My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall Read Free Book Online Page B

packed our lunches.
    â€œWhere do you buy your clothes, Amber?” he asked. “They’re great.”
    â€œThanks.” She bit into her sandwich. He waited for more, but she didn’t give it.
    I didn’t like that Amber was retreating again, so I jumped in. “Amber makes almost all her own clothes.”
    â€œYou’re kidding.” Went opened his bag of chips.
    Amber nodded, but didn’t say anything.
    I changed the subject. “Where’s Adam? He didn’t attack me this morning. I missed that.”
    â€œAdam sends his greetings. He whimpered all night. I think he missed you.” Went set down his chips and touched my wrist. “I know I did.”
    Amber choked. “Sorry. Too much mustard. I’m having trouble swallowing it.”
    I kicked her under the table. “Do you have a yard for Adam?” I asked Went.
    â€œThis whole dog thing isn’t working out that great. There’s no fenced-in yard. And Dad refuses to let the dog have the run of the house when we’re gone.”
    I pictured sweet Adam. I really liked the dog. After all, he was the one who had led me to Went. “So what did you do with him?”
    â€œDad bought a kennel. It’s not very big, though.”
    â€œA cage?” Amber asked.
    Went shrugged. “I don’t like it either. I’m hoping Adam will sleep all day.”
    â€œWent, you can’t leave Adam caged up every day,” I said.
    â€œI can’t let him out. He’ll wander off.” Went crumpled the empty chips bag. “I don’t like it, but there’s nothing else to do with him, except kennel him all day.”
    I couldn’t stand it. “Adam could stay at our house.”
    â€œBailey?” Amber said. “Your mom doesn’t even like dogs.”
    â€œShe just says that.” Mom’s heart’s the size of Wyoming. She’d never turned away a single stray I’d brought home. Once, we had three cats, a really old and smelly dog, and a bird with a broken wing. “Mom will love Adam once she gets to know him.”
    â€œAre you serious? That would be great, Bailey.”
    My mind was spinning overtime. It would be great. I tried not to act too excited about the implications. “You could drop Adam off every morning,” I said. Which means we would have to walk to school together. “He’d be fine at my house all day while we’re in school.” And then you’ll have to come home with me to get your dog!
    â€œSounds good,” Went agreed. “Check with your mom and let me know. Did I give you my cell phone number?”
    Yes! “I don’t think so,” I answered.
    Amber rolled her eyes. I would have kicked her, but she’d scooted out of range.
    Went wrote his phone number on his napkin and handed it to me.
    I folded it carefully. “I kind of lost my cell,” I explained. “I’ll find it in a couple of weeks. But my home number’s in the book. And if you don’t have a phone book yet, all Millet numbers are the same except for the last four digits, and my last four numbers are all fours. And seriously, don’t worry about Mom. She’ll love Adam like I do. So, bring your dog by tomorrow morning, and—”
    â€œ My dog?” Went stuffed his trash into the brown bag. “Hey, if we share the work, we share the dog.”
    â€œYou mean it?” I hadn’t had a dog since old Brownie died.
    Went grinned at me. “I mean it. From now on, Adam is our dog.”
    I couldn’t believe it. Twenty-four hours ago I didn’t even have the hope of a boyfriend. Now I had a boyfriend, and we had a dog.
    Â 
    When school let out, I couldn’t find Went anywhere. And believe me, I looked. I even checked—with my eyes shut—the boys’ locker room. “I don’t get it,” I told Amber. “How could he leave without saying goodbye?” I wasn’t mad at