Gone The Next Read Online Free PDF

Medium-length blond hair. About my age. Not the stereotypical pit bull owner, that’s for sure.
    “Say hi to Belle, Hannah,” I said. I’ll admit I was a little hesitant about it. “Is Belle friendly?” I asked.
    “Oh, God, yes,” the woman said. “She’s a sixty-pound lap dog.”
    “Can I pet her?” Hannah asked. That was a great sign.
    “You bet. She’d love it,” the woman replied. Then, to me, she said, “I’m Susan Tate.”
    “Roy Ballard,” I said, “and my daughter Hannah.”
    Hannah was petting Belle’s head cautiously, and I may be wrong, but Belle appeared to be smiling.
    “What a cutie,” Susan said. “How old are you, Hannah? Wait, let me guess. Are you five?”
    Hannah was too busy with Belle to pay any attention to Susan.
    “She’ll be five next month,” I said.
    “I know this sounds like a standard comment from a parent, but wow, she is really pretty.”
    I’d heard it dozens of times, but I still beamed when anybody said it. Hey, it was true. Hannah was an exceptionally beautiful child. Who was I to argue?
    “We ordered her from a catalog,” I said.
    “You did not,” Hannah said automatically, without looking up, because she’d heard me use that line before.
    “Must be quite a catalog,” Susan said, smiling. Great smile. “Where can I get a copy?”
    “Well, I’m afraid the factory closed down. They ran out of perfect little girls.”
    “Darn it. I would’ve ordered three.”
    Hannah looked up at us both, just for a second, and the look on her face said she thought both of us were as silly as could be.
    “How old is Belle?” I asked.
    “Eight. Got her from my brother. He raises Staffordshire terriers.”
    “Oh, I thought she was a pit bull.”
    “Well...they’re closely related. Some people say they’re basically the same breed.”
    “We’re getting a dog soon!” Hannah said.
    “Oh, you are? What kind?”
    “I want one just like this.”
    Susan looked at me. I’m sure she saw a certain look on my face. No, I did not want a pit bull — or a Staffordshire terrier — but I didn’t want to offend her. “We’re thinking maybe a Lab,” I said.
    “A Lab, huh?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Can’t blame you for that. A good ol’ Lab.”
    “Yep.”
    “A good ol’ predictable Lab.”
    Was she teasing me? She plainly was.
    “I like to push the envelope,” I said. “Set trends. When other men zig, I zag.”
    “Oh, I can tell. You’re a trailblazer.”
    “Absolutely.”
    There was some flirting going on. No doubt about it. Laura had complained in the past about my tendency to flirt, but I never understood the problem. Flirting is fun, and basically harmless, because I never acted on it. I was faithful. Always had been, always would be.
    Meanwhile, Hannah had slid down from the bench and was making herself more comfortable with Belle, who was obviously enjoying the attention.
    “I want a dog just like this, Daddy,” Hannah announced.
    “You know...” Susan began.
    I laughed. I knew what she was going to say.
    “My brother does have some puppies available at the moment.”
    Again, here came the smile. But now there was something more. Something in that smile said Go for it. Don’t be a boring married guy with a Lab and a minivan.
    Then I thought of Laura. A pit bull? Wasn’t going to happen. Not in a million years.
    “Uh, I’ll keep that in mind,” I said. “Very nice of you.”
    She knew I was ducking the offer, but she simply smiled, then she and Belle wandered back into the throng of people and their dogs.
    A few minutes later, Hannah and I returned to my Nissan Sentra — which is most certainly not a minivan, by the way — and then I began to think, Maybe I should get her number. Just in case. I could at least talk to Laura about it, right? It wasn’t fair for me to assume that she would say no, was it?
    Hannah was in the back seat, already buckled in, so I hurried to speak to Susan. I’d make it quick. Except I couldn’t find her. It appeared