Dog Tags for Christmas

by Lindsay McKenna

  Lady’s head popped up. Surprised, Nick grinned as the big Lab, who had been curled on his side of the bed, unwound and stood up. She stretched out on the rug.

  “Good morning to you too,” he said, laughter in his voice. Lady had apparently accepted him because she came over, wagging that thick, whippy tail of hers, standing next to Snowflake. Her eyes were gold-hued, and he could see what looked like pure joy radiating out to him.

  Holly stirred and murmured some words he couldn’t make out. Sitting up, Nick turned his attention to her as she struggled upright, the bedcovers falling around her waist.

  “Are the dogs okay?” she asked, her voice hoarse with sleep as she scrubbed her eyes.

  “Oh, I think they are. Take a look over on my side of the bed,” he suggested, his voice tipped with humor.

  Holly scooted over next to him. “Oh!” she cried out. “They’re both in here!”

  Lady instantly moved toward her, and Holly lifted her hand and leaned across Nick in order to pat her head. The Lab came forward, licking her fingers hello, her tail wagging furiously.

  “How did they get in here?” she asked sleepily, sitting up, pushing the hair away from her face.

  “Remember I said I was going to crack the door open when we went to bed, just in case one of them started whining or wanting out?”

  “Oh,” she said, scooting out of the bed, “that’s right. They must have come in sometime during the night to sleep with us.”

  Nick climbed out of bed, being respectful of the distance that Lady gave him as she backed off a bit. At least she didn’t look wary of him. “They both slept on the braided rug over here on my side of the bed,” he told her.

  “Why don’t you feed them while I get a quick shower?” she asked, halting at the door to the bathroom.

  “Go ahead,” Nick said. He knew Holly would need at least three cups of coffee and a hot shower to wake up. She was a deep sleeper, unlike him. But then, she didn’t have PTSD, like he did. As he padded barefoot to the other bathroom down the hall, both dogs following him, he smiled. Just sleeping with Holly nightly was helping his PTSD to dissolve even more. Sometimes he got nightmares, but they were coming fewer and further between, because of her. He loved her. And Nick could hardly wait for when they had their own breakfast later here at the apartment. There was a special surprise he had for Holly. What would she think? How would she react?

  After a quick shower, Nick dressed and made his way into the kitchen. No surprise that each dog was on either side of the food mat, waiting expectantly for food. Grinning, he told them, “I need another dog bowl!” Lady thumped her tail and Snowflake’s butt wriggled. Both dogs looked rooted to the food mat. Nick wondered if Snowflake had told the Lab that this was where he ate daily.

  He turned on the kitchen oven to two-hundred degrees Fahrenheit and put all the aluminum containers that held breakfast for the elders into the oven. He’d warm them upstairs, instead of in the oven in their charity kitchen. It would take half an hour for them to be warmed up. He put the ten pumpkin muffins into another container. There was a lot to remember to take along for their meals, so he did that first.

  Then it was time to feed the dogs. Nick decided to take the other six pieces of fried bacon in the fridge and divide them equally between the two dogs. Lady got twice as much kibble as Snowflake, but she was an eighty-pound dog beside his fifty pounds. For the first time, Nick got a good look at Lady’s ruffed up neck area, seeing how the fur was twisted. He leaned over within six-inches of her, sliding the bowl in her direction. She did not flinch, nor did she have a distrustful reaction to him.

  It was a Christmas miracle indeed, Nick decided, giving Snowflake his bowl of kibble with the bacon over the top of it. Searching through a cupboard, he found a huge, heavy plastic salad bowl and filled it with water. While the dogs ate, he set it between them.

  As he prepared Holly’s crucial morning coffee, he enjoyed hearing the sound of the dogs eating nearby. Checking the clock, he knew Holly would be out of the shower shortly. Flipping on the switch for the coffee, he started getting the two oven warmers prepared. As he laid them out on the table, he heard Holly come in.

  “Mmmmm, the coffee smells wonderful.”

  “It’s almost ready. Hey, look at the dogs.”

  Holly stood near the sink and poured the coffee when it was ready, cup in hand, watching them eat. Lady had already finished and was slurping down the water from the makeshift bowl. “She’s so happy, Nick.”

