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He turned his attention back to Kringle Falls. He slowed down, wanting a chance to take in the decorations. There was an old stately home with a big Christmas tree in the living room window. It reminded him of a Christmas card.
His headlights lit up yet another sign. This one read: Kringle Falls Park. He’d be willing to bet the pups would have fun spending time there when the weather cleared.
He pulled up to a stop sign. The GPS on his phone told him to make a right turn. It would take him right past the park. He made the turn and proceeded slowly down the road. The park was lit up with lamp posts along the sidewalk.
He saw another sign that read: Kringle Falls. He wondered if there was a real waterfall in the town. A few seconds later, he noticed the glow of spotlights. He braked and stared off into the distance to see a waterfall. The water flowed over huge rocks and then dropped about thirty-some feet. With the red, white, and green spotlights, it was quite a sight.
He continued driving. His GPS said the pet shop wasn’t far away. Street after street, he’d never seen a town so decorated for the holidays. The welcome sign hadn’t lied. This town definitely shined outward.
A quick glance at the time on the dashboard told him he was actually running a little ahead of schedule. That made him happy. Once he dropped off the puppies, he planned to turn around and start for home.
He scanned the street lined with unique little shops. There was a nail salon, a hardware store, and so much more. And then he spotted a glowing white sign with red lettering the read: Purr ’n Woof Supplies. It was their destination.
When he pulled to a stop, the pups started barking. He glanced at the clock. It was about time for their dinner.
“Quiet.” They didn’t listen to him. “I’ll be right back.” They still didn’t acknowledge that he’d said anything.
He got out at the same time the sleet picked up. He stepped toward the door to the pet store. His foot slid. His arms windmilled until he was able to regain his balance.
He looked down at the sidewalk and noticed the shiny glean. Was that ice? He used his other foot and slid it over the sidewalk. It was definitely ice. He groaned. This was not what he needed for his return trip.
Carefully, he moved toward the shop. He opened the door and stepped inside. He didn’t see anyone.
“Hello? Anyone here?”
“Coming,” called out a female voice.
As he waited, he looked around. It was a large pet store. And from what he could gather, they had a little bit of everything. The town must have a lot of pet owners. That was good. He hoped it meant the pups would quickly find a loving home.
“Sorry about that.” An older woman approached him.
She had short curly snow-white hair and wore gold wire-rimmed glasses. Her cheeks were rosy, and her blue eyes were attentive. With her red and white dress, he momentarily thought Mrs. Claus was approaching him. A laugh bubbled up in his throat. He swallowed it down.
She sent him a warm smile. “You must be Shaun. I’m Merry Kringle. I’m a friend of Candi’s, and this is my shop.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” He glanced around. “Is Candi around?”
“She had to run out for a moment, but she should be right back.”
He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I should probably wait in the van until she returns. It’s getting cold out, and the pups are out there.”
“Bring them inside. They can stay here until we place them in their new homes.”
His brows briefly rose. “You’re going to help Candi?”
Merry smiled once more as she nodded. “I helped her last year too. I have an area set up for them in the back.”
“I’ll, uh, go get them. I need to hurry to get out of town before this ice storm gets worse.”
Merry frowned. “I don’t think you’re going to go anywhere. From the news reports, there are accidents everywhere. They’re shutting down the highway because there’s a nine-car pileup.”
With the ice, he knew the roads would get bad, but he’d hoped to get a headstart before having to stop for the night. He knew his father could take care of himself, and Shaun’s sister was close by, but he liked to be around in case his father needed anything.
After he brought in two of the pups, who were anxious to eat and play, he asked, “Is there a hotel around here?”
“There’s the Kringle B&B. It’s on the edge of town.”
It sounded small and cozy—the kind of place where people got to know each other. He didn’t want to have to talk. He did enough of that living with his father. He wanted to take advantage of some quiet time.
