“Not at all,” Pru said, unable to resist throwing a take that look at David, who was, to his credit, giving Buttercup a treat. “Hey, David,” she called. When he looked up, she added a smile. “Merry Christmas!”
His response was slow and a little grudging, but even Scrooge had to nod. “Happy Holidays, young lady.” Then a smile grew. “You really should go to law school.”
She laughed as they walked out of the pet store, and she was a little surprised to see Gramma Finnie and Yiayia talking to Lucas.
“Is the Santa stalking all done?” she asked under her breath as she brought the reporter over.
“’Tis done, lass.” Gramma Finnie gave Yiayia a look Pru didn’t quite understand, but she was used to these two speaking in a secret, silent language. And she didn’t even want to ask about the plant Gramma Finnie was holding. “And I understand Tor saved the day.”
“He had some help from Pru,” Lucas added graciously.
“And this fine lad has agreed to have Christmas Eve dinner with us at Waterford Farm tonight.” Gramma Finnie beamed with the news that somehow didn’t surprise Pru at all. Thrill? Yes. Surprise? Not a bit.
“You okay with that?” he asked Pru quickly. “Because if you’ve had enough of me and Tor…”
“Oh, no. I mean, yes. Have dinner with the whole family. And if you think we’re crazy, wait until you see the Irish drink and the Greeks dance. And that’s before Midnight Mass, which of course, you can skip—”
“I’d love to go.”
She blinked at him, one hundred percent certain that the very last thing she could have dreamed would happen tonight would be Lucas Darling accompanying her whole family to Midnight Mass. “Really?”
He smiled and leaned closer, whispering in her ear, “I went every year with Drina.”
“You did? Well, then, this is perfect. You can go with us, and Tor will be well taken care of in the luxury kennels of Waterford Farm.”
Before he could answer, the reporter got right in front of him with her microphone. “Young man, could you tell us what this RACK IT UP program is all about?”
“Sure, but this girl here is the one who organized it.” He put his arm around Pru, and they faced the camera together.
“Is this your girlfriend?” the reporter asked.
“Um…” He looked down at her. “Not yet.” He added a secret wink, and all the butterflies went flat-out crazy.
Chapter Fourteen
Waterford Farm never looked merrier than it did when completely decked out for a family Christmas Eve. Agnes couldn’t help but admire the creative designs and festive decorations done by the woman who’d once been married to Agnes’s dearly departed son, Nico. No longer Katie Santorini, she was now Finnie’s daughter-in-law, married to Daniel Kilcannon.
“You having fun, Yiayia?” Katie asked, pausing on her way to the kitchen. “You look a little glum for Christmas Eve.”
Yiayia managed a smile. “I’m fine, Katie.” She reached out and put a hand on the other woman’s arm. “Merry Christmas, sweetie.”
Katie’s eyes flickered. No doubt she was taken aback by the endearment, what with the acrimonious relationship they’d had as mother-in-law and-daughter-in-law. “Merry Christmas, Yiayia.”
With another smile, Agnes glanced around, her gaze landing on Finnie, who sat on the sofa in the massive family room, with Gala on her lap and Pyggie at her feet. Agnes joined her, petting both dogs after she set her drink on the coffee table.
“I saw ye chattin’ with Katie,” Finnie said.
“She said I look glum. It’s just the Botox won’t let me smile.”
Finnie snorted a laugh. “You don’t need that poison, lass.” She leaned closer to whisper over the family commotion, “Are ye thinkin’ about him?”
“Actually, no,” Agnes said. “I was thinking about this incredible Kilcannon and Mahoney and Santorini family that you and I preside over.”
“Shall we start planning our next match, then? I mean, if it’s not going to be you?”
Agnes chuckled. “It was never going to be me.”
“Are ye sure you’re not too disappointed about Aldo?”
“I’m sure, Finnie.” She reached for her ouzo and waited for Finnie to get her shot of Jameson’s. “To the very best friend I’ve ever had. Merry Christmas, Finola.”
