Too Big to Run by Catherine Hapka Read Free Book Online Page A

wandered over to Janey, who had taken Ace a short distance away. Adam and Lolli came, too. Kitty was sitting on a bench near them, talking to the shelter to see how things were going there.
    â€œWhat’s with you?” Zach asked Janey.“Aren’t you having fun?”
    Janey shrugged, staring at Ace as he jumped around playfully with Duke. “I thought Mrs. Reed and Ace were a perfect match,” she said. “But Pepper doesn’t seem to like him much. And Mrs. Reed thinks he’s too energetic to be a good therapy dog.”
    â€œBummer,” Zach said. “But don’t worry, there are lots of other medium-sized dogs at the shelter. Maybe she’ll like one of them better.”
    He glanced over at Adam to see what he thought. But Adam was staring back toward Mrs. Reed and Matthew. “Do you see that?” he said.
    â€œSee what?” Zach looked where Adam was looking. Pepper was sitting between Maxi’s front legs. Maxi was peering down at the little dog, staying very still. Her tail thumped against the ground as she wagged it. Mrs. Reed’s hand was resting on the big dog’s head, her fingers idly scratching at Maxi’s ears as she talked to Matthew.

    Zach looked at Adam, who was smiling. “I just had an idea,” Adam whispered to him. “Let’s go find your mom!”

Happily Ever After
    By the time she finished the course, Janey was feeling happier. “Are you okay?” Lolli asked. “Even though Ace and Pepper didn’t get along?”
    â€œI’m fine,” Janey said. “Anyway, it’s not hopeless, right? Maybe we should try again on a less busy day. The two of them might get along better then.”
    Lolli looked uncertain. “Maybe,” she said. “But I’m still not sure Mrs. Reed will—”
    â€œHey!” Adam interrupted breathlessly, jogging up to them with Duke at his heel.Zach and Misha were right behind them. “We need to talk to you about something.”
    â€œWhat?” Janey asked.
    Adam glanced over his shoulder. “Did you notice how well Maxi gets along with little Pepper?”
    Janey frowned. Was he trying to rub it in? “Yeah, we know,” she grumbled. “Maxi gets along with everyone.”
    â€œExactly.” Zach grinned. “And we just checked with my mom—she says mastiffs often make good therapy dogs.”
    â€œSo what?” Janey said. “Matthew doesn’t have enough time to spend with Maxi as it is. How’s he supposed to turn her into a therapy dog, too?”
    â€œHe’s not,” Zach said. “Mrs. Reed can do that!”
    â€œHuh?” Lolli blinked.
    â€œIt was Adam’s idea,” Zach said. “He was thinking about how Matthew and Maxi are mismatched.”
    Adam nodded. “It’s like Kitty was saying that time. Some dogs need certain kinds of homes.”
    â€œAnd Matthew’s home is the wrong one for Maxi,” Zach went on. “Matthew loves to run, and he doesn’t have much spare time.”
    â€œBut running is bad for Maxi.” Janey was starting to get it. “So what are you saying? That he should take Maxi to the shelter?”
    â€œNo way! He’d never do that,” Zach said. “But he might give her to a home that’s a better match—especially if he already knows her new owner.”
    Lolli gasped. “Mrs. Reed!”
    â€œBut she wants a medium-sized dog,” Janey said. “Maxi is definitely not medium-sized.”
    Zach shrugged. “She wants a dog that’s sturdy enough to visit kids. Maxi definitely is that. And she seemed to like her.”
    â€œBut what about Ace?” Janey glanced at the black dog, who was trying to convince Misha to play with him.
    The two boys traded a grin. “She’s a little slow today, isn’t she?” Zach commented.

    Adam laughed. “Don’t you get it?” he told Janey. “We