Looking for True by Tricia Springstubb

Author:Tricia Springstubb [Springstubb, Tricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 2022-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Gladys

Back at the store Gladys used the rest of her allowance for another pan and a bag of dog food. Who knew kibble cost so much? If only she had enough money to buy a proper leash, too, and a brush for True’s matted fur. Money, that was another thing she hadn’t exactly thought through.

She hurried back to the old church, but stopped as she rounded the corner of the building. Jude sat on the ground, resting his back against the tree. To one side of him was True, asleep with her head on her paws, and to his other side was Spider. Jude must’ve finally persuaded him to take off the bike helmet, and he was asleep with his head in his big brother’s lap.

Jealousy pricked her. All right, more than pricked—stabbed. She’d never minded being an only child, and she didn’t like little kids, but the way Spider slumped against Jude, trusting him so completely you could tell he’d done it all his life, ever since he was born...All of a sudden, that seemed like a thing to envy.

And look at True! She trusted him, too. Jude was the one who’d already figured out where she liked to be scratched, who knew how to stop her trembling and barking.

How had that happened?

Gladys hugged the kibble bag. Stab stab went the knife of jealousy. Things were not going the way she’d pictured. Jude was absolutely right. Saving True had been all her idea! She’d had to force him to help her. She’d thought...Well, maybe she’d never actually thought it, since Jude was also right that she didn’t have a completely organized plan. But she’d imagined True liking her. Not just liking her. Loving her. Not just loving her. Loving her best in all the world.

Instead, what if True picked Jude to love? What if even True could tell something was wrong with her?

I’m adopted. Why did she tell Jude that? What made her blurt it out? The second she did, she’d wanted to un-tell him. He’d reacted as if she’d confessed she had a contagious disease. What? he’d said, as if he felt sorry for her.

Now he looked up to find her watching him. Embarrassed and annoyed, she marched across the parking lot.

“There’s a problem,” he said.

“You can’t go back on your word! You promised to take her to the fortress.”

“The thing is.” He shielded Spider’s ear, as if his little brother could hear even in his sleep. “The thing is, I can’t take Spy with me. The fortress is where he got hurt. I swore to my mother I’d never take him back there.”

“Why don’t I like the sound of this?”

“Your mom said he was welcome at your house anytime, remember?”

She sat beside him. “Let me get this straight. You want to take True by yourself? Without me?”

He nodded.

This was so extremely unfair. Not to mention, how could she let Jude take True to a place she’d never seen? A supposed fortress? She needed to check it out herself.

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