No One Like You Read Online Free PDF

overstuffed cushion slipped off. Atlas attacked it next. Ripping one corner before returning to the sofa leg.
    The golden retriever and dachshunds barked excitedly, encouraging his bad behavior. Beth shook her head. She couldn’t believe that gentle Rue and little Oscar and Nathan would side against her. Where was their loyalty? She’d made their lunch. How quickly they’d forgotten.
    The barking didn’t stop. Beth cupped her hands over her ears. How could three dogs make so much noise? Their barks bounced off the walls. Echoed down the hallway. She debated shouting, but doubted she would be heard. They were that loud.
    Standing beside Atlas, she clutched her hands at her sides and raised her voice. “Stop that! No, Atlas, no .”
    No fell on deaf doggie ears. She needed to find another way to get his attention. Circling to the opposite end of the couch, she gripped the armrest and attempted to scoot it away from him. In her socks, she had no traction and didn’t get far. Her feet slipped, and she fell down on one knee. Pain shot up her thigh. There would be bruising.
    Back on her feet, she put her weight behind moving the sofa several inches before Atlas got distracted. His ears suddenly pricked as if he’d heard something. Something she had not. What was up? Beth grew suspicious when he went from destroyer to deceivingly innocent. In seconds.
    He trotted to his quilted burgundy dog bed along the far wall. There, he lay down, his chin resting on his paws. The other dogs gathered around him, too. They’d all gone quiet. The transformation was amazing to watch.
    Beth stared at them and they stared back. She swore Atlas raised one brow. And that Rue winked at her.
    She bent down and evaluated the damage to the couch and cushion. Sandpaper and paint wouldn’t fix the crooked leg. The sofa was on a permanent tilt. The foam stuffing in the cushion spilled out. She flipped it over, but couldn’t completely hide the tear. The cushion would need to be reupholstered.
    She shook her finger at the Dane. “How could you, Atlas? You’re making me look bad.” Was that a gleam she saw in his eye? Or was she just imagining it?
    Beth glanced toward a single bookshelf, secured to the wall below the wide-screen television. That gave her an idea. She crossed to it. Brown brick bookends supported mystery paperbacks and several hardbound biographies of famous baseball players.
    She reached for a copy of Josh Hamilton’s Beyond Belief . Perfect. It appeared the right thickness to balance the couch. For the time being, anyway. Until she could find a furniture repairman.
    She was about to fit the novel under the leg when Rylan’s voice stopped her cold. “Not Hamilton’s biography.”
    She spun around. Her heart nearly failed. How long had he been leaning against the door frame, watching her? She hadn’t heard him come in. She’d bet the batch of dog biscuits she planned to bake later that afternoon that Atlas had the hearing of a bat. He’d recognized the McLaren pulling into the driveway and never warned her. The big dog had gone from difficult to manageable with Rylan’s return. Atlas had played her. Again.
    Ry looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head at Atlas. Who did he blame for the mess? Her or his dog? She couldn’t tell from his expression.
    He moved then, crossing to the shelf. He made his own selection and tossed it to her. “ Planet of the Umps will work better.”
    Her body tensed as she caught the book. It wasn’t as thick as Hamilton’s biography. She muttered a nervous “Thank-you” and quickly inserted it under the lopsided leg. The sofa still sloped somewhat. She returned Hamilton’s bio to the shelf.
    Ry crossed to the Dane. His expression pained. “What’s with the chewing? This isn’t like you, Atlas.”
    Beth watched as Atlas rolled onto his side, closed his eyes, and played dead. Fortunately, they were at the house and not on a walk, she thought. She bit back a smile, amused by the fact