“And your smashed flowers,” Miley added.
“My smashed flowers? Oh, my …” Jacob’s mom rubbed her forehead.
“Oops. Sorry, Jacob,” whispered Miley.
But Jacob’s mom only sighed, then laughed. “Don’t worry about the flowers. I knew when you kids wanted to do a dog wash and pup pageant that there would probably be a few snafus. But I let it happen because I wanted you to learn how to take charge and handle responsibility. Running a business is hard—even for just a day! But you’ve done a great job so far, with the help of your friends. Asking for help is sometimes the best thing a person can do. Now, go find Peppa! You’ve still got an hour before the pageant begins.”
“You’re the best, Mom,” Jacob said.
“Well, I want you to be a successful bakery owner one day,” she told him, giving Jacob a kiss on the top of his head. “Better to learn these lessons now!”
“Moms are the best,” JoJo agreed, thinking of how lucky she was to have her own mom in her corner. “Now, let’s go find Peppa!”
Miley, JoJo, Megan, and Jacob followed the muddy footprints out the front door of Jacob’s house and down the path to the sidewalk. There, the prints started getting fainter, but the group could see that Peppa had taken a right turn at the front gate. Luckily, even though the footsteps were fading, the crumb trail remained.
“This is so weird,” Megan commented. “Why do you think there are so many crumbs? Are we sure they have anything to do with Peppa?”
“We don’t have much else to go on,” JoJo said. “Does anyone know which house is Louis’s?”
Megan shook her head, and Miley frowned, looking discouraged.
“So I suggest we follow this trail. And we’d better hurry—looks like someone thinks our trail of clues is its afternoon snack.” JoJo pointed at a bird that was pecking at the crumbs a half block ahead. Soon it was joined by another bird.
“Oh, no! Scram, birds!” Jacob quickened his pace, jogging up to the birds to shoo them away.
The crumbs with the rainbow frosting led all the way to the end of the block, where they stopped just in front of a large tan house with a broad front lawn.
“It’s got to be here,” JoJo told the others. “I’ll go ring the bell. You guys stay on the lookout in case Louis tries to make a break for it!”
JoJo walked up the front path and rang the doorbell. She heard footsteps approaching, and for a minute she was hopeful. Then an older woman about the age of JoJo’s grandmother opened the door.
“Hello,” the woman said. “Can I help you, dear?”
“I’m looking for Louis,” JoJo told her, peering around the woman and listening for the pitter-patter of doggie paws. There was only silence. JoJo felt her heart drop.
“There’s no Louis here,” the woman replied. “I’m sorry, honey. You must have the wrong house.”
“Do you know where Louis lives?” JoJo asked.
“I’m afraid not,” said the woman. “I’m new to the neighborhood. But it’s lovely to meet you!”
“Nice meeting you too, ma’am,” JoJo said. “Thanks anyway!”
The woman gave her a smile, and JoJo turned toward the hopeful faces of her friends, gathered on the sidewalk. Now what? she thought. She was beginning to worry.
“No luck,” JoJo told the others as she crossed the yard to join them. “I just don’t know what to do. Maybe we should turn back.”
“We could ring all the doorbells in the neighborhood,” suggested Jacob. “Someone’s got to know where Louis lives.”
“Maybe,” Miley chimed in. “But that’s if Louis really is the culprit! After all, he did leave Winslow behind. Maybe someone kidnapped Peppa and Louis!”
Jacob gasped. “Oh, no! I didn’t even think about that! We’ve got to get my mom involved.”
“I agree,” JoJo said, uneasy. “I really thought this was a practical joke. Now I’m not so sure.”
The group turned and began to walk back the way they’d come, in silence. They passed several houses and were nearly back to Jacob’s when …
“Oh, fudge!” Jacob exclaimed, wrinkling his nose. “Ewww!” He held his foot in the air, showing the others the bottom of his sneaker.
“P.U., Jacob! Get that thing away from me!” shouted Miley. JoJo started to giggle. Jacob had stepped in a big pile of dog poo! Jacob rubbed his shoe on the grass, trying to scrape off the mess.
“Just what I needed,” he grumbled.
