Hopelessly Broken Read Online Free

under the deck. Of course there was absolutely no chance she could see a thing. It was pitch black under there. “I need a flashlight.”
    “I’ve got one in my room. Be right back.” Logan’s footsteps thumped over the deck as he dashed inside for the light.
    Jenn called softly, “Here, Cojack. Come on, boy.” Meanwhile she prayed he wouldn’t come out. She was pretty sure she would freak out if he did.
    The whining grew louder.
    It was coming. Oh God, it was coming.
    Going against her better judgment, she repeated, “Come here, Cojack.”
    A second later a blade of light hit Jenn in the retinas, blinding her.
    “Got the light!” Logan shouted from the door.
    “I see that.” Blinking, she cupped her hand over her eyes to cut off the glare. “Shine it down there, not at my face.”
    “Sorry.” At her side now, Logan bent down and directed the light under the deck.
    It was a Chihuahua, all right. A Chihuahua with big brown eyes and a skinny little tail.
    “That’s Cojack!” Logan said, hopping up and down. The light bounced around. “Aeron is going to be so happy we found him.”
    “ Great.” She didn’t hop up and down.
    “Come here, Cojack. Come on!” Logan sing-songed in his high-pitched little boy voice.
    The trembling dog shook and scampered forward.
    “He’s coming!” Logan said, excitedly. He extended his arms, but Jenn pulled them back.
    “Don’t touch him. If he’s hurt, he could bite.”
    “He doesn’t look hurt to me. Just scared and cold.”
    “We can’t tell that yet. Let me go find something to catch him. A basket or something.”
    But before she had taken a single step toward the door, t he dog wriggled through a hole in the lattice and went straight to Logan. Logan gathered the animal into his arms. “Got him.” He jumped to his feet, heading for the house.
    “Wait a minute. Where are you going with that animal?”
    “Inside. He’s shivering,” Logan said.
    “We can’t take him inside.”
    “Why not? Look at him.”
    Jenn looked.
    Big mistake.
    The dog’s bulging eyes were so big, so sad.
    He was shivering.
    His big pointy ears were quivering.
    He looked pathetic.
    Jenn sighed. She’d always been a sucker for pathetic.
    “Please? Let me take him inside.” Logan gave her his best pleading look. Now he was looking pathetic too. “I’ll keep him in my room. You won’t even know he’s there.”
    “Let me see how late it is.” Jenn went inside, following on the heels of her brother. While she checked the clock in the kitchen, he hurried to his room, the wet dog cradled in his arms.
    It was after nine. Not so late. Jenn knocked on Logan’s door before entering.
    Logan was sitting on his bed, the dog, now wrapped in a towel, was still in his arms.
    “ Logan, do you know where Aeron lives?”
    “No. ” Logan cuddled the dog to his chest, a fingertip stroked the top of its bony little head. “But you know what?”
    “What?” she asked.
    “I just remembered he was handing out fliers.”
    “Where?”
    “On Bernard Street. I think he was putting them on people’s front doors.”
    “He didn’t give you one?”
    “No.”
    Jenn thought about going out and seeing if she could find one. She nixed that idea when she watched her brother curl up in bed, the dog tucked against his chest.
    He was smiling. Logan was smiling.
    Since Mom and Dad had died, she hadn’t seen him smile like that. His eyes were twinkling. Like a little kid’s should.
    She sighed. How could she take this small bit of joy from him? As much as she hated that little dog, she couldn’t do it. “I’ll see if I can find one...tomorrow.”
    Logan ’s twinkly smile brightened even more. “So he can sleep with me tonight?”
    “Just for tonight. Tomorrow we have to give him back to Aeron.”
    “Okay.” Looking sweet, Logan sighed. “Thanks, Jenny.”
    Jenn patted Logan’s leg. “Goodnight, kiddo.”

 
     
     
Three
     
    The next morning Jenn was up extra early. She took a shower. She