Barney

by Ellen Miles

  * * *

  After breakfast that morning, Charles and the Bean took Buddy outside for a little playtime without Barney bothering him, while Lizzie and her parents talked about Polly’s decision. Barney watched Buddy and Charles from the sliding door, barking and scrabbling at the glass, but Lizzie tried to ignore him.

  Lizzie was still surprised that Polly had made up her mind so quickly. “Polly said it made a big difference to have Barney out of the house,” she told her parents. “She made dinner, cleaned the kitchen, and packed all their bags for their trip. All because Barney wasn’t there, causing more work for her.”

  “I can imagine,” Mom said, rolling her eyes.

  “It was nice—” Dad paused and waited for a break in Barney’s barking. “It was nice of her to let us know so soon. Now you can start trying to find him a new home right away.”

  “Finding him the right place won’t be easy. Any ideas?” Mom asked. “I have some tight deadlines this week, and I really can’t think when he goes on like this.” Mom was a reporter for the local newspaper, and she needed quiet in the house when she had a big story to write.

  “I’ll work on it. And I’m sure he’ll settle down a little once he gets used to being here,” said Lizzie. They all looked over at Barney, who still had his front paws propped up on the sliding door. He was barking nonstop at everything he saw.

  It’s a bird! It’s a cloud! It’s a leaf!

  Lizzie gulped. Barney had been noisy at the horse show, but his bark was even louder in the house. He barked when someone came into the room. He barked when someone left the room. He barked when something passed by the window—a squirrel, a car, or a person pushing a stroller. What would he do if someone actually came to the front door?

  Barney ran over to Lizzie and barked again, even more loudly. He put his paws up on her leg. She sighed and shook her head. Despite everything, he really was a cutie. Everybody thought she was so lucky because her family fostered dogs—but sometimes, it wasn’t so easy.

  After school on Monday, Maria walked home with Lizzie. “Thanks for helping me with the apple butter,” Lizzie said.

  “Of course,” Maria said. “And you’re going to help me with my tortillas on Wednesday, right?”

  “Of course,” Lizzie replied. “I just can’t stay too late because I have to help out with Barney.”

  “I can’t believe they’re giving him up,” Maria said, shaking her head.

  “I know,” Lizzie agreed. “But I understand why.”

  “Really?” Maria seemed surprised.

  “Really. You’ll understand, too,” Lizzie told her friend as they neared her house. By the time they reached the mailbox, they could hear the barking.

  Lizzie opened the front door, and both Barney and Buddy charged down the hall to run circles around Lizzie and Maria. “Hi, puppies,” Lizzie called out over the yips and yaps. “Did you guys have fun today?”

  “My guess is yes,” Maria said, looking at the puppies’ happy faces. “They’re—um—excited.”

  “I know,” said Lizzie. “I think Barney is always excited. He just never stops.”

  Maria knelt down, too. She scratched Barney behind the ears.

  “Barney sure does have plenty of energy,” Mom said. She and the Bean were in the living room, playing with his train set. “He ran circles around Buddy all day.”

  “Circles!” the Bean said. He stood up and spun around until he fell.

  “He’s wearing us all out,” Mom said, laughing at the Bean. “And it hasn’t always been easy keeping the Bean away from him. But I have to admit Barney was helpful today. I was in the basement doing laundry, and I heard this weird bark, almost a howl. When I came to check on him, the UPS deliveryman was at the door. I just hadn’t heard the doorbell.”

  “Well, that’s good to hear. At least you can be handy. Right, boy?” Lizzie rubbed Barney’s belly. “Maria and I will play with him while we’re waiting for the apple butter to cook down,” said Lizzie. “We can take turns stirring.”

  “Sounds good,” Mom said. “I’ll help you get started.”

  Buddy had settled down next to the Bean, but Barney followed Lizzie and Maria and Mom into the kitchen.

  “I printed out the recipe,” Mom said, placing it on the counter. “It isn’t hard. It just takes a lot of time to peel all the apples. Once they’re cooking, the main thing is to keep stirring so the mixture doesn’t burn on the bottom.”

  Barney “helped” while Maria and Lizzie got ready to cook. He barked when they opened drawers. He barked when they opened cupboards. And he barked when they opened the fridge.

