Bailey

by Susan Hughes

  Kat and Maya stared at one another. What could it be?

  “Follow me,” said Aunt Jenn. She led them to the far side of the room. A crate sat under the window in the sunshine. But it wasn’t empty.

  “Oh!” Kat breathed.

  “A puppy!” said Maya.

  A golden-yellow puppy lay in a corner of the crate all curled up, sleeping peacefully. But he must have heard the girls’ voices, because just then he woke up.

  He lifted his head and looked at the girls with his beautiful blue eyes. Then he jumped to his feet and wagged his tail energetically.

  Kat’s heart melted.

  “His name is Bailey,” explained Aunt Jenn. “He’s a Labrador retriever pup. He’s only eight weeks old. His owner, Kelly, has only had him for a few days, but she found out last night that she has to go out of town for three days. There aren’t many kennels nearby, and most of them are large. She didn’t want to take him to a big kennel. She saw my sign, so she called just this morning to see if I’d take Bailey until she’s back.” Aunt Jenn shrugged. “Look at him. I just had to say yes!”

  Kat looked at the adorable little puppy. She knew exactly what Aunt Jenn meant. That was one of the things she loved about her aunt: she’d do anything to help a dog.

  “I’ll just have to scoot out here every once in a while to check in on him,” said Aunt Jenn. “And then tonight and tomorrow night, I’ll bring his crate up to my bedroom. It should be fine.” It sounded like Aunt Jenn was trying to convince herself.

  “Of course, it’ll be fine,” Kat said reassuringly. She slipped her arm around Aunt Jenn’s waist as they headed back to the front door. “Tails Up! is amazing, Aunt Jenn,” said Kat. “And so are you.”

  “Totally amazing!” said Maya.

  “It’s like a dream come true, girls,” said Aunt Jenn. “Listen, I’m quite busy today—opening day and all—but I’m sure things will settle down by tomorrow. I’ll have lots of free time in the days ahead. I’m sure it will take a while for word to get around about my new salon. So feel free to drop by anytime and keep me company. We can chat puppies together.”

  “Tomorrow, after school? Can we come then?” Kat asked quickly.

  “Please?” Maya added.

  “Of course,” Aunt Jenn said with a smile.

  The girls grinned at each other. It was a plan!

  The next day, Kat and Maya were at Kat’s house for lunch.

  “So how’s it going in your class?” Kat asked. She dipped a carrot stick in peanut butter and chomped on it.

  Maya shrugged. “Not bad. The younger kids are a bit of a pain. And I miss you, of course,” she added quickly.

  Kat nodded. It was okay. Maya was much more outgoing than she was. Everyone liked Maya, and she made friends quickly. She was probably already good friends with all the girls in her class. Just good friends though. Not best friends. That spot was reserved for Kat.

  Maya swallowed a sip of milk. “You?” she asked.

  “Megan and Cora are driving me nuts,” responded Kat. “They won’t stop teasing me. About Owen.”

  Maya made a face. “He totally likes you, Kat,” she said.

  Kat rolled her eyes. “No, he doesn’t!”

  “He’s always watching you!” Maya replied.

  “Whatever. Anyway, I don’t mind when you say stuff like that. You’re not trying to be mean. But when Megan and Cora say it, it’s different. Irritating. They’re trying to get to me. They were like this last year too. But somehow, with you there, it wasn’t as bad.”

  “Well, maybe you need to think of a way of getting back at them,” Maya suggested.

  “Getting back at them?”

  “Yeah, you know. Revenge. Payback,” Maya said. “Kat, come on. You don’t watch enough bad movies. Don’t you know? Revenge can be sweet!”

  The girls laughed and finished eating. Then Maya said, “Let’s go look at puppies!”

  “Yes!” Kat cheered. The girls ran to the family’s computer in the living room.

  They began drooling over photo after photo of adorable puppies. There were Afghans and Dobermans, Wheaten terriers and huskies, and more! Each one was ridiculously cute.

  “If you could have any puppy, what would you pick?” Kat asked Maya. It was the question they always asked each other. What if someday they were allowed to get a dog? They wanted to be ready to choose! But it was so hard. Each time, they gave a different answer.

