Chloe breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close call, she thought. And she was determined to make sure that it wouldn’t happen again. Now I’ve got to find somewhere to hide these presents—a place where Elsa can’t find them.
But where?
Chloe stood back and scanned the room. There were no high-up shelves, and even if there were, there was no way to prevent Elsa from jumping to get them. At least that’s a problem we never had with Charlie, she thought. His legs were too short to jump up high.
Chloe moved the presents to the kitchen counter, but it didn’t seem safe enough. Elsa could easily jump up there and chew the ribbon. There was only one thing to do: Charlie and Elsa would have to switch places. That way, Elsa could sleep with Sandy, behind the closed door, while Chloe and Charlie camped out in the living room. It wasn’t ideal, but Chloe knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink if she was worrying about Elsa eating ribbons the whole time.
Chloe stroked Elsa’s silky fur and could feel her purring. She really is a sweet cat—when there aren’t any dogs around, Chloe thought. Then she carried Elsa back to the bedroom. In one fast motion, she dropped Elsa on Sandy’s bed, then scooped up Charlie and scurried out of the room before Sandy awoke.
Back in the living room, Chloe curled up on the couch with the quilt pulled up to her chin. Charlie was already asleep by her feet. The last thing she heard was the clock on the mantel chiming midnight.
Christmas Day was here at last!
Chloe’s eyes popped open. It was still early—very early—the gray light that filtered through the windows told her that the sun wasn’t even fully up yet. What had awakened her?
Then she heard it: Charlie’s frantic whining at the door.
Oh no, Chloe thought. She knew what that meant. And it wasn’t good.
She flung back the quilt and hurried over to the door. She’d have to go out in her pajamas—she didn’t want to risk waking Sandy, and from the sound of Charlie’s whining, there wasn’t time to get dressed anyway—but hopefully she could put on her boots, at least—
“Hang on, Charlie,” Chloe said as she jammed her feet into her boots. “I’m almost—”
His whining grew even louder and more urgent.
Chloe forgot all about her coat. She clipped the leash to Charlie’s collar and flung open the door.
Poor Charlie couldn’t even make it to the yard. He was sick right there, all over the doorstep.
“There, there,” Chloe said, shivering in the cold—and powerless to help her pup feel better. “I’m so sorry, Charlie. I’m so sorry you’re sick.”
When Charlie was done, Chloe held him close and kissed the top of his head. Now there was no denying it: Something was seriously wrong with Charlie. Chloe was terrified. She didn’t know if Charlie was going to be sick again, but it was too cold for them to stay outside any longer—especially since Chloe had left her coat in the cottage. She was wide awake, at least; the next time Charlie had to go out, she’d be ready to take him. They slipped back inside the cabin and heard—
“Merry Christmas!”
Chloe took one look at Dad and Jessica—and even Sandy, rubbing her sleepy eyes—and burst into tears.
“Chloe!” Dad exclaimed as he hurried over to her. “What’s the matter?”
“It’s—Charlie—” Chloe managed through her sobs. “He just got sick again. Really bad. Dad, I’m so worried! What if—”
Chloe’s voice trailed off unexpectedly. She couldn’t even bear to say the words.
“Hey, hey, let’s not go there,” Dad said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around Chloe. Then he pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I am going to send a message to Dr. Garcia, though.”
Jessica glanced at the clock. “Are you sure? It’s still pretty early,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” Dad assured her. “Dr. Garcia has little kids. I’m sure she’s been up for hours.” Then he turned to Chloe. “Remember, Charlie’s been sick like this before—and Dr. Garcia took excellent care of him.”
“I know,” Chloe whispered. “But don’t you remember what Dr. Garcia said? If Charlie got sick even on his special diet… and I’ve been watching him really close, Dad! He hasn’t had anything unusual to eat!”
“Ribbons!” Sandy suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at her.
“Do you think he ate some ribbons, like Elsa did a few years ago?” Sandy continued. “If he did, he might need surgery, but then he’d be okay again after he recovered.”
