001Hi, I'm Valyria Edwards, a Henry County School Board member representing the Horse Pastor District. And I'm excited today to be here to continue the reading of Dog Town. Chapter 127, Blueberry Pancakes. Yum, yum, yum. It was late afternoon when a strange car pulled into the driveway. It wasn't the dog sitter's car or the dog sitter's boyfriend's truck or Besser's stage station wagon. I jumped up and began barking. The car door opened and I heard a shout. Chance, Jesse cried. A blue knit cap pulled down low. "Mom, it's chance." "Honey, that's not possible," the professor said as she struggled to unload suitcases from the trunk. "It is her. Look, Mom. Look." Jesse tore up the steps two at a time. When she reached me, she buried her fa face in my fur and tenderly tenderly whispered
002my name. "She smelled the blueberry pancakes, pink bubble gum, and coconut shampoo." "She came home, mom," Jesse whispered. The professor let the suitcase fall to the ground as the man in the car waved and drove away. For goodness sake, the professor murmured. Then we were all hugging and I hauled the sweet scents of the humans I loved. Toasted almonds, vanilla folders, and blueberry pancakes all together again. I told you that picture of the dog in the furniture store. the next on the one ne on next door. I told you it was her, Jesse said. I don't see how that's possible. Professor Bessa scratched behind my ear. The dog sitters emailed me. She'd run away in January. That was almost a year ago. Maybe she lived in the furniture store. Or maybe she was waiting here
003for us that whole time. Jesse kissed the top of my head. The dog sitter was her was here until a few days ago. She would have told us if Chance had come back. She's cold. Mom, look, she's shivering. Jesse pulled me closer. Let's get her inside, the professor said. But I didn't want to go inside. If I moved from the suitcase, they'd see I only had three legs. Chapter 128. Three legs. Time to go in, sweet dog, Professor Besser said. I stalled, waiting for them to turn around. There was no way to jump off the suitcase without them seeing me. Jesse, get her purple plastic wheeler bag and bumped it up the stairs to the porch. The professor half carried half dragged her last suitcase to the in the door. Then they waited for me.
004Chance, you're home, Jesse said. There was nothing I could do. I took a deep breath, then leapt off my suitcase and dashed by them, hopping as fast as I could. The professor gasped. "Jesse," she said. "Chance is missing a leg." Jesse came closer, inspecting my stump. Chance, what happened to you? If Mouse were here, maybe he could perform the story for them. But I didn't have hands the way he did. All I could think to do was act. The threepaw jiggle, the hug and snuggle, a dog plays dead, a ball on my head, and a one pawed spin that ends my chapters.