Free Lucy's Tricks and Treats by Ilene Cooper Page B

Lucy.” Mr. Davis lifted his cane a bit off the sidewalk and waved it at them.
    “Hi, Mr. D.,” Bobby answered. Even though Mr. Davis was old, older than Bobby’s grandparents, Bobby liked talking to him. He had interesting stories to tell.
    “Have a moment to sit, Bobby?” asked Mr. Davis. He pointed to a nearby bench.
    “Sure,” Bobby said, joining him. “I’m waiting for my dad.”
    Lucy could be wild sometimes, but she seemed to know that she had to be calm with Mr. Davis. She jumped on the bench and put her head on his knee.
    “So, Bobby,” Mr. Davis said, “Halloween’s right around the corner. Do you know what you’re going to be?”
    Bobby nodded. “Yep. A pirate.”
    Mr. Davis patted Lucy’s head. “A pirate, huh? Say, I have a black patch from when I had eye problems a while back. Would you like to borrow it for your costume?”
    “An eye patch would be perfect,” Bobby said. He would look like a real pirate!
    “Well, it’s all yours.” Mr. Davis nodded. “Have you ever heard of the book
Treasure Island
?”
    Bobby shook his head.
    “It’s about a fierce pirate, a fellow named Long John Silver,” Mr. Davis told him. “And Jim, the ship’s cabin boy. Not much older than you. There’s a dangerous search for a hidden treasure.…”
    Mr. Quinn came up to them. “Hi, Mr. Davis. What are you guys talking about?” he asked.
    Mr. Davis smiled. “I was about to ask Bobby if he wanted to borrow my copy of
Treasure Island
.”
    Mr. Quinn smiled. “Bobby and I can read it together. I loved that book when I was a boy.”
    “I’ll come by to pick it up,” Bobby said, getting up from the bench, with Lucy right behind him. “And the eye patch!”
    “They’ll be waiting for you, Bobby,” Mr. Davis said with a smile.
    Next, Bobby and his father took a quick trip to the library. They weren’t going in today, just returning books in the metal book drop. Lucy gave a small yip each time a book went down the chute.
    Then it was time for Pet-O-Rama. Now Bobby was getting excited.
    Lucy was getting excited, too. She loved Pet-O-Rama! Maybe it was because it had all her favorite treats. Maybe it was because it was one of the few stores where dogs were welcome. Or maybe it was because Lucy had happy memories of being in a pet contest there. Whatever it was, Lucy always seemed to know they were heading toward Pet-O-Rama before the parking lot even came into sight.
    Her nose started quivering, and her ears pressed flat against her head. And although Lucy couldn’t exactly smile, the look on her face might have been taken for a grin.
    “What are we buying here?” Bobby asked as they all got out of the car. He knew what he
hoped
they’d be buying, but he didn’twant to tell his dad about it—he wanted to show him.
    “Mom forgot the chewy bones Lucy likes so much when you were here the other day.” Mr. Quinn snapped Lucy’s leash on her collar. “When Lucy doesn’t have her chewy bones …”
    Mr. Quinn didn’t have to finish. When Lucy didn’t have her chewy bones, she found plenty of other things to chew.
    Inside, a wide aisle divided the brightly lit store in two. On one side were mostly pet supplies. On the other side were the animals you could buy—turtles, birds, fish. Shawn had bought his mouse, Twitch, here.
    Lucy was definitely interested in looking at the animals. She tugged on her leash. She wanted to watch the parakeets fluttering around in their big glass cage.

    “Not today, Lucy,” Mr. Quinn said. “We’ll just pick up the chewy bones and then go.” He looked around. Pet-O-Rama was large and filled with many things to buy. “Do you know where those bones are, Bobby?”
    Now was the moment Bobby had been waiting for.
    “Sure, Dad,” Bobby said. “But can I show you something first? It’s right over here.”
    Before Mr. Quinn could answer, Bobby led his father and Lucy to a rack of Halloween items. Catnip treats in the shapes of witches and ghosts sat next to dog bones