  He lifted his head after unzipping the two warmers. “So are we.”

  “Is she wary of you at all?”

  “No. I haven’t tried to pet her, though. I’m going to leave that up to her. Now, I need to get them outside to do their morning business.”

  Holly smiled as he called both dogs and they left their emptied food bowls, trotting smartly after him. She loved the clacking of their paws on the wooden floor as he took them to the door.

  “I’m going out with them,” Nick called to her. “We’ll be right back.”

  “Wear a coat!” she called. “It’s freezing out there, Nick.” She heard him laugh as he opened the door and then, a scrambling of doggie feet, and the door shutting. Pouring herself another cup of coffee, she saw that Nick had the food warming in the oven for their elders. She sipped the hot, black coffee, humming happily. First, they would feed their shut-ins, make sure they were warm and safe, then come home and make their own Christmas breakfast. Outside, snowflakes were twirling and falling, but the nasty, cutting wind was gone. It was a perfect, Christmas-card morning!

  Chapter Nine

  Nick tried to still his anxiety as he and Holly finished up their Christmas breakfast at ten a.m. All the elders had enjoyed a wonderful breakfast earlier and were grateful, but missed Snowflake, whom they loved to pat. Holly explained about Lady coming indoors, and they all wanted her to come with Snowflake to be loved and adored, too. Nick promised that in time, if Lady wanted to come along, Holly would introduce the Lab to them.

  Outside, it was fifteen degrees below zero and nothing stirred outdoors. He had kept Snowflake at home in the apartment with Lady in order to keep her company so she wouldn’t panic at being closed in, without any visible escape.

  When they arrived back at the apartment, the two dogs were in the living room near the fireplace that had died down to red, glowing embers. Then, Nick had taken both dogs out to do their business. Once they were finished, they were more than happy to race back into the apartment and get inside where it was warm. He’d rebuilt the fire and they remained close to it.

  Holly had put on Christmas music and was humming away as she set the table for him. He had cooking duties today and made them a festive omelet of red and green, chopped sweet bell peppers, some shredded, sharp-cheddar cheese, and a touch of crushed basil leaves.

  “Lady is really making herself at home, don’t you think?” Holly said, coming and leaning against the counter near Nick.

  “Yes, it has kind of taken me aback. I guess I expected her to continue to be wary of me, but she doesn’t seem to be.” He flipped the huge omelet over in the skillet.

  Holly placed the plates next to the stove for him. “I think she made up her mind a few days ago that you were safe and could be trusted,” she said. “When she smelled your face, neck, and shoulders, it was as though she was imprinting you into her heart.”

  Happily, Nick cut the omelet in two, placing half on each of their awaiting plates. The toast popped up and Holly quickly buttered the sourdough bread, adding it to their plates. “I’m just surprised, is all. Glad, for sure. I know Snowflake has been the role model for her, and that’s a big positive. He’s the alpha male in their relationship, so it makes sense she would follow him wherever he goes. Ready to eat?” He topped each of the omelets with a dollop of sour cream.

  “I’m starved!” Her eyes twinkled. “Besides, after we eat, we get to open presents!”

  “You’re such a child,” he teased, pulling her chair out for he
r to sit on.

  “And I bring out the child in you,” Holly laughed, sitting down.

  Nick noticed that Snowflake came in with Lady. Both dogs went to Snowflake’s bed in the corner of the kitchen. The shepherd liked his scraps put in his doggy bowl after they ate. Smiling, Nick sat down at Holly’s elbow. “So as a kid, did you sleep at all the night before Christmas?”

  “No, I never did. I was always getting up, sneaking downstairs to peek from the bannister to see how many packages had been left under our tree.” She gave him a wistful look. “They were all good memories.”

  “Well, we’re starting a new Christmas morning routine for ourselves. I know it can’t replace your family, but,” and Nick pointed his chin in the direction of the dogs, “we have our own four-legged family with us now.”

  “And that’s wonderful,” Holly assured him, smiling at Snowflake and Lady. “One of the gifts under the tree is a knitted dog collar for her. I know she’s touchy about the middle of her neck because of the past, but I did something special for her collar.”

