Storm Watcher Read Online Free

we wouldn’t have to clean it up.”
    Megan gave him an incredulous look. “Do you even own a dog?”
    “We have three,” he said in his defense.
    “Oh that’s not enough. I’ve been around dogs all my life, and you can’t let dogs poop anywhere. Some like to roll in it, and others like to eat it. It’s really gross.”
    Ugh . He lost his appetite. Soon two black-and-tan bloodhounds came loping into sight, tongues lolling, tails wagging. Megan let them out. They pranced around her, and she lavished hugs on them. Then the dogs followed behind Luke and Megan as they walked to the training yard.
    Glancing at his watch, Luke couldn’t believe it was nine o’clock already. A grassy field with small orange cones and an old shed marked the training area. Willajean stood nearby, tapping on her tablet computer.
    Before they entered, Megan said, “Don’t step past the cones. Mom’s already laid the tracks for the dogs to practice. See?”
    Luke squinted into the sunlight. The cones marked where Willajean had made a series of scent trails. Easy enough to do. Leave a scent article at the beginning – most people used gloves. Walk on the grass for at least fifty yards, make one left or right turn, go straight, make another turn in the opposite direction, go straight, make a half turn, go straight, and then drop a glove with your scent on it at the end. The entire trail must be at least 440 yards long, with each leg at least 50 yards long. The more experienced dogs ran over courses with more turns.
    Willajean tested the dogs in pairs. Bonnie and Clyde sailed through without trouble. Megan rewarded them with a game of Frisbee before sending them back to their field with Luke. He called for Jackson and Ike, and they repeated the training.
    Entering information about each dog into her tablet, Willajean said, “I have so many dogs, and they’re all at different levels of training. This” – she waved the tablet – “has been a big time saver.”
    Being the rookie, Luke was given the easiest tasks. Fetching harnesses and leads, escorting dogs, and cleaning up accidents.
    They stopped for a quick lunch break. Luke’s appetite returned full force, and he wished he remembered to bring food. When Megan and Willajean went inside, he sat next to his bike. At least he hadn’t forgotten to fill his water bottle. He chugged the lukewarm water. Yuck .
    After lunch they continued the training. Hot and sweaty, Luke dragged his feet, wishing for a candy bar, or rather a box of candy bars.
    Finally, Willajean called, “That’s everyone. Luke, go help Megan feed the puppies and set up for tomorrow. Then you can go home. I’ll need you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Is that okay with your schedule?”
    Since watching the Weather Channel was the only thing on his schedule this summer, he nodded, glad she hadn’t changed her mind about their arrangement. He’d worked harder today than…well, ever.
    “Great, see you then.” Willajean headed to the house.
    Luke followed Megan back to the kennel.
    Megan pulled out frozen white squares from the freezer and handed them to Luke.
    “Put these on the counter,” she said.
    The words, liver , tripe , and beef   had been written on them. Luke set them down. “Tripe?”
    “Cow’s stomach.”
    Eww . “What’re these for?”
    “Dog food.” Megan gave him a cutting board and knife and set him chopping onions and carrots while she cooked rice.
    “Oh. These dogs eat better than me,” Luke said. “Your parents must be rich.”
    Megan had finished chopping and now weighed bowls of food. She shrugged. “Mom inherited this farm from Poppy, her dad, this year. We moved here in April. Thank goodness my father had already run off, or he would’ve ruined everything.”
    A fierce frown gripped Megan’s face for an instant. She shook her head as if to push her father from her mind. “Although Poppy’s probably giving everyone grief in heaven, griping that my mother turned a perfectly