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Prologue
End of November, Purr ’n Woof Supplies
The holiday season was about to kick into high gear…
Before moving to Kringle Falls, Candi Goodman never considered herself a fan of Christmas. Of course, she had taken part in certain traditions, but she’d never opened her heart to the season.
But when a snowstorm forced her to spend time in this little New England town where they celebrated Christmas three hundred and sixty-five days a year, she’d found a new appreciation for the holiday. This small town had won her over to the point she found herself wearing a red sweater with Rudolph on the front with a blinking red nose. Every time she caught her image in a mirror, a grin pulled at her lips.
The sweater had been a gift from her future mother-in-law, who insisted Candi needed more holiday spirit in her wardrobe. Instead of fighting it, Candi had gracefully accepted the sweater and put it with the other Christmas sweaters her fiancé had gifted her.
Just then the phone rang, drawing her from her meandering thoughts. While Merry Kringle helped a frantic customer find something to help her dog’s upset stomach, Candi answered. “Purr ’n Woof. Candi speaking. How may I help you?”
“Candi, oh good.” The male voice was very familiar, but there was a note of stress in his voice. “This is Bob.”
She certainly hadn’t been expecting to hear from her former boss and friend so soon. They’d just spoken the other day. They usually talked every few weeks, not every few days.
“Hi, Bob. It’s good to hear from you. Is everything all right? Please tell me you aren’t backing out of walking me down the aisle.”
“Not a chance. I wouldn’t miss your wedding. This is about something else. We’re having some problems here. That’s why I’m calling.”
Oh no. “What can I do to help?”
“Don’t know if you’ve heard about all of the flooding in the area.”
She felt guilty because she’d been so caught up in wedding plans that she hadn’t been following the news. And the closer the wedding got, the more distracted she’d become.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She felt awful. “I haven’t been listening to the news.”
“Anyway, we have taken in a lot of rescue dogs that got caught up in a big flood not far from here. I’ve been calling everyone I know to take on some more dogs, but with the holidays right around the corner, no one is willing or able to take on more animals. I thought of you, but if you can’t help, I totally understand.”
Candi’s mind struggled to process this onslaught of information. “But I thought you closed the animal shelter and moved in with your son.”
“I did. It’s a long story, but I started volunteering at a shelter here in Kentucky. At the moment, we have too many animals, so I’m placing as many as I can as far from the flooding as possible.”
Candi nodded. “I understand. I’d be happy to help.”
“How many can you take?”
Candi hesitated. She’d been hoping to open a shelter here in Kringle Falls, and at first Merry had been on board with the idea, but one reason after the other kept them from moving forward with the project.
She didn’t know if Merry would be agreeable to the idea of taking on more puppies this Christmas. If not, that would leave Candi with the job of caring for them until she could find them homes. With that thought in mind, she couldn’t take as many as she would like.
“I could take a couple.” She sure hoped Michael would be willing to let her keep them at his place until she could place them in permanent homes.
There was a slight pause. “Are you sure you couldn’t take, maybe, six?”
“Six?” She gasped. There was no way. “You have that many?”
“We do.”
She worried her bottom lip. “Maybe I could take three.”
“Think of all of those sweet adorable faces. You know how much joy they’ll bring to people’s lives. So, how about five?”
He must be desperate with that sort of sales pitch. Feeling as though she were caught up in some sort of negotiation, she held her ground. “I’ll take three.”
“Three?” He was quiet for a moment. “You’re sure?”
