Total pages in book: 149
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147967 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 740(@200wpm)___ 592(@250wpm)___ 493(@300wpm)
“Oh! Oh no! Maya, I’m so sorry. Sometimes I speak without thinking,” Millie said.
Now she felt even more terrible. She didn’t want Millie to be upset.
“I’m fine,” she said hastily. “Don’t worry about what you said, okay? I know about Littles.”
But she wasn’t going to admit to being one. Not in front of Matthieu, anyway. She wasn’t ready for that.
“Whew,” Millie said. “I don’t want to upset you. We’re still friends?”
“Of course we are. If you still want to be friends after I got you into trouble.” She snuck a look at Scary Spike.
“Don’t worry,” Scary Spike said. “Millie gets herself into trouble all on her own. She can sniff out trouble and she likes to dive in feet first without thinking first.”
“Hey! I think first. I just don’t always agree with what I’m thinking.” Millie shrugged. “My life has worked out pretty good so far.”
“Only pretty good?” Spike asked in a dry voice.
“I mean, excellent! Wonderful! Marvellous! It’s dino-delicious!”
“That’s what I thought,” Spike said. “It’s also going to be standing-only for a while.”
“Well, that’s just rude,” Millie said. “Why is that?”
“Why is that?” Spike repeated. “Why do you think?”
“I don’t know. I guess it could be because I’m late getting home. But I really don’t think I should be spanked for that. I’m often late home.”
“What are you supposed to do when you finish your class?” Spike asked.
“Text you. But I did!”
“Did you go to the class?” Spike asked.
Maya heard Millie swallow. “Yes.”
“And did you go have coffee after?”
“Well, I thought about it. That should count, right?”
“It does not,” Spike replied. “You didn’t go have coffee like you told me. Instead, you followed the puppies back here. You didn’t tell me where you were going, what you were doing, or when you would return home.”
‘That could be true,” Millie admitted.
“And why didn’t you tell me what was going on, Millie?” Spike asked.
“Because I knew you’d be a party pooper. You’re as negative as Matthieu!”
“Millie,” he warned.
“Fine. I didn’t tell you because I knew you wouldn’t approve of the plan. But we have to rescue the puppies, Spike!”
“I know we have to rescue the puppies,” Spike replied. “Do you really think that I would leave animals in that situation?”
“No, it’s just . . . I didn’t think you would approve of the plan,” Millie said to him.
“What plan?” Spike asked.
“Well, where I followed David and the puppies and found where they’re being held. Then, when I discovered the situation they’re being kept in, I messaged back-up. So now the plan is for me to create a big distraction and you guys to go in and grab all the puppies.”
“Distraction?” Spike asked in a strangled-sounding voice.
“Yeah, I was thinking of crashing into the front fence.”
“I want to laugh because you’re joking,” Spike said with a groan. “Unfortunately, I know you’re not joking.”
“Of course not. Why would I joke about something this serious?” Millie exclaimed.
“Maybe I should do the distraction,” Maya offered. Then Millie wouldn’t be at the forefront of danger. Although grabbing the dogs could potentially be dangerous too. And Maya was the one with the most experience with traumatized animals.
“That’s not happening,” Matthieu told her firmly.
“Neither of you are doing the distracting,” Spike said.
“Oh, are you going to do it?” Millie said. She kissed Spike enthusiastically. “What a good idea! They won’t get so mad at you.” She turned to look at Maya. “For some reason, people find Spike scary and intimidating. Can you believe that nonsense?”
How the heck did she answer that?
“No, I can’t believe it.”
Matthieu snorted quietly from beside her, obviously reading her tone.
“Wait, you said that Sav called you?” Millie asked. “Livvy told him?”
“He saw a message on her phone, apparently,” Spike told her.
“Tut-tut, that’s just wrong,” Millie stated. “What was he thinking? You’d never read my messages.”
“I’m starting to think that I should,” Spike replied.
“Daddy!” Millie cried. “That’s not nice. Those are private.”
“If you’re going to put yourself in danger, then I’m going to have to start reading them.”
“Sheesh, that’s rude. What do you think of that, Maya?”
“Umm. Yep, that’s rude.” She knew the girl code. She had to agree with Millie.
No matter what.
Also, she wouldn’t want Matthieu to start reading her text messages.
Not that Matthieu is yours, anyway.
That was true.
She chewed her lip. “Do you think Livvy is in trouble?” From what she knew of Sav, he was extremely protective.
“Not as much trouble as the two of you,” Spike said.
“Daddy! You can’t say that about Maya. She’s not in trouble.”
“Oh yes, she is,” Matthieu said.
“Why am I in trouble?” Maya asked. “I didn’t sneak out of the house. I told you what I was doing.”
“You didn’t tell me about any of this until it reached a critical level,” Matthieu said.
Yeah, but still . . . she didn’t think she should be in trouble. And they were all getting away from the topic at hand.