Free Ghost Dog Secrets by Peg Kehret Page A

animals.
    As we rode along I told Andrew, “I’m glad there are people who donate money to help homeless animals.”
    â€œSo am I. When I’m old enough I’m going to volunteer here. It would be cool to be a dog walker or give tours of the shelter or sell stuff in their gift shop.”
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    The Monday after the field trip, when Andrew came over after school, he knocked on my front door instead of letting himself in as he usually does. When I opened the door, he said, “I’m not staying. You need to wait until I’m back home before you go to the fort.”
    â€œWhat’s going on?”
    â€œI was followed.”
    I looked over his shoulder, my eyes scanning the sidewalk.
    â€œWendy is tailing me,” Andrew said. “I think she’s behind that big tree in Mr. Conway’s yard.”
    I glanced across the street at the tree. Sure enough, something yellow stuck out from behind it.
    â€œShe’s been bugging me for days,” Andrew said, “asking what we do after school every day. She knows I come here because Grandma said something about it.” Andrew’s grandma stays at his house after school three days a week until one of his parents gets home from work. “I told her we’re doing homework so she’d think it was boring, but you know Wendy. Once she decides she wants to do something, there’s no stopping her.”
    â€œSneaky, self-centered sister,” I said.
    â€œYou got that right.”
    â€œSo what are you going to do?”
    â€œI’ll go back home. I’m pretending I don’t know she’s following me. If she thinks she sneaked around and spied on me and nothing happened, maybe she’ll quit asking to come with me.”
    â€œOkay,” I said. “See you tomorrow.”
    Andrew nodded. Then he turned and started back toward his own house. I peeked out the window. When Andrew got to the corner, Wendy slipped out from behind the tree and followed him. I used to wish I had a brother or sister, but Wendy the Whiner has convinced me that it’s better to be an only child.
    I waited another five minutes. Then I hurried out to the fort to play with Ra.
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    The next afternoon Andrew and I went back to Value Village and bought a flat brush with narrow wire bristles. When we brushed Ra with it, we got lots of loose fur. The first time I brushed him, he acted nervous, but he quickly calmed down and seemed to enjoy the grooming.
    We settled into a routine. As soon as we got to the fort in the afternoon, we took Ra out for a walk. Then one of us brushed him while the other one shook out his blanket and put fresh water in his bowl. After we fed him we took him out again and threw the ball for him, letting him run until his tongue hung out. I came back every night during Mom’s TV shows and walked Ra again, even on the days when it rained.
    Ra never once made a mess in the fort. I was certain he had not been housebroken—how could he be when he was always outdoors? But he always waited to relieve himself until Andrew or I took him outside. It was as if he felt so happy to have his own little home that he wanted to keep it clean. What a good dog! We kept an old shovel leaning against the fort and used it to bury Ra’s waste so the area where we walked him and played with him stayed clean, as well.
    Andrew realized two more times that his sister was following him. Both of those days, he made sure to lead Wendy in the wrong direction so there was no chance that she’d see me going toward the fort or, even worse, hear me playing with Ra in the woods. Each time, he called to explain why he couldn’t come.
    Then disaster struck. Andrew arrived as usual; we took the jug of water and the Baggie of kibble, and hurried to the fort. Inside, we greeted Ra and petted him.
    It was Andrew’s turn to walk Ra. He snapped the leash on, opened the door, and stood face-to-face with Wendy the Whiner.

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