Duchess rushed toward Hank. He hunkered down on the floor to give her a proper greeting, and the mama dog climbed into his lap so enthusiastically she practically knocked him over. Whimpering eagerly, she licked him under the chin.
Gracie did the same to Ally, while the two humans laughed and cried in unison. Finally, the pup and her mama climbed off them. When Gracie started to circle, Hank jumped to his feet and scooped her up in his arms. “Oh no, you don’t, sweetheart. We’re taking this outside.”
Ally looked at him in confusion as he shepherded all four of them out the front door to the yard.
He set Gracie down on the grass. She circled again and got down to business.
“Oh!” Ally said.
“House-training,” Hank explained with a grin. “We’ll get the hang of it.”
She smiled and went to stand next to him as mother and pup romped together in the grass.
“Wow, she has grown so much!” Ally noted jubiliantly. “From less than a pound at birth…”
“To nearly nine pounds now,” Hank said.
Ally turned to him. She clasped his forearms and searched his face, aware that this truly was a miracle, one she never had thought would be possible. “How did you manage to get her? I thought Gracie was already spoken for.”
“She was,” Hank admitted, sobering. “But after a lot of begging and pleading I managed to convince her would-be owner to take another golden, from another championship litter, in Gracie’s place.”
“Good move! This is my best present ever.”
“I’m so glad.” Hank paused. “How did you get Duchess? Because I tried to buy her, too, but was told by the breeder in no uncertain terms that she was not up for adoption.”
“I knew how much you loved each other, so I called Talia the day after she was here. She told me this was Duchess’s second litter and that she was retiring-since it’s not healthy for a golden to have more than two litters in a lifetime. So I arranged for her to come here. Only Duchess couldn’t leave until all her puppies were weaned and old enough to go to their new homes.”
“Which was today,” Hank murmured.
Ally nodded. “That explains where I was this morning.”
“And where I was this afternoon. I picked Gracie up, took her over to the vet clinic for a checkup and her second round of vaccinations. Kurt wanted to keep her for a short while-just to make sure there was no reaction, and to let the techs in the office play with her a bit…”
Ally beamed. “Because she’s so adorable!”
“Absolutely. Just like you.” Hank kissed Ally again. “And then he followed me out to the ranch and kept Gracie in his truck at the top of the lane, while I came in to make sure you were ready for your surprise.”
Ally watched the pup and her mother nestle together contentedly on the lawn. She shook her head, marveling at their many blessings. “So now we have two dogs.”
Hank grinned, still looking a little stunned by their belated Christmas miracle. He wrapped his arms around Ally and hugged her close. “Looks like.”
She rested her cheek on his shoulder. “I couldn’t be happier.”
He stroked a hand lovingly up and down her spine. “Me, either, Mrs. McCabe.”
Ally grinned and drew back to look up into his face. “You really have made all my dreams come true,” she told him seriously. The ranch that had been the bane of her youth was now the source of all her joy.
“For now,” Hank stated, the fierce affection he felt for her reflected in his eyes. “There will be plenty more fulfilled wishes to come.”
Brimming with hope and joy, Ally knew that anything was possible. She looked at Hank with all the love she possessed. “And plenty more Christmases to celebrate.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cathy Gillen Thacker is married and a mother of three. She and her husband spent eighteen years in Texas and now reside in North Carolina. Her mysteries, romantic comedies and heartwarming family stories have made numerous appearances on bestseller lists, but her best reward, she says, is knowing one of her books made someone’s day a little brighter. A popular Harlequin author for many years, she loves telling passionate stories with happy endings, and thinks nothing beats a good romance and a hot cup of tea! You can visit Cathy’s website at www.cathygillenthacker.com for more information on her upcoming and previously published books, recipes and a list of her favorite things.