  “Today, I would choose a Bernese mountain dog,” Maya replied. She clicked to a photo of a Bernese mountain puppy. His coat was black, white, and rust-colored. He looked as soft as a stuffed animal. “I read that they can be very loving. Some people even train them to pull a cart!”

  Maya pushed the mouse to Kat. “How about you?” she asked. “What would you choose?”

  “This little guy is my favorite,” Kat said, clicking to a standard schnauzer puppy with perky ears and a curly black coat. His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Schnauzers are very smart. They even work as police and guard dogs.”

  “He’s so cute! But, really, how could we ever choose just one?” Maya sighed. “There are hundreds of dog breeds. And mixed dogs are adorable too!”

  “And I always change my mind,” Kat said. “Do I want a big dog or a small dog? Do I want a really smart dog or a really loyal one? I’d love a dog that I could pick up and cuddle with. But I also want one to run with at the park. They are all so different!”

  “We’ll just have to adopt a bunch of dogs then,” Maya said, laughing.

  That’s when Kat got the idea. “Hey, I know!” she said, grabbing Maya’s arm. “Let’s make a scrapbook. We can call it our Puppy Collection. It will be kind of like having our own puppies right now. We can make a page or two about the puppies we like the most. We can draw pictures—or print out photos—and put them in the scrapbook.”

  “That’s an awesome idea!” Maya said. “And we can write a description about each one: what the puppy looks like, what it likes to do, what kind of care it needs—things like that!” She was just as excited as Kat.

  “We can even name our puppies!” Kat looked nervously at her friend. “Or is that too dumb?”

  “No, not dumb. Brilliant again, Einstein!” Maya said with a grin.

  “I’ll ask my mom tonight if we can buy a scrapbook,” Kat said. She couldn’t wait!

  “I think my mom has some scrapbook supplies at home too.” Maya was practically jumping up and down. “Oh, and I have lots of puppy stickers! Let’s print out the pictures of today’s puppies to get started.”

  The girls printed out a few pictures and started daydreaming about puppy names.

  “What about Schneider for my puppy?” Kat asked.

  “Schneider the schnauzer—I love it! It’s dignified. It will totally suit his mustache!” Maya said. “What about Bernie for my Bernese mountain dog? Is it too silly?”

  “It has personality!” Kat replied. “I think it suits him.”

  “Hey, are we still planning to go to your aunt’s grooming studio after school?” Maya asked.

  “Of course,” Kat said. “She said we could. Remember?”

  Then she sat up straight. She looked at Maya. Her eyes widened.

  “Uh-oh,” said Maya. She shook her head. “I know that look,” she teased Kat. “Trouble.”

  “No, not trouble,” said Kat. “Maya, I have an idea.”

  “Exactly! See? Trouble!” said Maya, grinning. “Okay, Einstein. What is it?”

  “What if we ask Aunt Jenn if we can help out with Bailey? Maybe she’ll let us play with him!”

  Maya’s eyes lit up. “Maybe she’d even let us feed him. Or walk him!”

  Kat clapped her hands together. “Oh, Maya, wouldn’t that be great?”

  “I take it back. I think this is a great idea,” said Maya.

  “A
unt Jenn knows how much we love puppies. I’m sure she will let us play with Bailey,” repeated Kat. “I just know it!”

  When school ended for the day, Kat and Maya hurried to Tails Up!

  “Wow, it’s even busier than yesterday!” said Maya.

  There were no empty chairs in the reception area. A red-haired woman sat with an Irish setter at her feet. An elderly man had two pugs on his lap. A young couple sat together with a basset hound puppy between them. A well-dressed woman with her legs crossed sat alone putting on lipstick and looking into a small compact mirror.

  Kat and Maya were just deciding where to stand and wait, when the door to the grooming room opened. Out came Aunt Jenn. She was being led by an exuberant Afghan hound.

  “Oh, Portia. You look just wonderful!” cried the woman with newly red lips. The dog licked the woman’s hand, her tail sweeping from side to side. “I am impressed, Jenn of Tails Up!” the woman said. She looked at her dog from one side and then the other. “I am very impressed. Portia and I will be back in eight weeks. I’ll call to make an appointment. Until then.” She handed Aunt Jenn some money and followed her eager Afghan hound out the door.

