Ruth giggled as the ball of energy enjoyed all the attention, getting everyone else laughing, too.
“I have always wanted a dog!” he exclaimed “But I have never had the time to find a four legged companion! He is perfect!”
The party was definitely a hit. Once all the cake was gone and after Eugene made a speech thanking them for the amazing present, they all went home.
Eugene took his new friend under his arm, and Ruth slipped her arm into his for the stroll back to the boarding house.
“What great friends we have!” Eugene said to Ruth while they were walking.
“Yes, they are certainly a rare find,” she replied.
Eugene took the pup for a walk before retiring for the night and as he was getting the pup bed ready he began thinking out loud.
“I have to find a name for you. After all, I can’t call you "puppy" for the rest of your life, now can I?”
The next morning when he woke up, Eugene took his new friend for a walk, and then he began to consider his day.
So much to do, he thought. I am holding a fire safety class for those who just joined, and I need to get together with Ruth to make plans for the wedding. I could really use more hours in my day off!
He was returning home when he met Ruth, who was also off doing errands before going to the shop for some training in holiday treats.
“Good morning my beloved,” Eugene said, tipping his hat to her. “What have you planned for this fine day?”
“Oh, nothing much,” she replied. “If you have the time, would you care to accompany me for breakfast at the general store?”
Eugene thought a minute and replied, “Only if I can bring my cute little friend.”
They went off to eat breakfast, and talk about their plans for the wedding. “So, we are getting married on Christmas day,” she said.
Eugene nodded in agreement as he stuffed his mouth with the eggs and bacon, which were wonderful.
“So, have you named your little spotted buddy yet?” Ruth asked.
Eugene looked up, and shook his head.
“Well, you should name him soon, we can’t call him puppy forever!
Eugene sipped his coffee as he finished his meal, thankful that the pup had been allowed in the general store.
They were both thinking and petting the pup, and he was enjoying all of the attention as he sat patiently waiting for their walk to continue.
Eugene walked to the chocolate shop with Ruth and his no-name pup. When she was ready to go in, they said goodbye, and he decided to take his new pet to the fire station for the training they were going to do today.
As they walked, Eugene held a one-sided conversation with his dog. His furry friend cocked his head as if he understood every word he was saying.
“Today, my friend, you will see our fire department in training. It is the only way to stay sharp and save lives and buildings when a fire happens.”
Eugene was thinking about their track record, which had improved considerably since he’d started doing the training sessions. He walked to the fire station, where his volunteers were waiting for him to begin.
“Today is the beginning of monthly lessons in fire management, safety, and what to look for when investigating for fire hazards.”
Eugene went on to explain each section thoroughly, and then he got everyone together for the final drill of the day, which was inspecting buildings for fire hazards so they could educate the owners.
Eugene went on with his explanations while his new pup listened intently as well, seeming to understand every word.
“Now, grab your gear and let’s get going!” Eugene said.
The group started with an old house that had been abandoned and left by the owners for the town to get rid of. The house was a big farmhouse with lots of rooms, so it was a good candidate for the fire department to use.
Eugene sent in the first group to inspect it and comment on the fire hazards they found, as if the house were occupied. On the way out, the assistant chief was to set a couple of random fires for some live practice before reducing the house to ashes.
The second group went in with Eugene and his new unnamed partner. He wanted to see how he would react to a stressful situation, so that he could find out if the dog would be able to accompany him on his rounds.
“Come on boy,” Eugene said, and the dog followed him eagerly.
Once they were ready to go up the stairs to observe the trainees, his dog dragged Eugene to a closet under the stairs and began barking and digging at the door as if a life depended on it!
“Ok boy, settle down!” he said, but the dog would not give up and the pup redoubled his efforts no matter how hard Eugene tried to pull him away.
As he got closer to the closet door, though, he could hear crying inside.
“My goodness!” Eugene said as he yanked the door opened and found a baby, perhaps a year old, crying in fear.
Eugene snatched up the crying bundle and wrapped him in his jacket as he brought the baby outside.
Once they were safe, he looked the baby over; it was a boy, skinny from either illness or neglect. Eugene decided it was best to get the baby away from there so he headed to the chocolate shop with his newly-rescued bundle.
He walked through the door with baby and pup in tow. The little boy was asleep, so he looked like a bundle of clothes.
‘Good morning ladies!” Eugene said, “I have brought you a gift!”
Doris stepped up and flipped back the smoke smelling blanket and gasped in shock at what she found. Noreen heard her and came running.
“What is it?” Noreen asked, and Doris showed her the bundle. “Where did you find this poor baby?”
She looked at Eugene, and he shook his head and lifted his arms. “He was found this morning in the abandoned house we were running fire drills in before burning it down.
“Thank god that my little buddy here went with me this morning, otherwise the ending for this little one could have been terrible.
“Your surprise showed me where he was and you wouldn’t stop barking and scratching at the door until I opened it!” Eugene said to the puppy as he rubbed his head.
