“God, no. Your little sister did.”
Her sister was an awesome chef, home from college. “Thank goodness.”
Grinning, he stuffed his hands in his coat pockets. “But then I didn’t marry Julia for her cooking.”
Julia was perfect for her dad in so many other ways, a few burned casseroles didn’t matter in the big scheme of things. Shelby rubbed the frown pinching her forehead, remembering all the so-called “perfect” meals she’d put together for Alex, desperately trying to be the model wife. Completely missing the boat on the things that really mattered.
“Hey, Dad? Could you go easy on Alex today? He’s just gotten back from overseas and...” She swallowed hard, unable to make excuses anymore. “Things have been tough between us. It doesn’t look like we’re going to make it.”
Her dad glanced over at the house for a couple of heartbeats before saying, “Are you sure about that?”
“Dad, you’ve spent eight years scowling at Alex and now you’re rooting for us?”
“Sure, we all worried that the two of you married too young, too fast, like your mom and I did.”
“I’ve spent my whole marriage working so hard not to be her...Mom. Not to be a failure.” The ache swelled inside her, damn near choking her. “And here I sit, on the edge of divorce.”
“Whoa, hold on.” Her dad slid his arm around her. “I didn’t say you were like her. If anything, I’ve always thought you were more like me.”
“I wish.” Her laugh was a little watery and wobbly.
“Shelby, Alex is a good man, and I would have considered myself damn lucky to have him on my crew back in the day. I guess there’s a part of me that hoped you would marry a civilian and lead a regular life without the stress that comes from being a military spouse.”
“You’re actually saying you disapprove because he’s in the air force?”
“I wanted an easier path for you than your mother and I had. And God knows, the military has cost Julia and Patrick too much.”
Julia’s first husband—Patrick’s father—had died in a crash, leaving Julia alone to raise their special-needs infant son. While Patrick was Shelby’s stepbrother, she loved him as much as she loved her sister. She’d watched the little guy grow up with Down syndrome, cheered over every milestone he reached—later than other babies, maybe, but all the more hard won.
Her brother had a sunny disposition that was infectious to everyone around him. Things hadn’t been easy for him, but his indomitable spirit was an inspiration to her, every day.
“Thank you, Dad, for worrying about me. I love you, you know.”
He hugged her tight against his side. “Love you, too.”
Emotion clogged her throat as she rested her head on his shoulder, thinking about all Alex had shared about his family. Realizing how lucky she’d been with her own. And most of all, realizing how deeply she wanted a life with Alex.
She still loved him. And the idea of losing him was tearing her apart. She didn’t want a divorce. She wanted to fix things with her husband, no matter what the odds.
They fell silent, watching Daisy nose halfheartedly through the snow.
“Shel?”
“Yeah, Dad?”
“That is the saddest-looking puppy I have ever seen—”
The back door swung wide again, the screen smacking the house.
“Merry Christmas!” her eleven-year-old stepbrother shouted, racing out into the yard in his pj’s, snow boots and an open parka. “Shelby, I missed you.”
He threw his arms around her waist and hugged her hard before he broke away. “And you brought me a puppy for Christmas! You’re the coolest.”
Patrick took off running toward Daisy.
Her father stared at her with wide, panicked eyes, then looked at Julia standing in the doorway hugging her fluffy red robe closed. Alex was a few steps behind with a mug of coffee.
Shelby opened her mouth to tell Patrick no, but didn’t know how. God, this went against everything she’d been taught at the shelter. Pets were never, never to be given as gifts. Everyone in the family had to be on board so an animal didn’t end up being taken back to the shelter, an unwanted surprise.
It broke her heart to see Daisy’s tail already wagging, her high spirits returning as soon as she spotted a kid to play with.
“Patrick,” she began, hating to break up the happy match but certain she couldn’t foist a dog on her dad and Julia. “This is a puppy I’m taking care of for my local animal shelter. Her name is Daisy and she’s here to spend Christmas with you—”
“Shelby, hold on,” Julia interrupted, stepping out into the yard in hastily donned boots. Her nightgown and robe trailed in the snow. She hooked arms with her husband. “I believe Daisy has already claimed Patrick as her own. What do you think, Zach?”
Her father held his arm out to Julia, kissing her on the cheek as he reeled her in close.
“I believe you’re right.” He looked at his daughter. “Is that okay with you?”
Shelby exchanged a glance with Alex as he came out to join them, coffee mug steaming.
“Absolutely. I have Daisy’s adoption papers in my bag.”
Patrick squealed, kneeling in the snow with Daisy dancing around him, licking his face. Shelby’s eyes met Alex’s and she smiled, seeing he understood the Christmas miracle that had played out for them here. Daisy, who innately loved children, would always cherish the little boy within Patrick no matter how tall or old he grew.
A sense of rightness wrapped around her as tangibly as the thick parka she wore. She was exactly where she was supposed to be. Life had brought her—had brought Daisy—here for Christmas.
And as she stared across the yard at her hot, amazing husband with his broad shoulders and quiet strength, anything seemed possible.