Chloe shook her head. “I don’t think it was ribbons,” she replied. “Charlie loves real food… he doesn’t eat other stuff. Besides, I was so worried about the ribbons on the presents that I put them on the kitchen counter last night, right before I moved Elsa back into the bedroom. Charlie definitely couldn’t reach them.”
Sandy looked surprised. “That was you? I was wondering what happened when I woke up and found her asleep on my pillow.”
“I was worried Elsa would get into the ribbons on the presents while we were all asleep,” Chloe explained. “It seemed like the safest thing would be to keep Elsa out of the living room. So Charlie and I slept on the couch after all.”
“I can’t believe you’d do that for us,” Sandy said. “I mean, your poor dog is really sick, and you were still looking out for Elsa?”
Chloe shrugged. “I’d hate for anything bad to happen to her… especially on Christmas,” she replied.
Sandy impulsively reached out and gave Chloe a hug. “We’re going to figure out what’s wrong with Charlie,” she told her. “We’ll solve this mystery, no matter what it takes.”
Dad’s phone beeped then. “It’s Dr. Garcia,” he reported as his eyes scanned the screen. “She says it’s really, really important for us to figure out if Charlie ate anything out of the ordinary. If he did, she thinks he will be okay. If not, and he gets sick again, we need to take him to the vet as soon as possible.”
Chloe looked out the window at the heavy snow and wanted to cry again.
“Presents!” Jessica said suddenly. “Let’s open the Christmas presents.”
Who cares about presents at a time like this? Chloe wondered—but when she looked at Jessica’s face, full of concern, she realized that Jessica was trying to distract Chloe from her worries.
Chloe took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll get them.”
She crossed the room and took the gifts down from the counter. Jessica had done most of the shopping; she gave Chloe and Sandy each a funky crocheted hat, a handmade journal, and a small box of gourmet chocolates.
Then, to Chloe’s surprise, Sandy handed her a present. It was the dog collar she’d been admiring in Pet Palace—the one that read DON’T FEED THE BEAST.
“Sandy! When—how—” she asked.
“Are you surprised?” Sandy asked. “I thought you’d see through my totally obvious lie about forgetting my wallet.”
“So that’s why you wouldn’t let me come back with you!” Chloe laughed. Then she handed a present over to Sandy. “This is for you.”
Sandy untied the ribbon and pulled the first present out of the bag.
“Chloe! It looks just like Elsa!” Sandy cried as she held up the cat ornament for everyone to see.
“I know!” Chloe replied. “The minute I saw that ornament, I had to get it. The kitty is even curled up on a pillow—”
“Just like Elsa curls up on my pillow!” Sandy finished for her.
“And that is the number one reason why Elsa’s not allowed to sleep in my room,” Jessica joked. “Only the pillow is good enough for her!”
“Thank you so much, Chloe,” Sandy said gratefully as she hung the cat ornament on the little tree. “It’s my favorite ornament ever!”
Chloe beamed with pleasure. “There’s one more present in there,” she said. “Though it’s not exactly for you, I guess.”
Sandy peered into the bag and burst out laughing. “Catnip mice? My favorite!” she joked.
“Sorry that they don’t have any tails,” Chloe said. “They were made of ribbon, so I cut them off so Elsa couldn’t eat them.”
“Thanks, I really appreciate it,” Sandy said. “You won’t believe how crazy she gets with catnip mice. She’s even—actually, I’ll let you see for yourself. Do you mind if I bring Elsa out for a minute?”
“Sure. I’ll put Charlie back on his leash,” Chloe said. She glanced around but didn’t see her dog anywhere. “Charlie?” she called. Then Chloe turned to Dad and Jessica. “Have you seen Charlie?”
“I thought he was hiding next to you,” Dad replied.
“So did I!” Chloe exclaimed. “He couldn’t have gotten out. The cabin’s so small—”
“Don’t worry, we’ll find him,” Jessica promised her. “He might be hiding under some furniture. Animals often like to hide when they don’t feel well. It’s an instinct they have.”
But Charlie would never hide from me, Chloe thought—not unless he was really, really sick. That hard, painful lump in her throat came back as she dropped to her knees to peer under the couch.
“Uh, guys?” Sandy’s voice wafted through the living room. She’d gone to check the bedroom. “Can you come here?”