  Nick dug into the tasty breakfast. “I’ve seen you working on it in the evening.”

  “Yes, I made it a lot larger so that it will lie at the base of her neck and against her shoulders. I made it real loose. I thought we might be able to get it on her tomorrow when we saw her in the alley, but now, that’s all changed.”

  “Yeah,” Nick chuckled, “she came home to us.” He saw Holly’s eyes dance with merriment.

  “Maybe after we open our gifts we can work with Lady and try to get her comfortable with that special collar. It’s very lightweight. And I sewed on a red felt backing so that it wouldn’t twist or pull out of shape.”

  “Sure, but you know, Holly, she’s your dog.” Nick knew because he was male that Lady would always have some distrust of him. “I’ll just talk you through how best to do it, all right?”

  “Okay. You really think Lady isn’t going to eventually like you, too?”

  “She might. We don’t know her past or how damaged she was by a man or men. I hope she will. She gets along so well with Snowflake; they act as if they’re inseparable.”

  “Sort of like us, huh?” she asked with a shy smile.

  His heart thudded with love for her, grateful for the gleaming look in her blue eyes that told Nick she loved him. His throat tightening, he reached out, squeezing her hand. “Yes, just like us.”

  “Maybe Lady came into our lives as a symbol of what is to come,” she mused. “I always believed in synchronicity. Snowflake went out and got her yesterday because he knew how cold it was. He must have known she would trust and follow him to our apartment, that everything would be all right for her.”

  Nick gave his shepherd a warm look. “He’s scary smart. There were so many times in Afghanistan when I could literally feel our minds joining one another when we were out on patrol. I could feel Snowflake thinking, shifting, and analyzing what was around him, whether it was safe or dangerous.”

  “I have that same connection with Lady!” she said, amazed. “When we’re together, I can feel her. Literally, I can, Nick. That’s just incredible!”

  “That’s why I said she’s your dog. You two clicked with one another from the first time you laid eyes on each other.” He smiled, finishing off his breakfast. “Are you about ready to open gifts?” he teased, knowing full well, she was.

  “Yep,” she said, popping the last of the eggs into her mouth. “Let me get us coffee first, okay?”

  “Sure,” he said, standing and taking the plates from the table. Nick made sure he’d left a bit of his egg and toast for both dogs. He had brought in Snowflake’s secondary water bowl, which would be Lady’s food bowl for now until he could buy her a proper one for her size after Christmas.

  Holly poured the coffee, watching as Nick placed the tidbits into the two bowls. He called the dogs over and they leaped off the bed, scrambling across the kitchen to their food station. She laughed, handing Nick his coffee after he put the plates and flatware into the dishwasher. “Well, that was gone in three seconds.”

  “Doesn’t last long,” he agreed, sipping the coffee. “Ready?”

  “Yes, let’s go,” Holly urged. She called the two dogs and they happily followed them out of the kitchen and into the living room. She sat down and placed her cup on the nearby lampstand next to the sofa. Lady sat on her right, Snowflake on her left. Nick brought up the gifts, laying the one for Lady near her. He placed a large box wrapped in silver foil and red ribbon into Holly’s lap.

  She felt excitement sizzling through her as Nick sat down nearby, all the gifts distributed. He seemed so much lighter. Happier, maybe? “You go first,” she said.

  Nick opened up a gold, foil wrapped box. Inside was a knitted, dark-green sweater. It was thick and heavy, well made, and he drew it out, settling it against his chest. “I think it fits,” he said. “And I can sure use it. Thank you.”

  Reaching over, Holly smoothed it out. “Perfect. It goes with the color of your eyes. Did you realize that?”

  “No,” Nick said, “but I believe you. This is going to get a lot of wear.” He reached over, kissing her gently, threading his fingers through her loose hair. “I’m afraid what I got you isn’t handmade by me,” he said, drawing away from her, motioning to the box sitting in her lap.

  “Oh, no worries about that,” she said, tearing into the wrapping.

  Laughing, Nick said, “You take no prisoners, Holly.” And she didn’t, ripping the paper apart with the joy of an excited child.

