Natalie Wants a Puppy Read Online Free PDF Page B

depends…,” Granny says. She takes another wrong turn. “On where you’re going.”
    I don’t care where we’re going ‘cause my mom and dad aren’t anywhere anyway.
    “Don’t you like my new car, Nat?” Granny asks.
    This new car doesn’t bump hard across the railroad tracks. It doesn’t squeak when Granny stops it. Plus, it has cold air. But I loved Charlotte. So I can’t love Charley. “I miss Charlotte, Granny.”
    Granny drives past the ice-cream store. And the post office. She turns again, and Charley doesn’t even screech.
    “Where are we going?” I ask.
    “You’ll see,” Granny answers. “It’s a little surprise your mom and dad and I cooked up this morning.”
    “Really?” I’m surprised they cooked up this surprise. For me. Thinking about them making me a surprise takes a little of the sad away. “What’s thesurprise?”
    “Want a clue?” Granny asks.
    I remember those other clues. Like the string cage. And how I added up those clues and came out with a dog instead of a boy from China. “No thank you.”
    Granny turns into a driveway and stops. “We’re here!”
    I peek through Charley’s window. I’ve seen this place before. But I was never in there. It’s a big blue building with cats and dogs and animal footprints all over it. This is where Jason got his cat.
    “How come we’re here?” I ask. “I don’t get it.”
    “But you’re going to get it,” Granny says. “That’s a clue, in case you didn’t notice.”
    “Granny, I’m no good at cl—” I stop. On account of my heart is getting thumpy about that clue. I’m going to get it? It? Here? At Adopt-A-Pet? I turn to ask Granny. Only I’m scared to think this thought again.
    “Nat,” Granny says, “how’d you like a puppy?”
    “For true?” I ask. “Granny, a puppy?” I reach to hug her, but I’m stuck in my seat belt. It takes me a gazillion minutes to get it off ‘cause it’s not Charlotte’s seat belt.
    Granny has trouble with her seat belt too. “Your mom and dad thought a puppy might come in handywhile they’re in China.”
    “They were right about that!” I agree.
    Granny and I run up the steps to Adopt-A-Pet. Only Granny walks. “Hold your horses, Nat!” she calls.
    I look down three steps at Granny. “I’m going to hold my puppy. That’s what!”
    Inside, a lady is waiting for us. Her hair is almost as long as Farah’s. “Can I help you?” she asks.
    “We want a puppy!” I shout.
    She laughs. “Well, you came to the right place.”
    Granny has to read papers and sign something. It takes a gazillion minutes. Finally, they get done.
    “Follow me,” the lady says. “What kind of dog are you looking for?”
    “A puppy!” I answer.
    “Size small,” Granny adds.
    The lady opens the door to another room, and barking comes out. Lots of barks. Inside, there are cages on top of cages. In each cage, there’s a dog in there. It feels like a dog zoo.

    “Look them over,” the lady says.
    I hold Granny’s hand, and we walk along the cages. One dog is so big, he almost doesn’t fit. Another fuzzy dog stays sleeping. More dogs bark when we walk by them. Black dogs. Brown dogs. White dogs. Long hair and no hair.
    “Granny, how can I pick one?” I ask. “I want them all. Except maybe not that mean, growling one.”
    “I’ll leave you to it,” says the lady. “Back in a few.”
    Granny and I are alone with the gazillion dogs. “What if I pick the wrong dog?” I ask her.
    Granny stares at the dogs too. “How about we pray that you’ll know which is the right dog? Good idea?”

    I nod. I close my eyes, but the barking sounds louder that way. So I open my eyes. I can tell Granny is waiting on me to do the praying.
    I never prayed a pick-the-right-dog prayer before. So I have to guess how it goes. “God, which one’s the right puppy for us? I’d really like to be sure about that one. Amen.” I look up at Granny.“Was that okay?”
    “That was just right, Nat,” Granny