Then Eugene had an idea. “I think he now has a name—Smokey!”
Eugene beamed with pride over the wonderful thing the dog had done. “He is going to be an official fire dog, we can use a nose like his at the fires!”
Noreen was still in shock as she soothed the baby and Doris went to find the essentials they would need to take care of him.
“You poor little thing,” Noreen said to him while heating water to give him a bath. It had obviously been some time since the infant had been clean and had a full belly.
Soon Dominic and Luigi stopped in after working in the new shop extension.
“Look what Smokey found in an abandoned building!” Noreen said as she turned and showed them this newly cleaned little boy.
“Oh my!” the men proclaimed in unison.
Eugene told them how the boy was found, and he gave all the credit to Smokey for not giving up when he showed Eugene the door that needed to be opened.
“Just think, he would have died if Smokey hadn’t found him!”
At the end of the day when everyone met at the shop, Ellen and Ruth got their first look at the newest member of their family.
“He still needs a name too,” said Ruth.
“I think he was left there on purpose, otherwise there would have been evidence of others there, but there was nothing,” Eugene said. “An orphanage is not the answer; we all know they are not the most caring of places.”
Ruth broke out in a big grin. “Eugene dear husband to be, I know we will be married soon, but it would be nice to also give this little one a home too.”
“That sounds good,” Doris said. “But since you are not married yet, Noreen, Ellen and I can take care of him until you are married and ready to start an instant family!”
Doris waited for her answer, and when she looked at Eugene, h
e nodded in approval of the plan.
“So,” Doris started. “What are you going to name this beautiful baby?”
Ruth thought about it, and finally she spoke. “His name is Gabriel.”
Everyone agreed it was a good name for this miracle child, given that the child would not have been found were it not for God’s guidance.
The next three weeks flew by as they made the necessary decisions for the factory and chocolate shop, as well as the upcoming Christmas wedding.
As Christmas drew closer, Luigi received a letter from his sister Gina, and when he brought it to the store to show it to them he was grinning ear to ear after reading it.
“What is in that letter that has you so happy, my friend? Dominic asked.
“It is from my sister Gina!” he said. “She is going to be on her way here and should be here by the end of the week!”
Luigi was very happy to know the rest of his family would be arriving soon and they would be together again. They’d been quite close growing up, and he missed being able to talk to her whenever he wanted to.
But there was still much to do.
“I am so excited to have another little one around!” Doris said when they were finally able to take a break. “And you, Ruth, you are getting a ready-made family, including the dog!
Ruth giggled and said, “You know, I thank God every night in my prayers for bringing me to the best life I could ever wish for or have!”
The wedding preparations continued, and Gabriel began to thrive from the ongoing care he was receiving. Smokey became his unofficial guardian, and it was love at first sight for the two young ones, a friendship that would last a very long time!
While preparing a new batch of chocolates, Ruth and Noreen had a chance to talk.
“So, Ruth said. “I wonder what happened to Gabe’s parents? Being hidden away in an abandoned house, he almost lost his life and if not for Smokey, he would have.”
“He is truly a gift from God! Maybe his parents just couldn’t care for him any longer? Or maybe they met with an accident of some sort while going out to get food for the baby. He was found with nothing at all, no clothes or food with him.”
Ruth and Noreen continued working on the new treats to get them ready for sampling when the men came home at the end of the day.
They ate at Doris’s house, setting the table, and the hungry group dug in as soon as prayers were said. Ruth commented on their appetites, and Eugene just smiled.
“We enjoy the talents of our marvelous women, who can cook like angels and keep us well fed and happy!”
They continued talking about the factory and how well everything was coming along, and when the meal was done they went outside to sit on the porch and enjoy the sunset.
Gabriel and Smokey enjoyed getting dirty, for the baby was already beginning to crawl, and Smokey didn’t even mind when he dumped dirt on his beautiful spotted coat!
When the sun was nearly down, it was Doris who first realized that their brief period of relaxation was about to end.
“I think we have all had quite a busy day, and tomorrow always comes too fast.” The happy group said their good nights and went home for the evening.
The next day was rainy, leaving the streets muddy and pitted from the horses and wagons. Doris scooped up the baby for his bath, and when she was done she took him to the shop for the day.
Eugene stopped by shortly after she arrived, and he seemed most concerned for some reason.
“I know I am not supposed to ask,” he said. “But does Ruth have something special she is wishing for? I really want to surprise my bride with an amazing gift this Christmas.”
Doris thought for a moment before she spoke.
“You are the best present she could have, you and Gabriel that is!”
He nodded. “She is the best thing to happen to me in a very long time, and I intend to make her happy for the rest of our lives. Gabriel, and Smokey simply complete an amazing family picture I never thought I would see. But, for the grace of God, I am able to experience it, and I am most thankful.”
Meanwhile, Luigi had another matter to deal with that was more pressing for him. His sister’s stagecoach arrived several days before the wedding, and she was the only passenger.
