Christmas to the Rescue! (Heartsprings Valley Winter Tale Book 1) Read online

  "It sure is," Abby said. "It used to be the family home of the Heartsprings clan, the family that founded this town generations ago. The last surviving family member was a dear woman named Minerva Heartsprings. She loved animals — was passionate about their care — and became very fond of Dr. Nick in the last years of her life. When she passed a couple years back, she willed the house to him, on the condition that Dr. Nick dedicate the property to taking care of animals."

  "Oh, gosh," Becca said, taking in the strings of holiday lights decorating the building. "That was very generous of her."

  "Well, Dr. Nick has done a wonderful job with Minerva's bequest, along with his partner in the practice, Dr. Gail. Even with the heartache and sadness of the past two years."

  Becca turned to her new friend. "What happened?"

  Abby let out a deep sigh. "Dr. Nick's wife died two years ago in a car crash. A terrible tragedy."

  "Oh, my, I'm so sorry to hear that," Becca said. She took a deep breath as the pain of Dr. Nick's loss threatened to unearth her own.

  "He's thrown himself into his work, the poor thing. Works all hours. He's renovated the stuffing out of the inside — turned it into a four-star resort for the cats and dogs and pigs and hamsters and iguanas he's rescued."

  "Iguanas?" Becca said, startled.

  Abby nodded. "All the creatures of the earth have a home with Dr. Nick." She took Becca by the arm. "Okay, it's getting pretty cold out here. Let's get inside."

  Together they walked up the steps of the former mansion. Abby pushed open the big oak front door and ushered Becca into a warm, wood-paneled entry foyer decorated with wreaths of fir and cheery white Christmas lights. After the cold of the night outside — and it was night now, Becca realized, the sun having finally made its way below the horizon — the heat inside the house was welcome.

  Becca's eyes were drawn from the foyer into a large room that had probably been the living room, back when the mansion was a family home. Now it was clearly the waiting room. In a corner, a woman with a short bob of white hair and an observant manner was sitting at a desk in front of a laptop, talking into a phone. Alerted by the gust of wintry air that pushed its way in behind Abby and Becca, the woman smiled when she saw Abby and waved them in.

  Abby whispered to Becca, "That's Dr. Nick's business partner, Dr. Gail."

  As they waited for Dr. Gail to finish on the phone, Becca took the chance to look around. During the day, she imagined the big tall windows flooded the room with tons of sunlight. There were plenty of chairs and even a couple of sofas for the humans and the animal patients. Becca was pleased that the chairs weren't like the impersonal office chairs that she saw so often when visiting the doctor or dentist. Instead, the chairs and side tables looked like they belonged in this grand old Victorian space.

  As Becca stepped into the room, she turned and saw an entire wall covered in framed photographs. She gasped when she realized that each photo was of a pet and the pet's human family.

  Abby stepped next to her. "All of these pets were rescues, and all of them have homes because of Dr. Nick and Dr. Gail."

  The tears that had threatened Becca all day threatened her again. "This is wonderful," she said, reaching into her coat pocket for her handkerchief, her gaze wandering over the photos of smiling people with their happy pets. "Oh," she said, pointing to one photo of a cute little pink pig that seemed to be purring in bliss in his owner's arms. "A pig!"

  "That's Pinkie the pot-bellied pig," Abby said. "My neighbors have him now. He's a bit headstrong, but a delightful pet. The kids love him."

  Becca laughed. "Pinkie — what a great name!"

  Across the room, Dr. Gail finished up on the phone, then stood and bustled toward them. She was a trim woman in her fifties, with a cheerful efficiency to her movements and manner.

  "Abby, thank you for coming," Dr. Gail said, giving Abby a quick hug. Then she turned to Becca. "Let me guess. You're our new librarian."

  Becca blushed. "I am. Becca Jameson. So pleased to meet you."

  Dr. Gail took Becca's hand in hers. "Welcome to town. And in case you're wondering how I knew, I had advance notice. I was just on the phone with Bert Winters."

  Abby said, "Bert wants to get the word out about the snowplow situation."

  Dr. Gail nodded. "We'll tell the others. Everyone's downstairs in the kennels."