  What are you doing? It can’t be more important than playing with me.

  Just as they started washing the apples, the Bean trotted into the kitchen. “Barney!” he called out. He barreled toward the puppy with open arms.

  Lizzie was about to grab the Bean, but Barney took matters into his own paws. He put his ears back and scampered away as quickly as he could. He tucked his tail between his short legs and scooted right out of the kitchen.

  “I don’t think Barney wants to play right now,” Mom said to the Bean. “Why don’t we go read a book?” She gave Lizzie a look, and Lizzie knew just what it meant: find that puppy a home, fast.

  Soon after Mom and the Bean left, Barney returned. He walked over to the back door and sat down, barking.

  “Do you want to go outside?” Lizzie asked. When she opened the door, the little dog bounded out and dashed around the yard, barking madly.

  Lizzie had only peeled two apples when she heard Barney at the door. He scrabbled at the glass, wagging his little tail at high speed. He looked proud of himself.

  “That was fast,” Lizzie said as she slid open the door. Barney bolted inside, leaving muddy paw prints with every step. “Slow down, Barney,” Lizzie called out. “I have to clean your paws.” She reached for the old towel they kept by the door.

  “I can hold him,” Maria offered.

  “Be careful,” Lizzie said. “You have to cradle him and support him the right way. Dachshunds can have back problems since their backs are so long.” She showed Maria how to hold Barney, then carefully went to work with the towel. Barney licked Maria’s hands while Lizzie wiped his feet. “You are such a good boy,” Lizzie told him as she cleaned him up. When she was done, she scratched him behind the ears. “There you go.”

  When Maria put him down, Barney trotted into the living room and curled up for a nap next to Buddy.

  “He’s a handful, but he sure is cute,” Maria said, watching him go. “I’ll bet you can find that sweetie a new home in no time.”

  “He is pretty sweet,” Lizzie agreed as she went to put the towel back and make sure the sliding door was closed. “Oh, no!” she said, looking out the window.

  The backyard was dotted with holes. No wonder his paws were muddy—Barney had been digging again. Lizzie sighed. She would have to fill in the holes after they’d finished the apple butter. Barney had been outside less than ten minutes. How could he dig all those holes in such a short time? That was one fast pup.

  The apple butter was not fast. It was slow. Lizzie and Maria had to core and peel all the apples, and then they had to cook the apple slices at low heat with sugar and spices. “I think my arm’s about to fall off,” Lizzie said after ten minutes of constant stirring.

  “I can take a turn,” Maria offered. Lizzie handed her the wooden spoon.

  While Maria stirred, Lizzie cleaned up the kitchen.

  “How are you going to find Barney a home?” Maria asked.

  “I’ll start by asking our vet if she knows anyone,” Lizzie said as she tossed apple peels into the compost. “And I’ll ask Ms. Dobbins, too. Maybe someone has asked for a small dog at Caring Paws.” Caring Paws was the animal shelter where Lizzie volunteered. Ms. Dobbins was the director, and she often had good advice about foster puppies.

  “Why not call now?” Maria said.

  Lizzie jumped at the chance. “You’re right.
It’s the perfect time. Barney is asleep, so I can actually talk,” she said. It was hard to concentrate when Barney was barking.

  Dr. Gibson, the vet, picked up the phone right away. Lizzie told her about Barney. “He’s so, so cute,” Lizzie said. “His other family just wasn’t right for him.” She paused, trying to decide how to explain Barney. “He needs a little more attention than a busy family with two kids can give him.”

  When Lizzie hung up, she smiled at Maria. “She gave me three names!” Lizzie held the list up and waved it around.

  Maria stared at her. “A little more attention?” she asked. “From what I saw, Cassie gave him a lot of attention. Wasn’t that part of the problem?”

  Lizzie sighed. “I guess I could have been a little more honest about Barney,” Lizzie admitted.

  “You think?” Maria asked.

  “I’ll tell Ms. Dobbins the truth,” Lizzie promised.

  Ms. Dobbins made it easy. She was always thinking about matching dogs and families, so she knew which were the right questions to ask. Unfortunately, once Lizzie had told her all about Barney—the whole truth—Ms. Dobbins said she didn’t know anyone who would be a good fit.

