humans can see you, Jack. What if you're wrong and someone is home? Carrying a painting makes you conspicuous. We can't chance it."
Jack stared at her. "Carrying a painting makes me conspicuous...but barging into their house to hunt down Barbie clothes doesn't?"
"I would only slow you down."
Exasperated, Jack demanded, "Can't you just stay naked?"
"No," she said curtly. "Now, put me down over there and hurry up. This isn't very comfortable, in case you weren't aware."
"Oh, brother," Jack muttered, but propped the painting against the bottom of the tree.
"And be quick," she advised.
Jack moved carefully through the trees, around the clothesline and toward the house. His brain refused to admit what he was doing.
He used stealthy steps to peek into the side windows and then the front corner windows. There was no sign of activity in the house, no sign anyone was home.
He went onto the porch prepared to struggle with the wide window, but to his amazement it slid open. He briefly closed, then opened his eyes, still disbelieving the act of Barbie-theft he was about to commit. If he could find Barbie clothes, that is. Jack stepped inside the living room and listened.
No sound.
He breathed a sigh of relief and headed across the room to the hallway, looking for the staircase to the second floor. Found it. Just as he reached it and hurried up the first four steps, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, a warning he was being watched. He spun.
At the other end of the hallway, in the kitchen doorway stood the biggest, blackest dog he'd ever seen. His low growl reached Jack's ears.
Jack eased his way back down the steps, repeatedly crooning, "Nice puppy," until he'd reached the bottom.
The growl grew louder and finally the dog made a beeline for him.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh," Jack cried, racing down the hallway in the opposite direction and jerking the unlocked front door open. He did a broad jump from the porch to the yard, the barking dog hot on his heels.
Chapter Eight
Jack's long stride came in very handy. It gave him only a short head start on the huge animal protecting his family's home, but it enabled him to gain a small lead when he leaped from the porch to the ground and the dog hesitated just long enough to maneuver down the steep porch steps.
Jack tore across the yard in record time, swatted his way around and through the clothesline and made a direct line for where he'd left Kelly Jo.
Panting and dragging for air in his lungs, Jack was keenly aware the dog was now close to nipping his heels. Or ripping them off. Just as the animal emitted a lethal roar and lunged, so did Jack. For the low-hanging tree branch. Clumsily, and almost completely breathless, Jack swung himself over the top and sat on the branch, his feet dangling just high enough to further tick off the irate dog.
Jack couldn't even wheeze out a warning to Kelly Jo.
Wait. Warn her about what?
He closed his eyes in intense irritation. Once again, thanks to Kelly Jo and her bright ideas the risk was all his. He opened his eyes and confirmed it. The dog ran in wide circles beneath Jack's branch, his threatening bark devolving into a growl when he stopped and stared up at Jack.
Jack lowered his head, gulping air and making go home gestures at the dog. Finally he'd drawn a normal enough breath to holler, "Go home!"
The dog sat down, still staring, still growling.
To Jack's displeasure, he heard a distinct giggle.
Kelly Jo stopped giggling long enough to advise Jack, "Most watchdogs won't go home if they think you're still a threat to them or their home."
"This was one great idea, Kelly Jo," Jack said curtly. "You never mentioned a dog in the house."
"I didn't know," she said calmly. "My interest was in did they have a child who might own a Barbie. It's not my fault you didn't check first."
Jack's eyebrows raised as the dog's ears went on alert.
The dog had heard
Jack stared at her. "Carrying a painting makes me conspicuous...but barging into their house to hunt down Barbie clothes doesn't?"
"I would only slow you down."
Exasperated, Jack demanded, "Can't you just stay naked?"
"No," she said curtly. "Now, put me down over there and hurry up. This isn't very comfortable, in case you weren't aware."
"Oh, brother," Jack muttered, but propped the painting against the bottom of the tree.
"And be quick," she advised.
Jack moved carefully through the trees, around the clothesline and toward the house. His brain refused to admit what he was doing.
He used stealthy steps to peek into the side windows and then the front corner windows. There was no sign of activity in the house, no sign anyone was home.
He went onto the porch prepared to struggle with the wide window, but to his amazement it slid open. He briefly closed, then opened his eyes, still disbelieving the act of Barbie-theft he was about to commit. If he could find Barbie clothes, that is. Jack stepped inside the living room and listened.
No sound.
He breathed a sigh of relief and headed across the room to the hallway, looking for the staircase to the second floor. Found it. Just as he reached it and hurried up the first four steps, the hair on the back of his neck stood up, a warning he was being watched. He spun.
At the other end of the hallway, in the kitchen doorway stood the biggest, blackest dog he'd ever seen. His low growl reached Jack's ears.
Jack eased his way back down the steps, repeatedly crooning, "Nice puppy," until he'd reached the bottom.
The growl grew louder and finally the dog made a beeline for him.
"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh," Jack cried, racing down the hallway in the opposite direction and jerking the unlocked front door open. He did a broad jump from the porch to the yard, the barking dog hot on his heels.
Chapter Eight
Jack's long stride came in very handy. It gave him only a short head start on the huge animal protecting his family's home, but it enabled him to gain a small lead when he leaped from the porch to the ground and the dog hesitated just long enough to maneuver down the steep porch steps.
Jack tore across the yard in record time, swatted his way around and through the clothesline and made a direct line for where he'd left Kelly Jo.
Panting and dragging for air in his lungs, Jack was keenly aware the dog was now close to nipping his heels. Or ripping them off. Just as the animal emitted a lethal roar and lunged, so did Jack. For the low-hanging tree branch. Clumsily, and almost completely breathless, Jack swung himself over the top and sat on the branch, his feet dangling just high enough to further tick off the irate dog.
Jack couldn't even wheeze out a warning to Kelly Jo.
Wait. Warn her about what?
He closed his eyes in intense irritation. Once again, thanks to Kelly Jo and her bright ideas the risk was all his. He opened his eyes and confirmed it. The dog ran in wide circles beneath Jack's branch, his threatening bark devolving into a growl when he stopped and stared up at Jack.
Jack lowered his head, gulping air and making go home gestures at the dog. Finally he'd drawn a normal enough breath to holler, "Go home!"
The dog sat down, still staring, still growling.
To Jack's displeasure, he heard a distinct giggle.
Kelly Jo stopped giggling long enough to advise Jack, "Most watchdogs won't go home if they think you're still a threat to them or their home."
"This was one great idea, Kelly Jo," Jack said curtly. "You never mentioned a dog in the house."
"I didn't know," she said calmly. "My interest was in did they have a child who might own a Barbie. It's not my fault you didn't check first."
Jack's eyebrows raised as the dog's ears went on alert.
The dog had heard
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