Relentless: Three Novels Read Online Free PDF

ordinary. I was starting to think I had imagined the ghost. I couldn’t quite come up with an explanation for the Elmo doll being thrown at me and walking across the floor, but that time, I had a witness. Elizabeth was just as baffled as I was. I was sure there had to be some kind of logical reason. I tried not to think about it.
    One Saturday afternoon, after being hounded by Trenton for a while, I decided to get him a puppy. I asked him why he wanted a puppy so badly and he said, “So, I won’t be scared anymore.”
    I kind of felt the same way. Maybe adding an animal to our family would make us feel more protected.
    Buck was a beagle mix that we found at the animal shelter. He was the cutest little thing, and Trenton adored him and had named him. Even though Buck was just a small puppy, I felt a little safer having him around. He did bark his little puppy barks if he noticed things, such as someone coming to the door, or when he wanted to be let out into the little back yard, which was enclosed with a little picket fence.
    Buck was such a smart little puppy and within a couple of days, he was housebroken and Ray even came over and put a doggie door in the kitchen door, so Buck could relieve himself outside while I was at work and then run back in. He had the waggiest tail, ever, and he confined his chewing to the chew bones we had gotten him. I got used to the little jingle of his dog license as he galloped around the house with Trenton. It was a comforting sound.
    Trenton did sleep better with the dog in his bed. He even looked forward to bedtime, something that had never happened before.
     
    * * *
     
    Thursday evening, Trenton had a soccer game. I took Buck along to the park to watch and he looked so cute with his little red leash and collar.
    Trenton was a great athlete. That was something he didn’t get from me. I cheered him on as he got his team a goal. My ex was at the game, too, and he cheered on Trenton from the stands, where I was sitting close to the field in my lawn chair. I was glad Frank didn’t try to sit with me since the court said he was supposed to stay away from me unless we were dropping off or picking up Trenton.
    Missy, Elizabeth’s daughter, also played on his co-ed team. She was a pretty good player, too. I was surprised that Elizabeth didn’t say hello to me. She and I usually sat together at the games but ever since the Elmo incident a couple of weeks back, I couldn’t help but feel that she was avoiding me. I knew she was scared, and had canceled coming over for dinner the next night.
    I felt a little abandoned by her. She and I had been really close friends and I missed her. I decided to get out of my lawn chair and go talk to her. I pulled Buck along on his leash. I discovered her sitting on a blanket on the other side of the field.
    “Hello, stranger,” I said. Elizabeth turned her head toward me and said, “Hello.” She didn’t look thrilled to see me.
    “Can I sit down?” I asked softly.
    “Sure, when did you get a dog?”
    “We got Buck last week. And guess, what? No more ghosts.”
    “Good to know. He’s so darn cute.”
    Buck wiggled in her arms as she picked him up and she put him down after he licked her face and she stuck out her tongue. “Ack, he kissed me! Dog germs!”
    I chuckled. “Elizabeth, how come you don’t call me anymore?”
    She looked at me a little embarrassed. “I’ve been super busy.” I could tell she was lying.
    “Is it because of what happened at my home that night?”
    She turned her head. “I don’t want to talk about your cottage or what is in it.”
    “What is going on?” I demanded.
    Elizabeth broke out in tears.
    “Liz, what’s wrong? We are good friends and you can tell me anything! Please, talk to me!”
    She wiped her eyes. “I wasn’t going to tell you this, but I’m going to. I don’t care how crazy I sound. The evening I left your house, I saw something. Something weird.”
    “Like a ghost?”
    She nodded her head.