  She led the way from the waiting room into a room that, once upon a time, was probably the mansion's dining room. The room was now set up as an examination room, with a big doctor's table in the center and walls lined with shelves of medical equipment and supplies.

  Dr. Gail continued through swinging doors into the mansion's kitchen. This room still had the original farmhouse sink and counters and cabinets, but the ovens were gone — replaced with refrigerators — and the island prep space was now set up as a second examination table.

  At the far end of the kitchen, a set of stairs descended down. Dr. Gail led the way into what had at one time been the grand home's basement.

  Becca gave a small gasp. The space was now the kennel! Rows of spacious animal suites ran along both sides of the room. Everything was warmly lit and smelled of cleanliness and animals. And it wasn't the smell of animals in distress that Becca realized she was expecting. No, this space was filled with animals who knew they were in a good place. This was a place, she immediately understood, that was filled with caring and love. About half the suites were occupied with an assortment of dogs. She also saw a room filled with climbing ladders that several cats seemed to be enjoying.

  The animals weren't the only ones there. In the center of the room, several volunteer workers looked on as a young family with two adorable children — a boy of four and a girl of two — played with an equally adorable terrier. The little dog was as excited as the two kids, wagging his tail and scampering about with a happiness exceeded only by the delight of the two kids.

  "Looks like we have another match," Dr. Gail said with a smile.

  Abby was looking around the kennel. "Where's Dr. Nick?"

  "House call," Dr. Gail said. "Angus's mama llama isn't feeling well."

  "Um, did you say llama?" Becca said.

  Dr. Gail smiled. "Very sweet-natured creatures, unlike their camel cousins."

  "You really do see it all, don't you?" Becca said, impressed.

  "Young lady," Dr Gail said, "you wouldn't believe some of the things we've come across."

  Becca grinned. She glanced at Abby and was surprised to see a dejected look on her new friend's face.

  Becca said, "What's the matter, Abby?"

  "Oh, nothing," Abby said, then added, with a glance at Dr. Gail, "I was looking forward to introducing Becca to Dr. Nick."

  Dr. Gail gave Abby a knowing look. "Yes, I see what you mean," she said with a smile, then turned to Becca. "I'm sure you'll meet Nick soon enough. Now, let's introduce you to some of our residents."

  4

  Becca's heart leaped into her throat. Meet the residents? Already, the sight of the little terrier scampering about with the two children had left her feeling dangerously weakened. If she had any additional exposure to adorableness today, she was going to crumble!

  "I don't know about this," Becca said, even as her traitorous eyes wandered toward the row of dog suites.

  "Nonsense," Dr. Gail said. "No harm in looking." Without another word, she led Becca and Abby toward the animals.

  No, doc, noooo! Becca wanted to say out loud. I'm about as weak as it gets when it comes to cute animals!

  But the words never left her mouth. Her mouth dropped and her heart thumped, because right there in front of her, his tail wagging hopefully, was the fluffy white dog from the photo.

  Dr. Gail smiled. "I see you recognize the star of today's event. Becca, I'd like to introduce you to Bowzer."

  At the sound of his name, Bowzer shook with excitement.

  Unable to stop herself, Becca knelt down in front of the kennel. "Hey, Bowzer. How are you?"

  Bowz
er gave her a joyful whimper, his tail wagging furiously.

  "He likes you," Dr. Gail said. "Would you like to meet him?"

  "Yes," Becca said helplessly, unable to stop herself, all thoughts about being strong dissolving away.

  Dr. Gail unfastened the door of the kennel. Bowzer zoomed straight into Becca's arms, his fluffy white fur tickling her cheeks.

  "Oh, my!" Becca said with a laugh. She gave the dog a hug, unable to stop herself, then looked up and found Abby and Dr. Gail grinning down at her.

  "Abby," Becca said, "you were supposed to help me stay strong."

  Abby laughed. "I think we both knew that wasn't going to happen."

  Dr. Gail said, "Bowzer is two years old, part-mutt and part-English Sheepdog, and fully house-trained and leash-trained. His family had to give him up when they moved overseas for a new job. I promised them I'd find him a wonderful new home."

  Becca looked at the adorable dog happily snuggling in her arms. "He's so friendly!"