“Merry Christmas, Agnes.”
Just as their glasses clinked, a cheer went up from a group gathered around the television. Agnes and Finnie got a little closer to see through the crowd that formed a big semicircle in front of the large flat screen.
“Here we go!” Molly, Pru’s mother, shifted her young Danny from one hip to the other, her eyes bright. “It’s on now!”
A hush fell over the room as the local news anchor introduced the story with the words on the screen saying Mall Madness Leads to Kindness! That earned another big cheer from the family.
“While many people love to brag about being finished with their Christmas shopping in November,” the reporter said, “the crowds at Vestal Village Mall today proved that’s not the case for everyone. And what a treat those folks had today, courtesy of two local teenagers and one rambunctious greyhound who saved a lost puppy and brought smiles to dozens of faces.”
Another cheer, and Agnes leaned a little to the right to see past two of her tall grandsons to where Lucas and Pru stood, sharing a quick glance. Maybe not so quick. That was definitely extended eye contact.
“Oh, Finnie, look,” she whispered, putting an arm around her friend’s narrow shoulders to ease her closer so she could see. “Look at their hands.”
Their knuckles touched, then Lucas slyly curled his fingers around Pru’s hand, secretly holding it as the story continued, the camera zooming in on one of Finnie’s Christmas notes stuck to Tor’s nose, to the delight of a little boy.
“Look at your work on TV, Finn.”
“Look at your work holding hands, Agnes.” She dropped her snowy white head on Agnes’s shoulder. “The Dogmothers strike again.”
Yet another cheer interrupted them as the reporter showered Bitter Bark High School students with praise for their efforts and told the audience that the winner of the RACK IT UP contest would be announced later tonight. Also, the local TV station would be covering the Winter Formal that the winning school would be enjoying in January.
“That winning school won’t be us,” Pru told them all after the story was finished, and the cheering quieted. “The final tally is in already.” She waved her phone and shrugged. “Holly Hills beat us by forty points, but we came in second. Sadly, no dance for second place.”
“But Bitter Bark came out smelling like a rose,” Molly said as the group began to break up into smaller conversations.
“Speaking of roses.” Agnes reached to the table next to her, where she’d placed her origami flower from a man whose last name meant flower. “I do have this little gift to appreciate.”
Finnie took it from her and twirled it. “’Tis very telling, this rose.”
“Telling of what?”
“It says something about a man with the patience and skill to do something like this. And so fast and secretly.” She winked. “Bet he’s good with his hands.”
“Finola!” Agnes waved her hand with a laugh at the very second Finnie used the paper rose to underscore her meaning. In a flash, Agnes’s long nail caught one of the petals and accidentally unfolded it. “Oh!”
“I’m so sorry!” Finnie exclaimed as the flower fanned open and lost its shape. “Agnes, how clumsy of me!”
“No, no, it was my fault.”
“See?” Finnie looked at her. “You’re a changed woman, Agnes.”
“Hush!” she said on a laugh as she fingered the ruined origami. “I’ll lose all my power in this family if they’re not scared of…” Her voice trailed off as she looked at the paper. “Finnie. I can read what he wrote now.”
Finnie sat up, excited, then took off her glasses—the good ones that weren’t crooked. “Here. You’ll
need to borrow these.”
Agnes slid them on and smoothed the page to read what Aldo Fiore had written.
When you’re ready for romance, call me. I promise I’ll be in the garden and not in jail. Aldo
She read the words again and again, soaking them up. “What does this mean?” she whispered.
Finnie snorted a laugh. “It means he is forgiving, romantic, patient, and has a sense of humor.”
That made Agnes smile.
“It also means he’ll make a very nice boyfriend…if that’s what you want.”
“I don’t know what I want,” Agnes admitted, fanning herself with the paper. “But I don’t hate the idea of finding out.” She turned and looked down at Finnie. “As long as you know that you can never, ever be replaced.”
