The Wildwood Sisters Read Online Free PDF Page A

collar, the dog eagerly eyeing his feathered friends. ‘Don’t you dare, you big bully.’ She gave her canine mate a small tap on the bum.
    Dylan looked at Bossy, scowling. ‘I’d listen to Annie if I were you…or you’ll be sleeping outside for a month.’ Bossy whined and then sat. Satisfied she wasn’t going to give in to her yearning to play catch with the ducks, Dylan glanced at his watch. ‘You’re home a little early today. Everything okay?’
    â€˜Yep. Because it’s my birthday on Sunday Mr Eddie dropped me off first as a treat.’ Annie dumped her school bag on the ground and then climbed up to sit on the top barrier of the round yard, talking the entire time. Bossy eased herself down on a small patch of grass at her feet while snapping at the flies that kept landing on her nose. Annie continued. ‘Ben Harrison was a big meanie on the bus again today. He poked his tongue at me and called me a girl.’ Annie pouted as she defiantly folded her arms. ‘But don’t worry, I stuck up for myself. I’m not going to let a boy make fun of me, especially one that thinks he’s better than everyone else, just because he’s rich. What a loser!’
    Ignoring his innate urge to defend his little girl by going and giving the toffee-nosed town mayor’s teenage son Ben a stern talking to, Dylan stifled a smirk as he imagined how poised Annie would have been on the bus as she’d belittled her bully. Like her mother, Annie definitely had spunk. Directing an eager Rascal towards her, his heart both swelled with pride and ached at the same time, Annie’s wisdom beyond her almost six young years endearing, but also heartbreaking. She had been through so much—too much—and he blamed himself for not being there to protect her from the unspeakable heartache she’d felt that day. ‘That was nice of Mr Eddie. So what did you say to Ben, sweetheart?’
    â€˜I told him he’s more of a girl than me, with his tight school shorts and his floppy hair hanging all over his face…and then the whole bus laughed at him.’ Annie screwed her face up. ‘I wanted to point out he had a massive pimple on his nose, too, but I didn’t!’ Throwing her hands up in the air she shook her head. ‘I felt bad that everyone was laughing at him, but that’ll teach him for picking on me in the first place.’
    Dylan nodded. ‘Ben Harrison needs to pull his head in a bit, or I’ll pull it in for him. I’m tired of him being a bully to you kids all the time. His father needs to do something about it.’
    â€˜Dad, I really don’t think it would be wise of you to pull Ben’s head in. You’d probably get in loads of trouble off Mr and Mrs Harrison for that.’
    Dylan couldn’t help but chuckle at Annie’s way of thinking. ‘Yeah, you’re probably right there, sweetheart. I better leave Ben’s noggin alone.’
    â€˜Ben’s noggin—you’re funny, Daddy.’ Annie tipped her head to the side.
    â€˜I’d be happy to have a chat to his dad about it, if you like.’
    Annie defiantly shook her head, her eyes wide. ‘Thanks, Dad, but no way José. It’ll make me look like a tattletale, and a sissy. And besides, I don’t think his snobby father would bother doing anything about it anyway. He thinks the sun shines out of Ben’s butt.’ Rascal whinnied his hello to Annie as she gave him a rub on the neck.
    Dylan nodded in agreement. ‘Okay, I won’t say anything, for now. But if Ben picks on you again, I’m going to have to put my foot down and go and talk to his father, no ifs buts or maybes.’ He gave Annie’s hair a loving ruffle. ‘And you’re definitely no sissy, Annabel. You’re actually a very strong little girl. Grammy and I are very proud of you, sweetheart—’ he hesitated, ‘—and I