  “Okeydokey,” said Aunt Jenn. She wiped her brow. She smiled when she noticed Kat and Maya. She dropped the money into the cash register. Then she waved the girls toward the doggy day care room. She turned toward her customers. “Thank you for your patience,” she said in her most professional voice. “I’ll just be a moment.”

  As soon Aunt Jenn closed the door, she punched the air with her fist. “All right!” she cried. “Can you believe it, girls? It’s day two, and there are people and dogs lined up to see me! Actual customers with actual dogs! Just like yesterday!”

  “This is so great, Aunt Jenn!” Kat high-fived her aunt.

  “It’s terrific,” said Maya.

  Aunt Jenn grinned and did a little shimmy with her hips. Then she admitted, “But you know, Kitty-Kat, your dad was right. I’m swamped. I do need to get an assistant of some kind soon. Very soon! So, girls, we’ll have to hang out another day, okay?” Aunt Jenn glanced at her watch. “I better get my next pooch in here, pronto.”

  “Okay, Aunt Jenn,” Kat said. She glanced toward Bailey’s crate. “But…well, how’s Bailey? How’s he doing?”

  “He’s fine,” Aunt Jenn said. “Come on and see.”

  This time, the yellow Lab was awake. He yipped when he saw the girls approaching. His whole body wiggled as he wagged his tail.

  “I’ve been in to see him several times today,” said Aunt Jenn. “He still sleeps quite a bit because he’s so young. But I think he might be a bit lonely.”

  “Oh, hello, Bailey-boy!” said Kat. She poked her fingers through the bars of the crate, and the puppy licked them enthusiastically.

  Then Kat shot a look at Maya. Her friend gave her a nod and a thumbs-up.

  Kat took a deep breath. “Aunt Jenn, can we ask you something? Something important?”

  “Of course, Kat,” Aunt Jenn replied. “What is it?”

  “You know how much Maya and I both love puppies,” Kat began. “Do you think we could play with Bailey for a little while?”

  For a moment, Aunt Jenn didn’t say any-thing. She trained her blue eyes on the girls and studied them carefully. “Puppies are very cute,” she said. “I couldn’t agree more. But looking after them is a big responsibility. Dogs are very precious. And they are most precious to the people who love them best, their owners. When people bring their dogs here, they are putting a huge amount of trust in me. They need to know that they can count on me to keep their puppies safe and healthy.”

  Kat nodded, but she felt her heart sink.

  Then Aunt Jenn went on. “But I do need help here. That’s for certain. I’m a little busier than I thought I’d be!” She yanked out her ponytail and made a new, neater one. She straightened her white coat. “And Bailey could probably use a little more attention than I have been able to give him today.”

  Kat held her breath. Maya was still, waiting.

  “So I’m going to agree to this,” she said.

  “Oh, Aunt Jenn! Thank you!” cried Kat. She felt Maya squeeze her hand, and she squeezed it back.

  “This is to help Bailey, girls,” Aunt Jenn reminded them. “You have to remember that he is not a toy. You need to make sure there’s nothing he can chew on that will harm him. You must make sure you handle him gently and don’t let him fall.”

  Aunt Jenn opened the door of Bailey’s crate. As she reached for the puppy, he began wiggling even more. He wanted out!

  “You have to be very careful to hold him securely.” Aunt Jenn showed them how to lift Bailey out of the crate. “Puppies are very wiggly, and they can easily wiggle right out of your grasp. As soon as you can, hold him against your own body. That will calm him and give you more control of his little squirmy body.”

  Aunt Jenn popped Bailey back in the crate. “Now, Kat, let me see you do it.”

  Kat felt a surge of happiness run through her. Carefully she opened the crate door and reached in. She lifted Bailey just as Aunt Jenn had shown her. She cupped one hand under his rear end and his back legs, and she used the other hand to grip his shoulders and front legs. The puppy wriggled with joy, trying to climb up her arms.

