house.
Kevin hurried out the front door, stick inhand. At the same time, the dog spun around and charged. Jeff watched in horror as it jumped up at Kevin’s face. He was powerless
to do anything to help his friend!
To his amazement, Kevin broke out laughing and shoved the dog aside.
“So I see you’ve met Ranger,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “Ranger, this is Jeff. Jeff’s my oldest buddy, so I want
you two to get on real well, okay, boy?”
As if he understood, Ranger turned his massive head toward Jeff. Jeff took a step back.
“When did you get a dog?” he asked.
“My dad surprised me last night,” said Kevin. “Some guy at his office moved and couldn’t take Ranger with him, so Dad brought
him home. As soon as Ranger saw me, he came right over and started licking my hand. That did it.”
“I’ll bet,” Jeff said uneasily. He couldn’timagine anyone liking a dog licking their hand. To have those teeth so close…
“Luckily, Mom likes him, too. I’ll feed him and walk him before school, but she’s going to take him for walks during the day
and when I’m at hockey practice. If I make the team, that is.”
“You’ll make it,” Jeff said, happy to change the subject. Although they were the same age, Kevin wasn’t built as sturdily
as Jeff. In fact, there were times he looked downright skinny. But he was a good defenseman and he loved hockey almost as
much as Jeff. “You just have to do as well as you did last year and you’ll be on the team again. Hopefully, I’ll be there
with you.”
“You’d be a shoo-in for right wing if you hadn’t been thrown off—” Kevin stopped abruptly. He shot Jeff an apologetic look.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Jeff’s ears burned. “Yeah, well, that waslast year. I’m not going to get thrown off the team this year. So you’d better be ready to back me up on the ice again!” He
punched Kevin in the shoulder.
“Grrrrr
…“
Jeff jumped back. Kevin laid a hand on Ranger’s head and told the dog to shush. Then he looked curiously at Jeff. “He’s a
really relaxed dog, but he’s been taught to protect his owner. Sometimes he gets spooked by sudden movements. He doesn’t bite
or anything. So you don’t have to be scared of him, Jeff.”
“Oh, I wasn’t,” Jeff said.
Kevin cocked an eyebrow at him. “Jeff, I know you don’t like dogs, remember? But Ranger is different. You’ll see that, once
you get to know him.”
Just then, Mrs. Leach opened the door. “You boys are going to be late if you don’t get going,” she called. “Ranger, come here!”
As Ranger bounded inside, Jeff and Kevin gathered up their gear and headed off to the rink. Kevin talked on and on about how
great it was to have a dog. Though Jeff barely listened to the words, he heard one thing loud and clear: if Kevin had his
way, he and Ranger would be inseparable. And if Jeff couldn’t get over his fear, what would that do to their friendship?
3
J eff pushed that thought out of his mind. He needed to get focused on what was ahead — the last day of hockey tryouts.
“I’ll give you five-to-one odds,” he said to Kevin as they hurried toward the skating rink.
“On what?”
“On you making the team.”
Kevin grinned. “Okay, but if I’m five to one, you must be two to one. Coach Wallace has had you in the starting string practically
all week. You’re on the squad, no question.”
“Don’t I wish. You know who’s a sure bet, don’t you?”
The boys looked at each other and in the same breath said, “Bucky Ledbetter!”
“Talk about skating,” Kevin added.
“Yeah, he’s good, all right,” agreed Jeff. “I just wish he wouldn’t let everyone know it all the time.”
Kevin shook his head. “He’s loud and cocky, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side. He’d be one tough enemy.”
“Aw, he’s not so tough,” said Jeff. “I tell you, though, if he ever said to me the things he says to
Kevin hurried out the front door, stick inhand. At the same time, the dog spun around and charged. Jeff watched in horror as it jumped up at Kevin’s face. He was powerless
to do anything to help his friend!
To his amazement, Kevin broke out laughing and shoved the dog aside.
“So I see you’ve met Ranger,” he said, grinning from ear to ear. “Ranger, this is Jeff. Jeff’s my oldest buddy, so I want
you two to get on real well, okay, boy?”
As if he understood, Ranger turned his massive head toward Jeff. Jeff took a step back.
“When did you get a dog?” he asked.
“My dad surprised me last night,” said Kevin. “Some guy at his office moved and couldn’t take Ranger with him, so Dad brought
him home. As soon as Ranger saw me, he came right over and started licking my hand. That did it.”
“I’ll bet,” Jeff said uneasily. He couldn’timagine anyone liking a dog licking their hand. To have those teeth so close…
“Luckily, Mom likes him, too. I’ll feed him and walk him before school, but she’s going to take him for walks during the day
and when I’m at hockey practice. If I make the team, that is.”
“You’ll make it,” Jeff said, happy to change the subject. Although they were the same age, Kevin wasn’t built as sturdily
as Jeff. In fact, there were times he looked downright skinny. But he was a good defenseman and he loved hockey almost as
much as Jeff. “You just have to do as well as you did last year and you’ll be on the team again. Hopefully, I’ll be there
with you.”
“You’d be a shoo-in for right wing if you hadn’t been thrown off—” Kevin stopped abruptly. He shot Jeff an apologetic look.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Jeff’s ears burned. “Yeah, well, that waslast year. I’m not going to get thrown off the team this year. So you’d better be ready to back me up on the ice again!” He
punched Kevin in the shoulder.
“Grrrrr
…“
Jeff jumped back. Kevin laid a hand on Ranger’s head and told the dog to shush. Then he looked curiously at Jeff. “He’s a
really relaxed dog, but he’s been taught to protect his owner. Sometimes he gets spooked by sudden movements. He doesn’t bite
or anything. So you don’t have to be scared of him, Jeff.”
“Oh, I wasn’t,” Jeff said.
Kevin cocked an eyebrow at him. “Jeff, I know you don’t like dogs, remember? But Ranger is different. You’ll see that, once
you get to know him.”
Just then, Mrs. Leach opened the door. “You boys are going to be late if you don’t get going,” she called. “Ranger, come here!”
As Ranger bounded inside, Jeff and Kevin gathered up their gear and headed off to the rink. Kevin talked on and on about how
great it was to have a dog. Though Jeff barely listened to the words, he heard one thing loud and clear: if Kevin had his
way, he and Ranger would be inseparable. And if Jeff couldn’t get over his fear, what would that do to their friendship?
3
J eff pushed that thought out of his mind. He needed to get focused on what was ahead — the last day of hockey tryouts.
“I’ll give you five-to-one odds,” he said to Kevin as they hurried toward the skating rink.
“On what?”
“On you making the team.”
Kevin grinned. “Okay, but if I’m five to one, you must be two to one. Coach Wallace has had you in the starting string practically
all week. You’re on the squad, no question.”
“Don’t I wish. You know who’s a sure bet, don’t you?”
The boys looked at each other and in the same breath said, “Bucky Ledbetter!”
“Talk about skating,” Kevin added.
“Yeah, he’s good, all right,” agreed Jeff. “I just wish he wouldn’t let everyone know it all the time.”
Kevin shook his head. “He’s loud and cocky, that’s for sure. I wouldn’t want to get on his bad side. He’d be one tough enemy.”
“Aw, he’s not so tough,” said Jeff. “I tell you, though, if he ever said to me the things he says to
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