There was something in her voice that made Chloe feel even more worried. She jumped to her feet and ran toward the bedroom, with Dad and Jessica following right behind her.
“Is it Charlie?” Chloe asked Sandy urgently. “Is he okay?”
“He looks fine to me,” Sandy said, trying—and failing—not to laugh. “See for yourself!”
Sandy pointed into the bedroom. Chloe peeked through the doorway—and saw Charlie and Elsa curled up together on Sandy’s pillow, both sound asleep!
“Am I really seeing that?” Chloe asked in astonishment. “Or is this some kind of hallucination?”
“It’s real,” Sandy assured her. “Look at them—they’re best friends! It’s a Christmas miracle!”
Everyone laughed so loud that Charlie and Elsa startled. They looked over at the door, obviously annoyed at being awakened. Then they curled up and went back to sleep!
“BFFs for sure,” Sandy said, grinning. “Now they’ll be inseparable. They’ll take naps together, they’ll play together, they’ll eat together—”
Sandy’s sudden gasp made Chloe jump. “Whoa—what’s wrong?” she asked.
“The kitchen!” Sandy cried. “Come with me!”
Chloe didn’t have a clue what was going on, but she followed Sandy to the kitchen anyway. Sandy pointed to a bowl on the floor, tucked away in the corner. “Elsa’s food!” she said. “I’m so sorry, Chloe, I didn’t even think—”
A flash of understanding lit up Chloe’s eyes. “You think Charlie’s been eating Elsa’s food?” she asked.
“It would make sense, wouldn’t it?” Sandy asked. “He got sick on Saturday after he was here—and had access to her food. On Sunday, though, he was fine—and that’s the day that he wasn’t here and couldn’t have eaten any cat food.”
“Then—yesterday—sick again, after we moved into Mistletoe Cottage,” Chloe said. Everything was starting to make sense now. “And then I bet he ate even more cat food overnight while I was sleeping!”
“The bowl’s empty,” Sandy said. “I filled it up right before bed and left it in the kitchen—”
“Because Elsa was supposed to sleep in the living room!” Chloe realized.
“I’ve been wondering why she was eating so much!” Sandy exclaimed.
Jessica looked embarrassed. “Actually, I filled up Elsa’s bowl yesterday, too,” she said.
“But, Mom—that’s my job,” Sandy said.
“I know,” Jessica replied. “But you’ve been so upset, I thought that maybe you forgot. You never let it get empty like that.”
“Charlie!” Chloe groaned. “Why have you been pigging out on cat food?”
“No wonder Elsa was chasing him all around the cabin,” Dad said. “She was mad at him for eating all her food!”
As everyone laughed again, Dad sent a quick text to update Dr. Garcia. “I’m sure this was the problem,” he said. “But we’ll wait for Dr. Garcia’s expert opinion.”
Almost immediately after Dad sent the text, his phone beeped. A broad smile crossed his face as he read Dr. Garcia’s response.
“Well? What did she say?” Chloe asked.
“Here,” Dad said as he passed her the phone. “I think you should read it for yourself.”
Unlimited access to cat food could definitely cause Charlie’s symptoms. I’m glad you figured it out! He should be back to normal once he’s eating his own food again. Remind Charlie that he should avoid overindulging—even at the holidays. Merry Christmas!
When Chloe read Dr. Garcia’s text aloud, everyone cheered—and as she looked from Dad to Jessica to Sandy, she could see that they were all as happy and relieved as she was. Chloe was so happy that her smile stretched across her face. Charlie was going to be okay. Her Christmas wish had come true!
Later that day, Chloe and Sandy bundled up and went outside to play in the snow. The sun was shining much brighter, and Chloe had a funny feeling that the roads would be cleared even sooner than they expected.
“Let’s build something out of snow,” Chloe suggested.
“Sure,” Sandy said. “A snowman?”
“Maybe,” Chloe said. “Or we could build a snowcastle. You know, like a sandcastle, but made of snow.”
“That sounds cool,” Sandy said. “Oh! What if we built Santa’s village? With little cabins for the elves?”