* * *
AS THE SUN SET ON CHRISTMAS Day, Alex finally found the chance to get his wife alone. He put on his new parka and invited her to take Daisy for a walk to the neighborhood park while Patrick got ready for bed—the first time the boy had let the puppy out of his sight.
Holiday lights glinted in distant windows as they strolled. Boxes stacked by garages were filled with wrapping paper and other debris from the day’s celebration.
How ironic that this truly had been his best Christmas ever—spent with Shelby’s family. They’d opened gifts in their pj’s while eating the breakfast casserole Ivy had made. Their Christmas dinner had been bought from a local caterer, so no one slaved in the kitchen. They’d all feasted and lingered, talking.
Imagine that? Him enjoying talking.
He’d been surprised to get a text from Gene Watts, wishing him and Shelby a Merry Christmas. Gene had also sent some early outtakes of his video footage to Shelby’s email for them to enjoy. Julia had plugged her laptop computer into the wide-screen TV and they’d all watched clips from the dog transport unfold...the sentimental and the hilarious.
They’d done a good thing this Christmas.
His boots crunched on the sidewalk, Daisy trotting slowly ahead. “Glad to know I did such a great job shopping for you this year.”
“What can I say?” Her arms swung by her side. “I got everything I wanted under the tree.”
“I may never live down the ruffled rhinestone collar that I supposedly chose for Delilah.” But he hadn’t minded the good-natured ribbing from her dad.
She tapped his arm. “But you get major kudos for donating new cots for three dog runs at the shelter in my name.”
His feet slowed and he grasped her elbow until she stopped to face him. “I owe you a real gift, Shelby, and I haven’t forgotten that.”
“You gave me one—you agreed to stay here an extra day. Really, this has been a better Christmas than I ever could have expected.” Her green eyes sparkled as brightly as
the emerald in that sexy belly-button ring of hers ever had. “But I have to confess the whole BFF thing you and my dad have going on is mind blowing, to say the least.”
“He and I came to an understanding last night.” About damn time. How different things would have been if he’d been capable of that conversation with Zach Dawson earlier. Talking definitely had its perks.
“You did?” She blinked in surprise—and even a hint of wariness. “And what would that understanding be?”
Time to lay it all out there. No more holding back from his wife. She deserved everything he had to give. She probably deserved even more, but damned if he would give her up.
“That I love his daughter. That I’m going to be more open and do everything in my power to win her over and make her feel cherished for the rest of her life. If you agree, of course.”
Her exhale blew a long white cloud into the cool air between them. “Alex? Are you serious?”
She searched his eyes and he hated that he’d ever given her cause to be wary. To fear that she’d failed him, of all people. He loved her so damn much it hurt, and he would spend the rest of his life making sure she knew it.
“Completely. I can’t promise to be home all the time. No member of the military can. But I won’t be volunteering for extra assignments anymore, and when I am home, I will be one hundred percent yours, no more shutting you out.”
He couldn’t help but smile as her jaw dropped—honest to God fell open—before she snapped it shut. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”
He did now, thanks to her, and thanks to her father for setting his butt straight.
Alex held up a gloved hand. “Except I’m getting ahead of myself. First, I want to give you your Christmas gift.”
“I can’t imagine you’ve got a better present than the one you’ve just given me.” She slid her arm around his waist, her hand dipping into his pocket.
“I’m signing over my G.I. Bill to you so you can go back to school and become a veterinarian.”
Watching those video clips, he’d seen a lot more than a dog transport and a couple of adoptions. He’d witnessed his wife’s gift with animals. She had a calling to heal, just as he had a calling to serve in uniform.
“Alex...” She shook her head. “Even though spouses can use their husband’s G.I. Bill, I couldn’t take away your chance at a—”
He silenced her with a tap to her lips. “Shelby, I’m in the job I love. I’m doing what I want to do with my life, serving my country. And if you can accept the sacrifice that comes with that lifestyle, I want you to have your dream, too. I mean it.”
Her eyes slid over to Daisy then back to him. “What if we have children?”
“College students can be mothers. Veterinarians can be mothers.” Still holding the leash, he cupped both of her elbows. “I’m not saying it will be easy, but Shelby, we can have everything.”
“What if we never have children?”
“I’ve thought about that, a lot, actually.” Those miscarriages had hurt him, too, but he’d held it in, wanting to be strong and supportive for her. Now he wondered if they might have been stronger if they had grieved together. “At some point, I would like to look into adoption. Maybe a special-needs child?”
“A child like Patrick.” She finished his thought for him.
He nodded, meaning every word. He wanted to share a happy family life with a kid who really needed it.
“God, yes, Alex. Absolutely yes.” She hugged him hard, then harder still. “Do you have any idea how much I love you?”
“I think so, but feel free to tell me any time you like.” He looped his arms around her, too, creating their own furnace of warmth under the flickering lamppost. “I’m starting to groove on this whole chitchat thing.”
Her mittened hands cupped his face and she pressed her cool lips to his. And he kissed her back in the middle of the sidewalk, snow swirling around them. He would have kept right on kissing her, but Daisy barked, tugging the leash.