“At least you spotted it before you walked inside your house,” JoJo pointed out. “I think your mom’s had just about enough disruption for one day! Hey, wait a minute …” She paused, looking at the mess Jacob’s shoe left behind. “Wait just a minute!”
“JoJo, why do you sound excited?” Megan asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Doesn’t that poo look a little colorful to you?” JoJo wanted to know.
“Yuck!” Miley shouted. “JoJo, cut it out!”
“No, look,” JoJo insisted.
Jacob peered at the bottom of his shoe, then met JoJo’s eyes. He grinned in excitement.
“You’re right! It’s got a bunch of weird colors in it, just like the frosting we spotted on the crumbs! It’s rainbow-colored poo!”
“Peppa was here!” JoJo cheered. She didn’t have to say another word. The whole group ran up to the house they were standing in front of.
JoJo rang the doorbell. There was no answer. She rang it again. Still nothing.
“There’s a car in the driveway,” Megan pointed out. “And lights on. I’ll bet someone’s home.”
JoJo looked through the window next to the front door. There, hanging from the banister, was Peppa’s rhinestone-studded leash!
“You guys, she’s here! Peppa is inside,” JoJo called out. She rang the doorbell again. “Louis, we know you’re in there with Peppa!” she called. “We’re not mad—just let us in!”
“Louis!” shouted Miley. “Louis, come out here right away and let us in.”
“You guys …” Megan nudged JoJo and pointed to the gate that led to the backyard. It was hanging open. “I’m going to go take a look.”
“You’re going to snoop?” Miley looked horrified.
“I’ll just take a quick peek. Maybe they’re out back and can’t hear the doorbell!”
JoJo said, “Good thinking, Megan. I’ll come too.” There was no time to lose—JoJo knew they had to bring Peppa back before her owner returned. JoJo and Megan poked their heads into the open gate and peered around the backyard. They didn’t have to go inside to know it was definitely Louis’s place.
CHAPTER 6
“Oh, no,” JoJo said, taking in the scene. “I think I know what happened.” She pointed at an abandoned stand with stacks of baked goods on top and a sign that read, Louis’s Bake Sale. It had recently been dragged from out front, at least according to the telltale divots in the backyard. There were no customers in sight. JoJo had a sinking suspicion that she was partly to blame for that.
Then they heard the distinct sound of a dog barking. “Look!” shouted Megan. Peppa was in the back window, barking at JoJo and Megan! She appeared to be standing on a sofa, her front paws on the windowsill.
“Shhh,” they heard. “Peppa, quiet!” Then Louis’s face appeared beside Peppa’s, looking out the window. His eyes widened when he saw them, and he ducked back out of sight.
“Louis! We see you!” JoJo wasted no time. She walked right over to the sliding back door and knocked hard until Peppa started barking again. “Louis! Let us in,” JoJo said. “We’re not mad.” By then, Jacob and Miley had joined them in the backyard.
The door slid open just a crack. “You aren’t?” Louis asked.
“We certainly are,” said Jacob. “You ruined our fund-raiser and almost ruined the pet store’s reputation!”
“And I’m also mad because you call me names at school!” Miley added.
“Shhh,” JoJo said to Jacob and Miley. “I think I might know what happened here. Louis, can we come in and
talk? We’ll have to go get our parents if you don’t hand Peppa over. It’s probably better if you just talk to us.”
A few seconds passed, and then the door slid the rest of the way open. Louis stood in front of them, looking miserable.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “This whole thing was a dumb idea.”
“We’ll talk in a second,” JoJo said. “First, I want to make sure Peppa is okay.” She walked past Jacob into a large rec room. Peppa was most certainly okay! She was curled up on a sofa atop a mound of blankets, wagging her tail. There was a nature show on TV, and the soothing sound of tropical birds filled the room. A big bowl of water sat on the floor next to the couch, and a plate covered in telltale rainbow crumbs was next to it. Peppa looked very happy!
“You’ve taken such good care of Peppa,” Jacob said to Louis.
“Of course!” Louis said, sticking his hands into his pockets. “Winslow and I love other dogs! I dog sit all the time. Dogs are the best!”
“So why did you leave Winslow behind?” JoJo asked. “I thought you said you had to keep an eye on her.”