  Holly gave a squeal of delight, her lips parting as she drew up a smaller box. “A camera!” she gushed, giving him a look of disbelief.

  “A real one,” he intoned, trying not to grin. “You were always taking photos of our elders, of me, Snowflake, and pretty landscapes with your cell phone. I talked it over with my mom one day and she said you’d been pining away for a camera but didn’t have the money to get the one you wanted.” His voice lowered with emotion. “She said you wanted a Canon D7 camera. That’s what it is, Holly. Now you can take great photos for your Delos website and your blog.”

  Holly set the box on the coffee table after standing. She went over and sat on his lap, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders. “You are so magical to me, Nick Conway! I love you so much!” She crushed her lips against his, kissing him long and deep, hearing him groan in appreciation as his arms wrapped tightly around her. As his hands ranged across her back, she pressed herself totally against him, luxuriating in his masculinity, as his mouth took command and sought hers with equal hunger.

  Finally, they separated. When they did, both dogs were standing in front of them, wagging their tails.

  Nick laughed.

  Holly giggled. “Look at them! See that look in their eyes? They know we want to go make love!”

  “Well,” Nick said, his smile growing as he reached beneath a pillow at the end of the couch, “let’s wait until after you open this gift.” He produced a gold, foil-wrapped gift box with a red ribbon on it. Placing it in her hand, he settled Holly into the circle of his arms so she could lean against him as she opened it. “What? You’re not going to rip into it like you did the other one?” he gloated, smiling up in her gaze.

  “This is an awfully small gift, Nick.” She carefully looked it over between her hands.

  “My mom always told me the best gifts came in the smallest packages. Go ahead, open it, sweetheart.”

  She gave him a warm, caressing look and settled back into his embrace, never happier than at this moment. Her lips tingled and she could taste Nick on them. She just loved his male scent—she could never get enough of it. “Any hints, Conway?”

  “You gotta be joking. You’re too smart, Ms. McGuire. You’d ferret it out with your clairvoyant powers if I ever gave you the slightest of hints.”

  She snorted and kissed his brow. “Spoilsport,” she chanted as she thoughtfully pulled the tape off it, untied the bow, and set them aside. When she opened it, there was a
blue velvet box and Holly swore it was the same color as her eyes, or almost. A gasp escaped her as she held it up to him. “This is a ring box!”

  Gently easing it from her fingers, Nick said, “It sure is. Come here, lean up against me. I’ll open it for you.” Holly nestled into him, her body fitting against his. Prying the box open, he turned it so she could really see what was inside.

  “Oh!” Holly cried, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes huge as she stared down at the wedding-ring set. “Oh, Nick!” She turned, looking down at him.

  “What? You don’t like them?” he asked, suddenly feeling unsure.

  “No . . . no, are you kidding? I love them! They’re beautiful!” She began sobbing with pure joy, burying her head against his, her arms wrapping around his neck, holding him so tightly.

  Nick didn’t expect that reaction. He closed the case and set it aside, wanting to hold Holly, whose tears were soaking his neck and shoulder. Sliding his hand against her back and shaking shoulders, he thought that maybe, because she had lost her family, she never expected to marry.

  Nick simply didn’t know why she’d had that reaction, and wasn’t about to go there. Holly was easily touched, there was no question. But he’d never had her cry like this, the sobs wrenching and so deep, tearing up and out of her soul. He buried his face in her sweet-smelling, red hair and rocked her gently in his arms, wanting to soothe whatever pain she was feeling. And it was clear to Nick that it was pain.

  Gradually, the tears dissolved and she became quiet, her head nestled against his neck and jaw. It felt good to be able to give Holly the love that she wanted. “Better?” he asked, pressing a kiss to her temple. He felt her nod, heard her swallow several times, her breath still ragged with emotions.

  “I never want anything more than you. Do you know that, Holly?” Nick squeezed her gently. “You’re my new life—the life I’ve always wanted, but never dared dream about. It’s you. You’re like a beam of light into my dark heart. Your smile, your laughter, your thoughtfulness, they pierce my soul, and it’s healing me a little at a time. You need to know these things. I know we don’t talk on this level very often, but you’re healing to me and I hope I am healing for you, too.”