She rushed into his arms, and Luigi smiled as they held each other tightly.
“It has been too long,” he said simply.
He knew she was crying tears of joy now that they were back together, and Luigi waited patiently for her to speak. “It is good to be back together in one place,” she finally said.
He then took her to the chocolate shop.
“Everything smells so wonderful here!” said Gina while she wandered through the aisles of chocolates that Doris and Noreen had been making all day.
There was so much to taste and enjoy, but Gina also knew she was tired from her trip. Doris invited her to stay with them until she found a place of her own, although Luigi was more than willing to do that as well.
Gina got to meet everyone over breakfast the next morning and she was happy that everyone was so friendly to a stranger in their midst. She beamed with happiness, realizing that her “family” now extended beyond her brother.
Then they went to the shop, so that Gina could see the how the chocolates were created.
“There is always something new that we add on top of the selections from the past years, that way there is plenty to choose from and loads of variety!” Doris said with a smile.
Noreen told Gina about the places she had been since coming to this new land, and she told them about coming here with a family who needed a nanny for their children.
After that they discussed the wedding plans.
“I wish we could see her dress," Doris said “ It would make planning a lot easier if we had an idea of the centerpiece of the wedding.”
“I know, that would make this a lot easier,” Noreen said. “But she insists on the secrecy!”
They decided to make chocolate snowballs as the centerpieces for the tables, and Doris pointed out that they would nicely set off the white table cloths.
“It will look like snow, which is something none of us have seen in a very long time,” she said.
“Ok,” Noreen said. “Now, let’s get back to work on our custom Christmas treats for the shop!”
They began adding new ingredients to their chocolates to experiment with new flavors and items to add to the chocolate to showcase the holiday season, and for new items in the shop after the holidays.
Ruth came in an hour later, and she had a huge bag with her. “I have something to show you two!” she exclaimed.
Doris and Noreen looked up and gasped in awe when she opened the bag and showed them her amazing wedding dress.
“It isn’t quite finished yet,” Ruth said. “There are still a few little things left to add, so I was hoping you two could lend a hand maybe a couple nights after the shop is closed?”
“Sure!” Doris and Noreen said in unison. The dress was beautiful; it was snow white and satiny with a high waist and modest neckline. The lacy outer skirt was floor length and embroidered with tiny flowers, and each had a pearl in the center. This gown was a real work of art, and it wasn’t finished yet!
The work began that night, and they were able to get away at night by telling their husbands they were creating new treats and putting together the wedding feast.
Ruth explained what was still needed. “I need to finish hemming up the bottom and try it on, so one of you can make sure it fits right. We can alter it after that if we have to.”
Then they went to work on the veil, designing it in the same fashion with embroidered flowers.
While they worked, Doris asked her where she’d gotten such a gorgeous dress.
“I made it,” Ruth replied. “I had plenty of time while living in Colorado so I gathered the fabric and materials and slowly began sewing it together, and then I hand embroidered each of the flowers and put a pearl in each one.”
“My goodness!” Noreen exclaimed. “You are an amazing seamstress, Eugene will be amazed with this talent you are bringing to our town!”
“I do enjoy sewing, Ruth said. “This was a project that I knew someday I would wear so I wanted it to be just right!”
Ruth continued, “I am also looking forward to learning all about the chocolates and bread making too, I have some experience with baking, but none when it comes to candy.”
“I am so lucky to have my good friends who wanted me to come here!” We are all going to have a marvelous life here in San Francisco!”
“Well, judging by all of the decorations out, and the trees being brought through town, we aren’t going to have much time to get this dress ready,” Doris said, slightly concerned.
“We are honored that you have let us help you on this beautiful gown,” Doris and Noreen said when it was done.
Then they turned their attention to the food—desserts first, of course!
Ellen volunteered to bake the wedding cake and they were waiting for her to meet them in the shop to fill her in on what was going on and get a progress report on the cake.
“Hi everyone,” Ellen said when she came into the shop with Smokey and Gabriel in tow. “I see you brought our favorite little boy and his guardian with you tonight!”
All three girls greeted Gabriel before settling him down with some toys.
“My,” Doris exclaimed, “he is getting so big so fast!”
Ruth watched the boy playing tug of war with Smokey before turning back to the business at hand.
“I am so excited to have found such great friends, well sisters really, and an amazing husband to be! I thank God every night for the amazing life I have been given!”
Doris, Noreen and Ellen all agreed, nodding at their good fortune.
“We have certainly hit gold with our amazing partners, much more than Sutter’s Mill could ever bring!” Noreen said.
The town sparkled with all the decorations in the store fronts, and Eugene and Ruth enjoyed strolling around just to see the pretty decorations in all the stores.
While they were out, Ruth reminded him they had a little boy they would need to buy presents for.
Christmas Miracles: Mega Mail Order Bride 20-Book Box Set: Multi-Author Box Set Page 82