, well, I have to get back to the next customer. A supercute little pug that needs his nails clipped,” Aunt Jenn said. “I’ll see you soon, right, girls?”
“Right, Aunt Jenn,” Kat and Maya said.
As soon as the door closed behind the groomer, Kat and Maya stared at each other.
“Can you imagine if we’d gone outside with this little guy and he’d escaped?” Kat whispered. “You would have found one of those holes, wouldn’t you, Bailey? You’re so clever and such an explorer.” She reached out and rubbed his tummy.
“You might have got lost. You might have got hurt…” Maya said softly. Bailey lifted his head and licked her chin.
“And Aunt Jenn never would have trusted us again!” said Kat.
For a moment, the girls didn’t speak, and then smiles swept across their faces. “Kat,” Maya said. “We get to come and help out at Tails Up! all the time!”
“And we’ll have lots more puppies to add to our Puppy Collection!” cried Kat.
“Let’s play with Bailey a little bit more before we say good-bye to him,” said Maya, setting the squirmy golden-yellow puppy back down on the floor.
Immediately, he bounded across the floor toward his knotted rope toy. He grabbed it between his teeth and shook it. Then he threw it up in the air. When it dropped, he ran and pounced on it and shook it between his teeth again.
The girls laughed in delight. They had a real live puppy to add to their collection!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Susan Hughes has written over thirty books—both fiction and nonfiction—for children of all ages, including Earth to Audrey, Island Horse, Four Seasons of Patrick, Off to Class: Incredible and Unusual Schools around the World, and Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science. She is also a freelance editor and writing coach. Susan lives with her family in Toronto, Canada, in a house with a big red door—and wishes it could always be summer. You can visit her at susanhughes.ca.
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