The Boyfriend Project Read Online Free PDF Page B

belly.
    â€œThere’s four of them,” she said, pointing to a small, gated area. “Someone found them under a bridge, abandoned. What is wrong with people?”
    â€œThey’re idiots.”
    â€œYou got that right.” Setting the bottle aside, she lowered the puppy onto a mound of blankets where his siblings were sleeping.
    â€œI’m not taking a puppy,” I said, hardening my heart to the thought. I didn’t know how she worked here and left all these dogs when her hours were done. It took everything within me not to cart them all home, and I wasn’t nearly as dog crazy as she was.
    â€œThat’s not what I needed you for. Come on.”
    We went out through the door into a corridor. Pens lined each side. Some dogs barked for attention. Some were quiet. Some ran around. Some were still. Kendall came to a stop in front of a door. On the other side was a brown-and-white-spotted dog with long flopping ears and sad, drooping eyes. Uh-oh.
    â€œBogart?” I asked, dreading where this was leading.
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œKendall, I can’t—”
    â€œAll I need you to do,” she said, interrupting, “is sign the paperwork, pretend you’re adopting him. Then I’ll take him.”
    â€œYou sign it.”
    â€œI have to be eighteen.”
    While I’d turned eighteen three months ago, she had fifty-four days to go. Not that I was counting, but I did have something special planned. Still, I wasn’t comfortable with this deception. It felt like fraud. I’d spent too much time in my dad’s law office obviously. “Have your mom come do the paperwork.”
    She shook her head. “She’ll say no. She doesn’t want a dog.”
    â€œSo what are you going to do? Hide this one under your bed?”
    â€œNo, but once I have him at home, once she’s met him—she’s not going to make me bring him back.”
    â€œYou don’t think so?”
    â€œI can handle Mom. I just need you to handle the paperwork.”
    I sighed. This was wrong on so many levels.
    â€œYou know what?” she said. “Never mind.”
    Oh, thank—
    â€œI’ll just have Fletcher do it.”
    It felt like a punch to the gut. I liked the guy but I didn’t want him doing things for my girlfriend.
    She took out her cell phone. I grabbed her wrist. She lifted her green eyes to me. I always felt like I was drowning when I looked into her eyes.
    â€œYou know he will,” she said. “He has no problem bucking authority.”
    He was a tough guy, all right. Although not as tough as everyone thought, but he probably would sign the paperwork for her. He’d just think it was a lark. And really, wasn’t the point to find good homes for these dogs? There was no better home for a dog than Kendall’s.
    â€œOkay, I’ll do it.” I didn’t think that I could sound any less enthused.
    Still, Kendall squealed, jumped up, wound her arms around my neck, and planted a kiss on me that had me staggering back against a Rottweiler’s door. He charged and I thought I actually felt his teeth nipping at my backside. Lifting Kendall, I jerked to the side and out of reach.
    She started laughing. “You were safe.” Then she clapped her hands at the dog. “Jon Snow, down.”
    He crouched. Sometimes I thought she was the female version of the Dog Whisperer.
    â€œJon Snow?” I asked.
    â€œYeah, Terri has a thing for Game of Thrones . Names all the strays after one of the characters.”
    I chuckled. I guessed that was as good a place as any to get names.
    She rose up on her toes and brushed her lips over mine. “Thank you.”
    â€œWe’ll see if you thank me when your mom grounds you for the rest of your life.”

Chapter 5
    KENDALL
    I needed my mom to fall in love with Bogart at first sight because I wouldn’t be able to take him to college with me. No pets were allowed in the