  Kat quickly pulled him close, hugging him against her chest. Bailey raised his head and licked her chin. Once, twice.

  “Very good,” said Aunt Jenn. She looked at her watch again. “Maya, your turn.”

  Kat put Bailey back in the crate, careful not to get his legs or tail caught on the opening. Then Maya practiced. She looked overjoyed to be holding the puppy.

  “Well done! I think you’ve both got it. Now, today you can play with Bailey in this room only. Those are some of his toys,” she said, pointing to a basket. Then she pointed to an area covered with newspaper. “This is where I am housebreaking Bailey. If you see him peeing or about to pee, please place him on the newspaper. Okay?” She headed to the door.

  “Got it,” said Maya.

  “I’ll be back in a bit,” said Aunt Jenn. “Remember, don’t take him outside. And come and get me if you need anything.” Then she rushed back to her customers, and Kat and Maya were alone with the pup.

  “Hello, little guy,” Kat said softly. She patted the puppy’s head. She touched his silk ears. Bailey squirmed and wiggled with delight in Maya’s arms.

  “Okay, let me put you down, Bailey,” Maya said, struggling to hold the excited puppy. She squatted and gently set him on the floor.

  Bailey sat on his haunches, smiling up at the girls.

  “He’s so tiny! Only eight weeks old,” said Kat. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a puppy so young before.”

  “Me either,” agreed Maya.

  “But look at his paws. They’re huge!” Gently, Kat lifted one of Bailey’s front paws. “That means you’re going to be a big dog when you’re fully grown,” Kat told him.

  “Hey, do you think it’s really true that retrievers have webbed feet?” asked Maya.

  “Let’s look,” said Kat. She and Maya examined the bottom of Bailey’s paw closely, spreading it gently.

  “Hey, it really is webbed!” said Maya. “That is so cool!”

  “I read that most dogs have a small amount of webbed skin between their toes but not enough to say they have webbed feet. But quite a few breeds do,” Kat said. “Retrievers were bred to swim out to fishing nets and bring them back to shore, so the webbed feet help them to swim. That’s what my Dog Breeds of the World says.”

  Restless, Bailey licked Kat’s fingers, then pulled his paw away. He jumped to his feet and looked at the girls, wagging his tail.

  “I think he wants to play!” said Maya.

  “Good idea, Bailey,” said Kat. “Let’s do it!”

  For almost an hour, the girls ran and tumbled with the puppy. He chased th
em, and then they chased him.

  Round and round they went. Every once in a while, Bailey flopped down on his tummy and rested.

  “Bailey has two speeds: full speed and full stop!” Kat told Maya, laughing.

  Other times, the roly-poly puppy would go so fast, he’d lose his balance. He’d do a somersault, head over tail.

  Finally, it was the girls’ turn to catch their breath. Bailey bowed to them with both front paws out in front. It was as if he were saying, “Come on. Just try and get me!”

  “We’re taking a break, Bailey!” said Kat.

  “Yeah, you’re wearing us out!” Maya panted.

  Bailey turned and sniffed the other empty crates. Then he found his big basket of toys. With a giant leap, he scrabbled over the side of the basket. He fell right into the jumble of rubber chew toys and cloth tug ropes. He twisted and turned until he was sitting again.

  “Bailey, you’re so cute!” Kat laughed.

  Bailey grabbed a chew toy between his teeth. He shook it hard from side to side, his ears flying in all directions. Then he lost his balance and toppled over onto the toys again.

  Maya giggled. “Oh, Kat, I wish I’d brought my camera! Oh, we could add Bailey’s photo to our Puppy Collection!”

  “Next time, for sure,” agreed Kat.

  “Kat, do you really think there will be a next time? Do you think your aunt will let us come and play with Bailey again tomorrow?” asked Maya wistfully.

  “I sure hope so,” said Kat. “Especially if we do a good job keeping Bailey happy today. We’ll prove to her that she can trust us and we can keep Bailey safe.”

  Just then Bailey leaped up. His ears swiveled here and there as he looked over the side of the basket. He waded through his toys to the side of the basket, attempting to climb over the side, when suddenly the whole basket tipped over. Everything tumbled out—all the toys and the puppy too!