Gone With the Woof Read Online Free PDF Page A

March’s dogs and not a thing about what he did for a living.
    â€œSo are you going to do it?” Charlotte asked.
    â€œI don’t know yet.”
    She brushed aside my indecision. “You will.”
    â€œWhat makes you so sure?”
    â€œThe other two didn’t last five minutes in there with him. You managed almost an hour. Trust me, the first time you meet him is the worst. He likes to act all surly and impossible, but if you don’t let him walk all over you, things generally improve from there.”
    â€œGood to know,” I said.
    Charlotte stood on the top step and waved as I walked to my car. “See you soon!”
    I wasn’t at all sure I shared her confidence.
    Â 
    I arrived home to a house that was empty of humans but filled with kindred spirits. I entered the kitchen from the garage to find five pairs of dark eyes trained expectantly on the door. Living with Standard Poodles keeps you on your toes. They’re always one step ahead.
    As always, Faith was the first to greet me. I’m a mother, so I know I shouldn’t play favorites. But Faith had been my first Poodle, the one who had introduced me to the wonders of dog ownership. Before she came into my life, I would never have imagined that we would share a bond that was so all encompassing. Faith understood my unspoken thoughts; she knew my every mood. I only hoped that I was half as good at reading her feelings as she was mine.
    Standards are the biggest of the three varieties of Poodles. Faith’s head was even with my hip, so I didn’t have far to reach when I slipped a hand under her chin and scratched beneath her ears. Poodles in show coat have hair that must be protected at all costs; their owners quickly learn to stroke only those areas that are clipped short. It had been several years since Faith had been inside a show ring, but old habits died hard.
    Eve came next, elbowing her dam to one side and pushing her nose into my cupped hand. My turn, she announced as clearly as if the words had been spoken aloud. Raven, Casey, and Tar were right behind her, bodies wriggling in delight as they pressed against my legs, tails beating a tattoo against my thighs.
    â€œI know,” I said softly. “I missed you guys, too.”
    I tossed my purse on the counter and sat down on the floor. Holding my arms open, I tried to gather them all in at once. Predictably, Tar was the first to wiggle free from my embrace. He dashed across the room, dove under the table, and came up with a tennis ball for me to throw.
    â€œNot in the house,” I told him. “You know that.”
    Actually, he probably didn’t, but he was supposed to. The other four Poodles certainly did. Raven and Casey, like Faith and Eve, were typical Standard Poodles: highly intelligent, with an innate desire to please and an infectious sense of humor.
    Tar was beautiful. He was funny. He was kind. But smart? Not so much. None of us had ever seen a dumb Poodle before, but there he was. The most well-meaning dog in the world, Tar could barely think his way down a flight of steps.
    Lack of brainpower had never interfered with the big dog’s total enjoyment of life, however. Pomponned tail whipping back and forth, Tar trotted back over and dropped the ball in my lap. Then he backed away and waited happily for me to comply.
    Faith and Eve watched to see what I was going to do next. Before Kevin was born, when I had more time to spend with them, I would take the Poodles for a run in the park. Now I was planning to make a shopping list and put in another load of laundry.
    That thought brought a sigh. Maybe Aunt Peg was right. Maybe I had become dull.
    Faith and Eve had adapted to all the changes I’d thrown their way. They’d thrived in our new, bigger family. But even so, I knew that sometimes they missed the easy intimacy of our prior relationship. And so did I.
    I reached back and levered myself up off the floor. Housework could