Free Dog Daze by Lauraine Snelling Page A

suggested they cruise Main Street to see which businesses no longer had posters.
    “I’m sure these business owners misunderstood Melissa,” Gram had said, a glint in her eye. Aneta knew that look. Each store owner would be treated to the Jasper negotiation skills.
Negotiation
was one of the first English words Aneta had learned. Well, at least Gram and the rest of the family had the Jasper negotiation skills. Despite the laughing encouragement of The Fam to “never say, ‘Oh, okay,’” when a discussion was needed, Aneta still caved when someone said, “This is the way it’s going to be.”
    She was so lost in thinking about her lack of Jasper-ness that she forgot to watch for Wink-less storefront windows until a high-pitched beep of a scooter behind them startled her back to their mission. Gram glanced at her rearview mirror on the handlebars, signaled, eased over to the curb, and parked diagonally.
    After Aneta swung her leg off the scooter and removed her helmet, she waved at the three girls, who had also dismounted. Sunny gestured to the big glass window with the words P ETE’S P ETS E MPORIUM . “What’s emper-reum?” Aneta asked Gram, who was fluffing her hair.
    “Emm-pour-eee-um,” Gram pronounced. “A fancy name for a store. Looks like he either got missed with a Waddle poster or he’s one of Melissa’s victims.”
    The group converged on the store. Esther was the first to push open the door, and air-conditioned air flowed over them. It felt good, yet Aneta shivered. After the baking heat of the ride, her skin felt like she’d gotten too close to a campfire and now ice cubes.
    A man of average height wearing a button-front plaid shirt looked up. He viewed the group without speaking. Then his gaze fell on the drawing of Wink. His face crumbled into unfriendly lines.
    “I don’t want one of them posters.” He stood stiffly, arms straight at his sides.
    Before she knew what her legs were doing, Aneta had stepped from behind Gram to the counter. She extended her hand and said, “I’m Aneta. Please tell me why.” Although softly spoken, it didn’t sound like a question. It sounded like she expected the man to answer her. To her surprise, he did!
    “Well…” He seemed uncertain, as though he had once known but couldn’t quite remember. “It’s, um…” He paused again then spoke up loudly. “The pollution problem.”
    “Pollution problem?” Sunny sputtered. Vee yanked her behind Zeff’s bulky body.
    “Yes,” the man said, now speaking more quickly and confidently. “All them dogs doing their business in the park. People won’t like it. They’ll track it everywhere. It will affect my business.”
    Having said more than she had ever thought she’d say to a complete stranger, Aneta now stood silent. Everyone knew that dogs went to the bathroom, didn’t they? Why would it affect his business?
    Vee stepped forward and placed the poster on the counter. The man looked at it and then looked away. She said firmly, “We have volunteers who will scoop poop. Maybe you don’t know why we chose the Dog Waddle for our fund-raising project for Oakton Founders’ Days?”
    The man shifted from one foot to another and rearranged a counter display of catnip toys.
    Esther was the next to stand near the counter. Although she didn’t lean over toward the man, she placed her neatly painted nails of each hand on the glass top. “It’s to help dogs who don’t have homes. You own a pet store. I bet you love dogs.”
    Within the next few minutes, the other three girls had started a tag-team relay of Wink stories, as well as what Nadine had told them about Paws ‘N’ Claws Animal Buddies’ rescue efforts. The man stood frozen. Aneta hid a smile. She wouldn’t know what to do either if those three girls were talking that fast to her.
    As the girls carried on, Aneta heard several yips. Turning her head toward the sound, she noticed the corner of a wire pen sticking from behind a pile of Puppy Pellet