“Okay, okay, I know you want to get home to Patrick.” Except Daisy was pulling him in the wrong direction. He started to guide her around when he heard it—soft mewling sounds coming from a few feet away.
Shelby must have heard it, too, because she frowned, searching for the source of those soft animal cries. They followed the noise until they reached a nearby bus shelter for students waiting for the school bus. On the bench rested a cardboard box marked with big block letters: FREE TO A GOOD HOME.
Gasping, Shelby rushed to the box, pulling a flap up. Three calico kittens huddled together in a blanket, shivering. Something unfurled inside Alex, a knot he hadn’t even known was lodged in his chest. One that had been there as long as he could remember, maybe all the way back to the day he’d carried an injured cat to the vet all by himself.
Already, Shelby was picking up two kittens, slipping them inside her coat and crooning how Miss Tansy was going to help find wonderful homes for all of them.
He scooped up the last kitten and tucked it inside his parka, already knowing this calico would be staying with them. A laugh rumbled in his chest and Shelby stared at him like he’d lost his mind. Maybe he had, because he sure as hell was crazy in love with his wife.
He scratched the top of the kitten’s head. “I should have realized those dogs weren’t the three wise men. The kings arrived after Christmas. Looks as if we’ve found the real Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar.”
Shelby smiled, her eyes alive with love and the promise of a lifetime more of it to come. “Merry Christmas, Alex.”
“Merry Christmas to us both.”
* * * * *
A Puppy for Will
USA TODAY Bestselling Author
Kathie DeNosky
This novella is dedicated to my son,
Bryan DeNosky, Techno Nerd Extraordinaire.
Without his technical input this story
wouldn’t have been possible.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
EPILOGUE
THE HSUS
CHAPTER ONE
WHEN WILL PARKER STOPPED his SUV in front of The Haven, the no-kill animal shelter in suburban Tacoma where his grandmother volunteered, he noticed a leggy redhead and a man he assumed to be her husband loading three dogs into crates in the back of their Explorer. Nodding a greeting as he walked by, the woman smiled, but he couldn’t help noticing that her expression looked forced.
He glanced at the stoic man reaching for the Pekinese she held and realized from his short haircut that the guy was probably in the military. Will didn’t know what their story was, but neither seemed all that happy, and Will would bet his next paycheck that if they were married there were big problems in the union.
A feeling of déjà vu swept through him. Three years ago that had been him and his now ex-wife, Suzanne. Will hoped that, whatever their problems were, they had a better outcome than his. Quickly deciding it was best to let some things remain in the past, he shrugged off the memories and climbed the steps of the yellow Victorian that housed the administrative offices of The Haven.
Crossing the porch, Will turned his attention to the matter at hand—the trouble his grandmother had gotten him into. Again. In the past few months, she had solicited sizeable donations from him and convinced him that he was the only software engineer capable of writing a computer program to organize the shelter’s adoption records. Now she was trying to coerce him into adopting a pet by getting him to foster one over the holidays.
Of course, he was a pushover when it came to Rose Parker. After his parents had been killed in a car accident, Rose h
ad finished raising him. He owed her more than he could ever repay. She had sacrificed her peace of mind and fretted through more than a few sleepless nights during his rebellious teenage years. But she had seen him through that phase as he dealt with his loss, and she’d still loved him in spite of it.
But he drew the line at a pet. He wouldn’t even be taking the animal for the holidays if it weren’t for the fact that his grandmother had gotten wind that the company he worked for would be shutting down for two weeks. She hadn’t given him a moment’s peace until he had agreed to take a puppy named Harley for the entire time he was going to be off work. But fostering a dog temporarily was entirely different than taking on the permanent responsibility of a pet.
He sighed heavily as he opened the door and entered the shelter’s reception area. It wasn’t that he didn’t like pets. He did. But an animal took time, and that was something he hadn’t had a lot of since his divorce three years ago. After his ex-wife had walked out on him, Will had thrown himself into his work and taken on as many projects as Snohomish Software Solutions wanted to throw his way. He didn’t even have a spare evening for a social life, let alone the time to devote to a dog. And that’s the way he liked it.
His grandmother, however, couldn’t understand why he chose work over a relationship. But then she had never been in a bad one. He had, and he wasn’t about to go down that road again. Once had been more than enough.
“Hi, Will,” Faye Barnard, the shelter’s receptionist, said, looking up from her work to smile at him. “Rose is in the kennel getting Harley ready for you to take home. I’ll call back there and let her know you’re here.” Once she finished informing his grandmother that he had arrived, the plump, red-haired woman picked up a tin of candy and held it out toward him. “Would you like a piece of peppermint chocolate bark?”
“It looks delicious, Faye, but I think I’ll pass this time,” he answered, smiling back.
Before he could ask if the software he had developed for them was meeting expectations, Tansy Dexter, The Haven’s director, and a lanky teenage girl with a long blond ponytail herded a couple of dogs to the door.
Rescuing Christmas Page 18