  Lizzie frowned as she hung up the phone. “At least we have three names,” Lizzie said to Maria. “I’ll make the calls tonight. Maybe one of these will be Barney’s forever home.”

  “Fingers crossed,” Maria said. “But speaking of fingers, mine are cramped from all this stirring. It’s your turn.” She handed Lizzie the spoon.

  Lizzie made the calls that night after dinner, but nobody answered. Disappointed, she left a short message at each number. When she arrived home from school the next day, Mom had great news for her. One of the people had called back.

  “Her name is Diane Coleman, and she sounded perfect,” said Mom.

  Lizzie wondered. She knew from experience that “perfect” people did not always work out. “Did you tell her all the Barney facts?” Lizzie asked. Before bedtime the night before, Lizzie had made a list of all the important information about Barney—his good and bad points.

  “I did,” Mom said. “I read them right off your checklist.”

  “You told her he barks a lot?” Lizzie asked.

  “Yes, I did. She said that when she was a kid she had a beagle who barked all the time, so that didn’t really upset her,” Mom said. “She recently started working from home, so she wants a dog for company.”

  “She sounds pretty good,” Lizzie said. “Doesn’t she, boy?” Lizzie knelt down and scratched Barney under his chin. He sniffed her hands with his chilly black nose, waggled his eyebrows at her, and pawed at her leg.

  “Diane said she’ll be home all afternoon. She lives on Oak Lane. That’s not far at all. You and Barney could walk there,” Mom suggested.

  “You want to go for a walk, Barney?” Lizzie asked.

  Barney’s dark eyes sparkled and he ran circles around Lizzie’s legs. His tiny black toenails clattered against the wood floor.

  Yes! Yes! A walk! I’ve been cooped up all day. I only got to go outside five or six or ten times!

  Lizzie looked at his sweet face and smiled. Was she about to walk this puppy to his forever home?

  She snapped the leash onto Barney’s collar and hurried out the door.

  Barney was thrilled to be outside. He trotted eagerly along the sidewalk, sniffing at everything. His tail swung back and forth in time. Even his long, silky ears seemed perky, bobbing on either side of his head like a toddler’s pigtails. Twice, people walking by asked if they could pet him. Barney seemed to love meeting new people. “You’re a star,” Lizzie told him.

  When they arrived at the address, Lizzie looked the place over. Diane lived in the last house on a dead-end street. “It is perfect,” Lizzie said. The fenced backyard was far enough from the other houses so his barking would not upset the neighbors.

  “What do you think, boy?” Lizzie asked, smiling down at Barney. The puppy gazed up at her and yipped. Then he charged ahead, yanking on the leash.

  “All right, I get it,” Lizzie said, heading up the front walk. “Let’s go meet her.”

  Lizzie rang the doorbell. She heard footsteps right away. Lizzie felt a flutter of hope rise in her chest.

  When the door opened, Diane’s big smile was the first thing Lizzie saw. Diane’s very pregnant belly was the second.

  “Hi,” Lizzie said, trying to hide her surprise. “I’m Lizzie.”

  “Hi, I’m Diane,” the woman said, reaching out her hand.

  Lizzie shook Diane’s hand, trying not to stare at her round belly.

  “And you must be Barney.” Diane got down on her knees and put out her hand. Barney smothered her hand in kisses.

  “Hello, hello,” Diane said, leaning in for a kiss. “You are the absolute cutest. It’s so nice to meet you, Barney.”

  Lizzie bit her lip. She could tell that Diane and Barney got along. “He really likes you,” Lizzie said.

  “And I really like him,” Diane said. “Your mom warned me that he barks all the time, but that’s not a problem. I’m sure we can work on that.”

  Lizzie gulped. She already knew that Barney wasn’t the right puppy for Diane—but how was she going to tell her that? “He does bark a lot,” Lizzie said. “And he needs a lot of attention.”

  “Not a problem,” Diane said again, scratching Barney’s back. Barney rolled over, begging her to rub his soft, caramel-colored stomach.

