Oscar's Lonely Christmas by Holly Webb Page B

OK. Just maybe a dog lead?”
    Dad laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not saying we can’t get a puppy. I was just wondering if now was the best time. But to be honest, I’m sure getting a puppy is a big upheaval whenever you do it.”
    “So … can we still go tomorrow?” Hannah whispered.
    Her mum and dad exchanged a look, and smiled.
    “Yes,” Mum told her. “We’ll go.”
    “Please-may-I-leave-the-table?” Hannah rattled off. “I don’t want any pudding, thanks. I’m going to go and look up Dalmatians on the computer!”

Chapter Two
    Hannah sat in the back of the car next to Zak, biting her lip. Mum had got sick of her asking if they were nearly there, and she’d told Hannah she’d turn the car round if she said it again. It was just that she was desperate to know!
    “Look, there’s a sign for Mill Green,” Dad said, taking pity on her. “Not far now.”
    Hannah nodded, staring hopefully out of the window. Then she laughed and pointed at a sign standing in the garden of a house just ahead. “Look! It’s all spotty!”
    Mum put her indicator on. “That has to be it,” she said. “Yes, it says Dashing Dalmatians.” She parked the car in the driveway.
    Hannah could hear excited barking as she got out of the car, and ran round to help Zak undo his car seat straps. “We’re here, Zak! Going to see the dogs!”
    “Dogs!” Zak clapped his hands excitedly.
    Already, a friendly-looking woman was opening the door of the house, and beside her – Hannah caught her breath at the sight – were two big Dalmatians.
    They were so beautiful, snow-white, with a dappling of glossy black spots all over.
    “Dog! Dog!” Zak squeaked delightedly, jumping up and down and pulling on Hannah’s hand.
    The owner of the dogs laughed. “Somebody’s keen, anyway. I’m Lisa. And this is Robby and Bella. They’re very friendly, you can stroke them. Just watch your little brother though, won’t you? The dogs are a lot bigger than he is; they might knock him over by accident.”
    Hannah nodded. “I’ll hold his hand,” she promised. “He loves dogs. We both do.” She stretched out her free hand to Bella, who sniffed it interestedly and then gave her a gentle lick.
    “Urrgh!” Zak giggled.
    “I don’t mind,” Hannah sighed, and stroked Bella’s soft nose and round her silky spotted ears. Bella was so gorgeous. And a dog just like Bella might be theirs soon. It was hard to believe.

    “Is Bella the mum of our puppy? The puppy who might be ours, I mean,” Hannah added hastily. She knew that Lisa would want to check them out before she allowed them to have one of her puppies.
    Lisa smiled. “No, she’s too young to have pups just yet – she’s the big sister of our new puppies. Robby here is their dad, though. Their mum’s called Chrissie. Do you want to see them?”
    Hannah couldn’t speak, she was so excited. She just nodded so hard her ponytail flew up and down.
    “Come inside and let me take your coats. They’re a good age to meet now,” Lisa explained, as she led Hannah’s family through the house, with the two Dalmatians nosing at them inquisitively.“Six weeks old. Their spots have come through. Although they’ll still get more, you can see what they’re going to be like when they’re older. And they’re starting to really enjoy meeting people.”
    Hannah looked up at her mum and dad eagerly, and her dad squeezed her shoulder. “You look like you’re about to meet the Queen!” he told her in a whisper.
    “I feel like I am!” Hannah whispered back.
    “This used to be our dining room, before we started breeding puppies!” Lisa explained, as they came to a door at the end of the hallway. “Now we use it as a puppy room.” She opened the door and led them in. A wire pen occupied about half the room – and itwas full of puppies. They were tumbling and squirming over each other and their mother in a black- and-white spotted mass.
    “Oh, look at them!” Hannah breathed. “There are so