“I know.” Finnie patted her arm and jutted her chin toward the door as Pru and Lucas, hand in hand, stepped outside into the chilly night where the very first snowflakes danced in the beam of the porch light. “But I do believe the Dogmothers are about to see a little less of that lass in the coming days.”
When they disappeared out the door, at least half of the family turned to Finnie and Agnes with wide eyes and questioning looks, none more intense than Molly’s and Trace’s.
“What exactly happened at that mall today?” Molly asked them.
“You saw the news report, lass,” Finnie said.
Trace put his arm around Molly. “And we just saw our daughter holding hands with a boy.”
“A very nice boy,” Agnes said. “With a good heart.”
“He does seem nice,” Molly agreed. “But…”
“Don’t judge him by his looks,” Finnie warned, pointing a playful finger at Trace. “If we’d have been counting tattoos instead of your fine qualities, lad, would you even be standing here today?”
Over the laughter, Trace conceded that with a tip of his head. “You’re right, Gramma. But she’s so young.”
“And has her head on straighter than some people three times her age,” Agnes said. “Let her have a little fun, Dad.”
“We are,” Molly assured them. “We were just wondering how this happened.”
Finnie and Agnes high-fived. “Well, we are the Dogmothers.”
As the family reacted with laughter and rolled eyes, Agnes turned to look out the window, past a candle, to where Pru and Lucas stood on the covered patio, facing each other as Lucas helped her slide into his leather jacket.
Watching them for a moment, she leaned in to whisper to Finnie, “I wonder if they know they’re under the mistletoe.”
* * *
Pru snuggled into the butter-soft leather, the smell already deeply embedded in her memory bank, where she’d surely call it up many nights so she could remember this one. She looked up at Lucas, finally used to the insane thrill that being this close to him sent over her whole body.
“So, now you’ve met them all. The Kilcannons, Mahoneys, and Santorinis,” she said. “That’s my crew.”
“And the Bancrofts,” he added.
“Oh, yeah. I always forget we have a different last name.”
“Your dad is so cool. I loved the way he handled Tor when we took him into the kennel.”
“I told you, he’s amazing with dogs. He could make Tor a therapy dog.”
“He already is,” Lucas said, glancing toward the kennels. “Helped heal me, mostly.”
Pru smiled, rubbing the leather. “And now he’s the most famous dog in Vestal Valley County,” she said, studying Lucas’s face for a minute, not even trying to hide how much she liked to look at it. After all, he was kind of looking at her the exact same way.
“What is it?” she asked on a laugh when the mutual studying seemed to go on a few seconds past comfortable.
“I was just wondering.”
“Wondering what?”
“How come you didn’t have a bunch of friends to go RACKing with today. You’re pretty popular, and I’m surprised a girl like you ended up alone.”
She was getting used to the fact that he’d been noticing her since he’d arrived at Bitter Bark High, but the idea still gave her a little shiver of satisfaction.
“They have boyfriends,” she said simply, “and decided to spend the day with them.”
“But you don’t?”
She bit her lip, eyeing him, remembering what he’d said to the reporter when she’d asked if Pru was his girlfriend. Not yet. “No,” she said softly. “Wanna know the truth?”
“Always.”
“I’ve never had a boyfriend, and I’ve never been—”
“Pru.” The door burst open, and her mom was there, holding out Pru’s phone. “Your phone’s blowing up. Do you want it?”
She wasn’t sure if the interruption was on purpose, but she and Mom would talk about it all later in great detail, she had no doubt. “Sure,” she said, stepping away from Lucas to get the phone. “Thanks, Mom. We’ll be back in soon. Did we start the presents?”
“It’ll be a while until we start unwrapping. But you don’t want to miss Gramma Finnie lighting the candle in the living room window and telling us how the Irish invite strangers.”
Pru laughed and glanced at Lucas. “Honestly, you do not want to miss that.”
