Read Online Gone With the Woof by Laurien Berenson - Free Book Online Page A

yet?”
    It was barely 10:00 a.m. Since dog shows run on a tight schedule, I was assuming Bertie knew that.
    â€œYou try getting out of the house early with two kids,” said Sam.
    â€œBite your tongue. One is hard enough.” Bertie chuckled. “Maggie’s barely out of diapers, and she already has to change her outfit three times before she decides she’s ready to go.”
    â€œAnd what’s wrong with that?”
    The voice, floating over from the next setup, belonged to Terry Denunzio, assistant and partner to Crawford Langley, the top Poodle handler in the Northeast. Terry was young and gorgeous and knew how to play to an audience. He also knew how to keep one thoroughly entertained.
    Both his wardrobe and his manicure are better than mine, and Terry is constantly threatening to take me shopping. The implied insult might have annoyed me if I didn’t enjoy his company so much. I wasn’t surprised that Terry had been eavesdropping on our conversation. He has big ears, and he puts them to good use. It’s no wonder that he knows everyone’s secrets.
    Crawford, who is closer in age to Aunt Peg, is in many ways Terry’s opposite. Dignified, professional, and known for his discretion, he’s been in the game longer than any of us. Crawford is often dismayed by his partner’s nosiness. I thought it added enormously to Terry’s appeal.
    â€œAnd yet you were probably here at dawn,” I said to him.
    A professional handler’s day is long, and it starts early. It wasn’t unusual for Crawford to bring several dozen dogs of various different breeds to a single show. Their schedule was hectic, to say the least. Even now, Crawford was nowhere to be seen. Most likely, he was up at the rings, showing a dog, while Terry stayed behind at the setup to do prep work on the others.
    â€œBefore dawn,” Terry corrected. “You know Crawford. He likes to crack the whip.” His eyebrows waggled comically. “Lucky for me, I like that.”
    â€œDo you mind?” I squeaked. “There are children present!” I reached up and covered Kevin’s ears.
    Thinking it was a game, Kevin responded with a toothy grin. He clapped his hands enthusiastically and just missed boxing Sam’s ears. Davey only laughed. He has known Terry for most of his life and doesn’t take anything he says too seriously.
    â€œI don’t mind a bit,” Terry replied. His eyebrows were still dancing. Any moment now, his body would join in. “That’s the whole point.”
    â€œNo, the whole point is that you’re supposed to be brushing dogs.”
    Crawford, back from the ring with a Chow Chow on a slender leash and a purple ribbon tucked in his pocket, leveled me a look. He thinks I’m a bad influence on his partner, probably with good reason. “Melanie, if you don’t have enough to do, I can put you to work.”
    â€œNo, thank you. I’m here to watch Aunt Peg judge.”
    â€œIs that so? Her ring is over there.” Crawford squinted toward ring three. “It looks to me like she’s doing Yorkies.”
    â€œWell . . . maybe I need to ask a few questions, too.”
    Crawford muttered something I couldn’t quite hear. I suspected that was just as well.
    â€œIt’s not like you didn’t see that coming,” Terry told him. He turned back to me. “So, who are we dishing about this week?”
    Bertie snorted a laugh under her breath. She swept a Bichon off a tabletop, tucked it under her arm, and left for the ring.
    â€œThat’s my cue to bow out, too,” said Sam. “The kids and I are going to go see the sights.” Holding Kevin carefully in place, he dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “Try not to annoy Crawford too much, okay?”
    â€œYou should listen to that man,” Crawford told me as my family left, heading toward ring three. “He knows what he’s talking