  Lizzie took a deep breath. “Maybe not. But—the truth is, Barney isn’t a great puppy for a family with little kids,” Lizzie said. “His previous family had a toddler, and it wasn’t a good fit.”

  “Oh? Why not?” Diane asked.

  “The little girl wanted to pick him up all the time, and he didn’t like it,” Lizzie explained. “Barney totally steers clear of my little brother, too. It’s just as well, because if he felt threatened he might get nippy. Dachshunds can be that way.”

  Diane sat back on her heels. “Really?” she said. “Because—well, I’m pregnant.”

  Lizzie smiled. “I kind of noticed that.”

  “Maybe we could train Barney,” Diane suggested. “I’m not due for six weeks. I have time. And the baby wouldn’t even be crawling for at least six months.” Diane looked up at Lizzie while she stroked Barney’s tummy.

  Lizzie hated to disappoint Diana, but she had to be honest. “I don’t think it’s a chance you want to take,” she said. “I know people who have had puppies and babies at the same time. It’s a lot of work, even with a dog who is good with young kids.” Was Diane even listening? She just kept petting Barney.

  Finally, Lizzie decided she just had to come out and say it. “I have to be fair to Barney, too,” she blurted. “I think he would be happier with a different family.”

  Diane’s face fell. “I get it,” she said, giving Barney one more pat. “I’m sure you’re right, but he sure is cute. I hope he finds the home he deserves.”

  On the walk home, Barney lagged instead of trotting, and he didn’t seem as interested in sniffing every bush and tree. As soon as Lizzie got him inside and took off his leash, he flopped down under the coffee table. “It’s okay, Barney,” Lizzie said, rubbing him behind his silky ears. “There has to be a home that’s right for you. Don’t worry, boy.”

  Barney stared at Lizzie. Then he put his head down on his paws and let out a long sigh. Lizzie’s parents wanted her to find Barney a new home as soon as she could. She had a feeling that Barney wanted that, too.

  The next day, Lizzie went to Maria’s after school. The World Food Fair was a day away, and Maria had to make enough tortillas—and fillings—for all the kids, plus teachers and staff.

  “What kind of fillings are we making?” Lizzie asked as they washed their hands in the kitchen.

  Lizzie loved eating over at Maria’s house, especially on taco night. There were always lots of fillings and sauces. It was hard to choose, so Lizzie tried a little of everything, stuffing her tacos as full as she could.
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  “Mom said I should just bring beans, cheese, and one sauce. Otherwise, it will be too messy,” Maria explained. She tied an apron around her waist. “We should get started. It’s not hard to make tortillas, but it can take a lot of time.”

  Lizzie and Maria mixed the ingredients, then rolled the dough into balls.

  “Now what?” Lizzie asked.

  “Now we press them,” said Maria. She put one of the balls onto the bottom plate of a metal press.

  Lizzie pushed down on the handle of the press.

  “Just a little harder,” Maria said. “They have to be thin or the tortillas will be too chewy.”

  “Um, how many of these are we making?” Lizzie asked.

  “We need three hundred, but we’ll cut them in half. So a hundred and fifty,” Maria answered cheerfully.

  Lizzie groaned. This was going to take a while. Next time she ate Maria’s mom’s homemade tortillas, she would know how much work they took. Lizzie thought her arms had gotten tired from stirring apple butter, but that was nothing compared to how they felt after pressing two dozen tortillas. “Look at my bicep!” Lizzie said, pointing at her arm muscle. “I’m pumped.”

  Maria laughed.

  While they worked, Maria asked about Barney. Lizzie gave her the update. She hadn’t heard back from two of the possible families, but she was still hoping that one was right for the wirehaired dachshund.

  * * *

  When Lizzie arrived home she was tired and ready for a rest, but first she took Barney out in the yard. Barney zipped around, barking at everything and nothing. Lizzie laughed, forgetting her tiredness as she watched the happy puppy play. Barney really was a special little guy.

  When she came back in, Dad stopped her in the kitchen. “You got another phone call about Barney,” he said. “From a guy named Neal? I was out in the garage and didn’t have the list of Barney facts with me, so I told him you would call back.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” Lizzie said. “Wish me luck.”

  Lizzie dialed the number. “Hello, I’d like to speak to Neal,” she said.