“I don’t,” he agreed.
When Mom closed the door, Pru lifted her phone and tapped the screen, doing a little double take at the long list of texts. “Whoa. It is blowing…holy cow.”
“What? Is everything okay?”
“Lucas!” She looked up at him, practically dancing. “We won! Bitter Bark High won the RACK IT UP contest!”
“I thought the points were counted already.”
“One of the judges saw the news!” She grabbed his arm and gave a squeeze. “They gave us fifty points for the Tor Tidings and saving the puppy!”
“Really?” He seemed as genuinely excited as she was. “We won? We really won?”
“Because of you!”
“Because of us,” he added, putting his arms around her for a celebratory hug. Maybe a celebratory hug. Maybe just…an embrace. “And Tor.”
“Feliz naughty dog.” Laughter bubbled up as she let him pull her in a little closer and looked up into his eyes.
“You know what this means, don’t you?”
That she might actually melt like those first few snowflakes floating through the air. “What does it mean?”
“We’re having a Winter Formal.”
“I guess we are.”
He added a little pressure, leaving no doubt that this was an embrace, not just a friendly hug. “And I bet your friends are going with their boyfriends again.”
She tried to breathe, but honestly? It wasn’t easy. “Yeah, they will.”
“Then why don’t you go with yours?”
Forget breathing, she couldn’t even think for a second. “Mine.”
“Prudence Bancroft…” He dipped his head a little closer, letting that stray lock of dark hair fall over his brow. “Would you go to the Winter Formal with me?”
She gave in to another shiver, and he had to have felt it. “Yes, Lucas Darling, I would like to do that.”
He smiled, not making any move to let go of her. “Now what were you going to tell me before your mom came out? You’ve never had a boyfriend, and you’ve never been…what?”
“You know.” She closed her eyes with a soft laugh.
“Then look up.” He pointed above them, and she lifted her face to see the green cluster of leaves with a red ribbon hanging from the patio covering. “I saw it on the way in,” he admitted.
“And that’s why you wanted to come outside and see the snowfall?”
He closed a little bit of the space between their faces, holding her gaze. “Yes,” he said quietly right before his lips brushed hers in the softest, sweetest, most perfect first kiss she could have ever imagined.
“Wow. Was that another Random Act of Christmas Kindness?” she asked breathlessly.
“The first of many more, I hope.”
He gave a sly smile. “Let’s go tell Tor we won.”
Laughing, they stepped out into the snowflakes, arm in arm.
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The Dogfather Series
Sit…Stay…Beg – book one
New Leash on Life – book two
Leader of the Pack – book three
Santa Paws is Coming to Town – book four (a holiday novella)
Bad to the Bone – book five
Ruff Around the Edges – book six
Double Dog Dare – book seven
Bark! The Herald Angels Sing – book eight (a holiday novella)
Old Dog New Tricks – book nine
The Dogmothers Series
Hot Under the Collar – book one
Three Dog Night – book two
Dachshund Through the Snow – book three (a holiday novella)
Chasing Tail – book four
Hush, Puppy – book five
Man’s Best Friend – book six
Feliz Naughty Dog – book seven (a holiday novella)
And more to come!
For a complete list, buy links, and reading order of all my books, visit www.roxannestclaire.com. Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to find out when the next book is released! And join the private Dogfather Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/roxannestclairereaders/ for inside info on all the books and characters, sneak peeks, and a place to share the love of tails and tales!
A Dogfather/Dogmothers Family Reference Guide
THE KILCANNON FAMILY
Daniel Kilcannon aka The Dogfather
Son of Finola (Gramma Finnie) and Seamus Kilcannon. Married to Annie Harper for 36 years until her death. Veterinarian, father, and grandfather. Widowed at opening of series. Married to Katie Santorini (Old Dog New Tricks) with dogs Rusty and Goldie.
Feliz Naughty Dog (The Dogmothers Book 7) Page 12