  "He has a marvelous disposition," Dr. Gail said. "He's had all his shots and tests."

  "Oh, gosh," Becca said, "I just don't know." She gave Bowzer another hug, enjoying the fluffy warmth.

  "I tell you what," Dr. Gail said. "Why don't the two of you get to know each other? I'll send him home with you for a couple of nights — we've got an overnight kit for him already prepared, with his favorite food and toys and contact information for me in case you have questions. If the two of you are a good fit, then come in after Christmas and we'll get everything settled."

  Abby said, "I like the sound of that, Becca. A trial run for both of you."

  Becca sighed. She liked the sound of it, too — she liked it a lot. Already, she knew exactly what was going to happen. She and Bowzer would bond and become inseparable and Becca's plan to be strong and realistic and sensible would be doomed to utter failure!

  Bowzer chose that moment to lick Becca's cheek, and Becca laughed.

  "Fine," she said, then laughed again. "I'll spend Christmas with Bowzer."

  "Hurray!" Abby said.

  "Congratulations, Becca," Dr. Gail said. "I can tell that the two of you are going to get along wonderfully."

  Becca stood up and gave Abby a pretend-glare. "This is all your fault!"

  Abby laughed. "Guilty as charged."

  Dr. Gail pointed to a container filled with a three-day supply of dog food and dog treats. "If you'd like, I'll swing by your cottage with Bowzer's overnight kit after I close up here."

  "You know where I live?" Becca said.

  "You're renting the little Cape Cod-style white cottage on Pine Street, right?"

  "Everyone here seems to know everything about me," Becca said.

  "Only the basics, Becca," Dr. Gail said. "New librarian. Cape Cod cottage. Loves dogs."

  "And loves chocolate!" Abby added.

  Becca grinned at her new friends. "Well, there are two more things you should know about me. One: I'm very happy I've met the two of you — excuse me, the three of you," she said, reaching down to give Bowzer an affectionate pat.

  "And two: I'm very happy I made the move to Heartsprings Valley!"

  5

  And she was happy about moving here, Becca realized, as she sat that evening on her comfy sofa in her cozy cottage next to her new canine roommate, surrounded by a room full of boxes she would eventually need to unpack. The day's rush of new experiences flooded over her, causing her to take a deep breath. Meeting Abby, Bert, Dr. Gail and of course Bowzer had been both fun and a little exhausting!

  Change was never easy, even when the change was necessary and good. She'd always been the cautious type — curious about the world, but measured in how she approached new people or challenges. She couldn't think of the last time she'd met so many new people in a single day. But from the way her spirits lifted when she thought about them all, she knew again she'd made the right choice by deciding to strike out on her own.

  The people of this small New England town were so welcoming. But they were also clever. She sensed they had plans for her. She still wasn't quite sure how Abby and Dr. Gail had maneuvered her into adopting Bowzer. If she didn't stay on her toes, she'd soon be adopting an entire menagerie!

  She smiled at the thought of that, happy that her weakness for animals had defeated her oh-so-reasonable intention to be strong. Sometimes, matters of the heart were more important than proving that one had the ability to follow some pre-set plan. Next to her, Bowzer wagged his tail happily as he chewed on a toy.

  Even though part of her was bone-tired and longed for a nap on her comfy couch, another part of her felt restless, even — dare she say it? — surprisingly peppy. "Is that because of you, Bowzer?" she said to her new companion, who perked up at the sound of his name. "You're like an energy battery, aren't you?"

  Maybe, she thought, casting her eye around her cozy living room, she should tackle some of the tasks she'd been avoiding since moving into her cottage two days earlier. Her to-do list was about a mile long! The movers had arrived the day before with her bed and sofa and chest of drawers and dining table and chairs, so at least she had places to sit and sleep. Here in the living room, she'd positioned her big leather sofa in front of the big window. Opposite her was the gas fireplace, which she'd promptly turned on as soon as she'd arrived home. Very quickly, the fireplace had turned the room toasty warm.

  As for the rest of the living room: Boxes everywhere! Oh, she had so much to do.

  She sighed. "Okay, Bowzer. Which box first?"

  Bowzer gave her an encouraging bark.

