Chasing Her Tail Read Online Free PDF

classroom phone.
    No one in the main office knew anything about a loose dog. The receptionist promised to call animal control and Bridget hung up, looking down at the puppy.
    “So what am I supposed to do with you in the meantime?” she muttered. One of the kids sneezed and Bridget bit off a groan. Of course someone was allergic. The day just kept getting better and better.
    She glanced around the classroom and her gaze caught on the supply closet at the back of the room right next to the hallway door. Hesitating, she bit her lip. It seemed mean to put the puppy into the closet but another scan of the room didn’t give her any other ideas.
    As she carried the dog to the supply closet, the kids protested.
    “Please don’t put him in there, Ms. Grace!” Jack pleaded. Even teacher’s pet Sophia offered to hold the puppy on her lap.
    “He’ll be fine,” Bridget insisted. “I’ll leave the light on.” With one hand, she shifted the reams of construction paper from the bottom shelf up out of puppy reach. A jolt of guilt flashed through her as she glanced down into the dog’s liquid eyes but another sneeze from behind her strengthened her resolve.
    To ease her conscience, Bridget slipped off her sweater and laid it on the floor before tucking the puppy into the closet and closing the door. She gave a sigh of regret for her second favorite sweater, knowing it would probably end up serving as a chew toy.
    Turning around, Bridget faced twenty-four pairs of accusing eyes. “Callie,” she told the sneezer, seeing the little girl’s swollen eyelids. “Go to the nurse’s office please.”
    Callie nodded and slipped out of her desk as Bridget headed back to the phone to let the nurse know the little girl was headed her way.
    When she hung up and turned back to the class, she saw the door closing at the back of the room and frowned. Bridget thought Callie had already left. She shrugged off the thought as another occurred to her.
    “Where’s Sam?” she asked.
    “He went to the bathroom,” Sophia informed her.
    21
    Katie Allen
    “That was ten minutes ago.” Bridget sighed. What else could go wrong today?
    “Jordan, could you run down to the boys’ room and check on him?”
    Happy to have an excuse to get out of work, Jordan grinned and ran toward the door.
    “Walk please!” Bridget’s tone was sharper than normal as a rush of nausea rolled over her. Great—now she was getting sick. Well, that answered her question about what else could go wrong. After a quick glance at his teacher, Jordan slowed to a more controlled bounce, although Bridget heard his feet slapping the hall floor.
    Picking up the book she had dropped, Bridget found her place and started to read, ignoring the occasional wave of dizziness that flowed over her. Jordan returned with a sheepish-looking Sam in tow and Bridget paused to eye the little boy. He looked okay but she made a mental note to check with him after story time, to see what had kept him in the bathroom for so long. He could have just been wandering around or he might not be feeling well.
    Bridget grimaced as her stomach clenched threateningly. The kids were always getting sick—the little germ magnets. She usually could fight off the viruses they handed around but something was definitely hitting her today.

    The final hour of school dragged for Bridget. It was with intense, nausea-tinged relief that she supervised the backpack loading and jacket collection before the children thundered off to catch school buses or meet rides or find older siblings to walk them home.
    After the last straggler had left, Bridget hurried to the supply closet, dreading the mess that a small puppy could make in an hour. At least the dog had been surprisingly quiet. She reached for the knob before realizing that the door wasn’t latched. Yanking the closet door open, Bridget saw the tiny room was empty. No puppy, no dreaded puddles, no sweater even.
    “Those little monsters,” Bridget muttered. How had