“Oh, Winslow goes to doggie day care all the time,” Louis said. “And she loves playing with other dogs. It’s a treat for her. Plus, your mom was there. You mom is still there, right?”
“Yes. Watching all the dogs with Mandi and Mandi’s niece, Lila,” JoJo assured him. “So why did you say you had to stay and watch Winslow?”
“Just so you wouldn’t think it was weird if I was around,” Louis said. “Because I … well, I planned to borrow a dog.”
“But why?” Jacob was furious. His hands were balled into fists, and his face had begun to flush. Louis was avoiding all their eyes. JoJo put a hand on Jacob’s shoulder to calm him. She wanted to hear Louis out.
“I know it’s awful,” Louis began. “But I was going to pick up Winslow and return the other dog after … well, later on today, after your fund-raiser had fizzled out. See, I thought I had a special idea for the fund-raiser this year. I love baking, so I always do a bake sale, and—”
“Your peanut-butter cookies are incredible,” Miley broke in. “I love it when you bring them to school.”
Louis gave her a small smile, and his cheeks turned pink. “Thanks, Miley. Baking—cooking in general—is my hobby,” Louis said. “I really wanted to make a lot of money so we could have a real cooking lab at school! The only thing I love as much as baking is dogs,” he added.
“Then why are you feeding poor Peppa a bunch of sugar?” Megan wanted to know.
Louis looked stunned. “I would never!” he said. “That cake I gave Peppa is made from all-natural applesauce and peanut butter and carrots! The frosting is peanut butter and yogurt and organic food coloring. It’s a totally dog-safe recipe. That’s the whole thing,” he went on. “I thought I’d combine my love for baking and my love for dogs and have a bake sale with treats for humans and dogs! There are so many dogs in this neighborhood. It was going to be perfect …” He looked miserable.
“Until I posted my Instagram story,” JoJo finished. She felt bad. She had only wanted to help Jacob and Miley.
“What Instagram story?” Jacob asked just as Miley nodded in understanding.
“I wanted to get people to come to our dog wash and puppy pageant,” JoJo explained. “I knew how much the fund-raiser meant to you.”
“I love baking too,” Jacob explained to Louis. “It’s my favorite thing. I want to open my own bakery one day.”
“Me too!” Louis’s face glowed with excitement.
JoJo smiled. She knew a budding friendship when she saw one!
“But all the people with dogs came to our dog wash instead of your bake sale,” JoJo finished for Louis.
He nodded, looking glum. “I spent weeks baking with my mom and dad,” he said. “We made all kinds of special dog treats. And then there was no one to enjoy them.”
“No one except Peppa, that is,” Jacob joked. “Peppa is a very happy dog right now—your treats must be good!” They all laughed.
“But, Louis, we’re all trying to raise money for the same cause,” JoJo pointed out. “Why did you want our fund-raiser to flop? People could have gone to both our fund-raisers.”
“I didn’t want it to flop,” Louis protested. “Well, not exactly, anyway. I was just afraid none of the people with dogs would come to mine, and I’d put in so much hard work. I guess I was jealous. You’re right—now that I think about it, it didn’t make much sense. I turned it into a competition when it didn’t have to be.”
“I wish you’d just come to us, so we could have talked about it and worked together,” JoJo went on. Then her face paled. “Louis! Did you put dye in the shampoo also?” JoJo put her hands on her hips, facing Louis with a frown. In her opinion, that was going way too far.
“I did,” Louis said. “But it was only organic dye for baking—it’s edible! It won’t hurt the dogs.”
“Still,” JoJo said, “it makes Mandi and the pet shop look bad. After all, they donated the supplies. And it’s advertised all over our flyers. Now that Daisy looks like a blueberry, it might hurt the business.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Louis admitted. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure to apologize.”
JoJo nodded. But she wasn’t quite finished. “One last thing,” she said. “Why did the crumbs trail end down the road rather than here at your place?”
“Oh, I just did that to throw you guys off track, in case you came looking. How did you find us, anyway?”
Jacob gestured to his shoes, which he’d placed right outside the door. “We had a smelly, rainbow run-in,” Jacob told Louis.
“Gross!” But both boys were grinning.