“And a barn for the reindeer!” Chloe exclaimed. “And we can decorate everything with pebbles and pine needles—”
“And bits of ribbon,” Sandy said, laughing. “Since Elsa is strictly an indoor cat.”
“Love it,” Chloe said. “I might even try to build Santa’s sleigh.”
The girls were quiet as they went to work, packing snow into the shape of tiny houses and roads. After a while, Chloe started speaking.
“You made my Christmas wish come true,” she said, staring at the snow in her hands. “Charlie’s going to be okay, and it’s all because you figured out what was wrong with him. I don’t know how to thank you, Sandy. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“Thank me?” Sandy asked in surprise. “You don’t have to thank me for anything. I’ve been…”
Sandy’s voice trailed off, but Chloe stayed focused on the snow she was sculpting. She didn’t look at her… and she didn’t say a word.
“Let’s just say I’m not proud of myself,” Sandy said. “I wish I could start the trip over again and do everything differently. I’m sorry I was so mean. And I’m sorry I ruined the trip.”
“You definitely didn’t ruin it!” Chloe said right away. “You figured out what was wrong with Charlie.… You bought him an awesome new collar.… We had so much fun shopping and snow tubing and taking selfies at the party.… I mean, I did.…”
Chloe glanced up just in time to see Sandy smiling at her.
“I did, too,” Sandy said. “Anyway, I just wanted to tell you… next time, it will be even better.”
“Next time?” Chloe asked. “Do you know something I don’t know?”
Sandy shrugged. “I just figured we’d all take another trip sometime. My mom is obviously crazy about your dad.”
“And he feels the same way about her,” Chloe said. “Obviously. So when do you think our next trip will be?”
“Well…” Sandy began. “Presidents’ Day weekend is coming up. I wish it could be sooner, though.”
“What about Martin Luther King Day? That’s next month,” Chloe suggested.
“Or how about New Year’s?” Sandy joked. “That’s, like, next week!”
As the girls laughed, they heard the sound of a pickup truck driving over the gravel back roads. Chloe realized it was the first vehicle she’d heard since the storm hit. “I wonder who that is,” she said. “Maintenance crew, maybe?”
“Mayb
e,” Sandy said. “Too bad they have to work on Christmas.”
The girls went back to building their snow village.
“You know,” Chloe said, “the roads must be better if a truck…”
Just then, the truck appeared. It was as bright and shiny as Rudolph’s nose. And it was driving toward Mistletoe Cottage.
Sandy stood up abruptly as the truck parked on the side of the road.
“Do you—” Chloe began.
“Dad!” Sandy screamed joyfully. “Dad! Dad! You’re here!”
A tall, bearded man stepped out of the truck. His smile was identical to Sandy’s as she ran through the snow and catapulted into his arms.
“Merry Christmas, baby girl!” he said as he squeezed Sandy in a bear hug.
The sight of Sandy and her dad, reunited for Christmas, made Chloe want to cry happy tears.
“Chloe!” Sandy exclaimed. “Come meet my dad!”
“Hi, I’m Jason,” Sandy’s dad said.
“Chloe is Tom’s daughter,” Sandy explained. Then her smile fell.
“What’s wrong, Sandy-Crab?” Jason asked. Chloe tried not to giggle at the nickname, which—sometimes—suited Sandy perfectly.
“I’m—Dad—Mom said you shouldn’t come,” Sandy said awkwardly. “I’m sorry—I don’t—”
“Don’t give it another thought,” Jason told her. “Your mom and I talked last night, and I talked to Tom, too. They invited me for Christmas dinner if the roads were clear enough to drive.”
“They did?” Sandy exclaimed.
Jason nodded. “But I told them not to tell you—just in case I couldn’t make it through,” he said. “I didn’t want to disappoint you. Not on Christmas.”
“You could never disappoint me,” Sandy told her dad. “I’m sorry, though… we already opened presents.”
Jason kissed the top of her head. “That’s okay—I didn’t bring any, since I didn’t have some for everybody. That doesn’t mean I came empty-handed, though. You girls want to help me carry in these groceries? I’ve brought everything we need for a Christmas feast!”
Celebrate the Season--Let It Snow! Page 9