  "Got it," she said. "Linens and blankets it is." She eased off the couch and pulled a big box toward her. With a few deft movements, the packing tape was gone and the lid of the box flew open.

  She reached in. A heavy warm blue blanket, a blend of cotton and wool, emerged first. "You go on the couch," she said as she set the blanket next to Bowzer.

  She reached down again and pulled out what she'd really been looking for: the red-and-green Christmas quilt her beloved Grandma Ellie had made for her years ago. She unfolded the quilt and held it in front of her so that she could once again feast her eyes on it. She'd always loved this quilt. The patterns were a cornucopia of everything that represented Christmas to her. Gingerbread men, Christmas trees, snow sculptures, reindeer flying a sleigh across the night sky — all were there. In the center, a hand-stitched message that even now, twenty years later, brought a lump to her throat: "Merry Christmas, Becca! Love you forever, Grandma Ellie."

  She looked at the quilt and said, "You need a place of honor."

  But where? Right now, she had nothing hanging on the walls, and nothing to hang up things with.

  Ah — she had the perfect spot. She stood up and turned around and lovingly draped the quilt over the back of the sofa. Just this simple act turned the room from "moving-in messy" to "Christmas-time comfortable." A smile crept to her lips as she took in the full picture of Bowzer happily chewing his toy on the sofa decorated with Grandma's Christmas quilt.

  On an impulse, she snapped a photo of the scene and texted it to her mom with a message: "Meet Bowzer!"

  Oh, gosh — what was her mother going to say?

  Seconds later, her phone rang and she found out.

  "Hi, Mom!" Becca said.

  "Becca," her mother said, "who is Bowzer? Is Bowzer the dog? Does your message mean what I think it means?"

  "I adopted him, Mom. The vet had a pet adoption event."

  Her mom was momentarily speechless, and Becca knew why — her mom was torn between congratulating her and warning her that now was the time to be responsible and careful, not impulsive.

  Becca said, "He's adorable, Mom. His name is Bowzer, and he's very sweet. He's two years old, he's fully house-trained, and he's had all his shots and tests."

  "Well, dear, I..." her mom said. "I suppose congratulations are in order."

  "I couldn't help myself, Mom. There was a sign in the display window of the chocolate store, and I saw Bowzer's pi
cture, and I don't know what came over me."

  "Well, he certainly looks adorable. What kind of dog is he?"

  "The vet says he's part-mutt and part-English Sheepdog."

  She heard her mother say to someone, "Becca adopted a dog!" Then: "Two years old. House-trained. An English Sheepdog-mutt mix." Then: "Becca, your father said congratulations."

  Becca smiled. "Dad approves?"

  "Of course he approves — when it comes to animals, he's as big a softie as you are!"

  There was a pause, and then her mom said, "How are you doing, dear?"

  "So far, so good. I met some really nice people today. Everyone here is so welcoming." She told her mom about her busy day — her afternoon with Hettie Mae at the library, meeting Abby at the chocolate shop, meeting Bert in the town square, and going to the veterinary clinic and meeting Dr. Gail.

  Her mom asked all kinds of questions, as her mom was inclined to do.

  "Have you unpacked yet?" her mom asked.

  "Hardly at all. I just opened the linen box and pulled out Grandma's quilt and draped it over the sofa right before I sent you the photo."

  "Have you opened the box marked 'Surprise!'?"

  A box with a surprise? Becca's pulse quickened. "No, I didn't even notice it. Let me look." She walked to the stack of unopened boxes on one side of the room. It took her a couple of seconds, but she found the box.

  "Mom, what's in it?" she said with a smile on her face.

  "You'll have to open it to find out," her mom said with a teasing lilt.

  "Okay, let me put down the phone." She pressed the phone's speaker button and set the phone on the arm of the couch, then picked up the box and set it down on the couch next to Bowzer.

  Eagerly she ripped the box open, then lifted the lid and peered inside and gasped.

  "Oh, mom — Christmas decorations!"

  Inside the box was a colorful, glittering explosion of holiday goodness — ornaments and mementos that brought back cherished moments from her childhood. She picked up a snow globe she'd owned ever since she was a little girl and gave it a shake, smiling as she watched the snow swirl and settle over the cute little town inside.