“Shh… It’s okay.”
“Arf!Arf!”
“Tater, quiet.”When the dog paused, she said, “Welcome to the Kringle Soap Co.I’ll be right with you.”She finished positioning the little blanket around Tater Tot.She straightened.“Merry, it’s good to see you.”But was it really?She glanced down at Tater Tot before her gaze returned to Merry.“Are you here to take Tater Tot?”
“I’m afraid not.The family I had in mind are moving for work, and it’s not a good time for them to adopt a dog.”
Holly nodded.“I can understand.Moving is hard enough without taking a new pet.”
“Then you’d be okay with him staying with you for a bit longer?”
She glanced down at Tater Tot.“I think we can manage.”
Merry hesitated.“Are you sure?”
Holly looked down at Tater Tot as he chewed on his bone.He was a lot of work, and she did have to get out of bed an hour earlier to make sure Tater was taken outside, fed, and played with before they made their way downstairs to open up the shop.
And yet she knew what it was like to be abandoned and to feel unwanted.She didn’t want that for Tater Tot.She would keep him until an appropriate and loving home was found for him.
“Yes.”Her voice was firm.“We’ve got this.”She glanced down at the pup, who looked up at her.“Huh, Tater?”
“Arf!Arf-arf!”
Merry smiled.“It sounds like he agrees.”
Holly knelt down and released the line she’d rigged to keep Tater Tot from wandering off.Before she could hook his leash, he ran off.For a little guy with short legs, he was very fast.
“Tater Tot, come back.”
He kept moving and turned the corner before she could catch him.She moved out from behind the counter and came to a stop next to Merry.She knew from experience that chasing after him would only make him run faster.He thought it was a game, and there was nothing she could say that would convince him it wasn’t.
The shop was empty, so she let him nose his way around it.She knew that sooner or later, he would make his way back to her.He always did.
Merry’s gaze followed the puppy.“He seems very happy.”
Holly nodded.“It was a rough start, but we’re starting to figure each other out.”
Just then Tater Tot made his way over to her.She knelt down and picked him up.She snuggled him.In return, Tater Tot gave her a puppy smooch on the cheek.
“I’m glad to see things are going well.I need to be going.”Merry petted the pup before heading for the door.“I’ll be in contact as soon as I find the right home for him.”And then she was gone.
Holly looked at Tater.“What do you think?Should we close for lunch?I can take you outside, and then we can get something to eat.”
She stepped behind the counter to grab her phone and bag.Jingle-jingle.She looked toward the front door.In walked Billie Jean.
Holly couldn’t bring herself to call them Mom and Dad.On the rare times that she’d mentioned them to her grandmother, she’d called them Billie Jean and Roger.She always thought the namesMomandDadwere earned through a steady loving presence.Her parents didn’t provide her with any of those things.The best thing that had happened to her was ending up with her grandmother.
Compared to the old photos Holly had found amongst her grandmother’s belongings, Billie Jean had aged a lot.There were deep lines etched around her eyes and her mouth.Her skin was tan, but it had a leathery appearance, as though she’d spent a lot of time in the sun.And there were little lines framing her mouth, as though she’d spent a lifetime smoking.
When her mother’s gaze met hers, Billie Jean smiled.The action didn’t look as though it came natural to her.Was it that her mother didn’t smile often?Or was this whole appearance in Kringle Falls some sort of show?Or was it a little of both?
“Hello, dear.”Again, the endearment sounded hollow coming from her mother.Billie Jean’s gaze moved to the dog in Holly’s arms.“What are you doing with that, um…”
“Puppy.”Roger stepped forward.The smile on his face didn’t quite reach his eyes.He reached out to pet Tater Tot.
The pup started to growl.His little body went stiff in her arms.Holly took a step back.
The smile fell from Roger’s face.His hand lowered.“Not a very friendly thing, is he?”