“You know, Louis,” Miley broke in, “people can still buy your treats.”
JoJo beamed at her friend. She loved when Miley had a great idea! And she loved it all the more when they had great ideas at the same time. “That’s exactly right,” JoJo said. “It doesn’t need to be a competition. Listen, Louis, all the dog owners are coming back to Jacob’s house very soon to pick up their pets and watch the pageant. What if you sell your treats to the audience at Jacob’s house?”
“Kind of like a concessions stand?” Louis said, looking thoughtful. “I love that idea!”
“Jacob, would it be okay with your mom?” Megan asked. “I think we have enough free hands to carry those treats back.”
Jacob laughed. “I think my mom’s seen it all by now,” he said. “She won’t mind.”
“Then it’s settled!” JoJo clapped her hands, and Miley gave Louis a hug.
He looked startled, and his blush deepened. “I’m sorry for calling you names, Miley,” Louis told her. “It’s just … I’ve always thought you were really nice. I wanted to be your friend, but I was never sure how to talk to you.” He mumbled the last part, looking nervous.
“It’s okay,” Miley told him. “I am a nerd!”
“That’s what I like about you!” Louis said, then looked embarrassed.
Miley laughed. “Let’s get Peppa ready quick and gather up all your treats,” she said.
“They’re already in containers, because I started to put them away, thinking no one was going to eat them,” Louis said. “I’ll go get them now! And let me just call my mom and dad to let them know where I’ll be.” He turned toward the hall to the kitchen, then paused. “You guys?” he said, looking back. “Thank you for being so great about all of this. And I’m really, really sorry for what I did. It was wrong.”
“It’s okay,” Jacob said. “But next time, just talk to us if something comes up, and we’ll figure it out.” Jacob paused at the threshold to the kitchen. JoJo laughed as she saw him sniff the air. “Is that cinnamon I smell?” he asked. “And apples?”
“Yep. Apple tarts,” Louis told him, getting excited. “Mini ones.”
“They smell amazing,” Jacob told his new friend. “You’ll have to give me your recipe!”
Miley, Megan, and JoJo exchanged smiles as the two
boys went into the kitchen to gather up the fresh pastries. It looked like a match made in culinary heaven!
“I’ll go grab Peppa’s leash,” Megan said, skipping off in the direction of the front door. “It was the rhinestone one, right? No time to lose!”
Soon the group was gathered in the back of Louis’s house, loaded up with Tupperware containers full of treats—for both dogs and people—and accompanied by one very excited pooch. “Off we go,” said JoJo, leading the group back toward Jacob’s. Everything had worked out—but it had been a close call. And the fun was just beginning!
CHAPTER 7
All the pups were clean and dry when the group returned with Peppa. There were only twenty minutes to spare before the designated owner arrival time of 4 p.m. And they still had to do paw-dicures! Winslow greeted Louis with an enthusiastic, slobbery kiss.
“But Daisy is still blue,” Jacob noted, looking upset.
“We washed her again,” Mandi told him. “And the dye has faded a lot—see?” Jacob nodded, but JoJo could see that her friend was still worried. “It’ll come out after a few more washes,” Mandi said. “Meanwhile, I’m going to offer Ms. Rudolph a free grooming session at No Bones About It. She might be angry, but that should soften the blow.”
“Thanks, Mandi,” Jacob said.
JoJo looked down at Lila, who was staring up at her adoringly. JoJo loved kids, and she’d hardly had time to hang out with Mandi’s niece. “Did you have fun playing with the dogs while we were gone?” she asked the smaller girl.
“Yes!” Lila grinned up at JoJo. “And Fig and BowBow are best friends. See?” She pointed at the two small dogs. Sure enough, they were playing with a ball in a corner of the makeshift dog run.
“She’s having the time of her life,” Mandi assured JoJo.
“Great!” JoJo said. “Why don’t you help me set out dog costumes for the pageant, Lila? And we still have to do the paw-dicures for everyone who opted in.” Lila nodded, smiling brightly, and followed JoJo over to the box of costumes. As they dug through the piles of glittery material, pulling out options that could work for each of the dogs, some of the owners began to trickle in.
The Posh Puppy Pageant Page 3