1225 Christmas Tree Lane - Debbie Macomber [33]
“I’m sure there’s a point to all this,” she said, urging him to explain.
“There is.”
“Wonderful. Might I suggest you get back to my Christmas gift that’s currently being stored in the garage?”
“You’ll see.”
“I’m waiting with bated breath,” she returned, smiling.
“Stay here.”
“Okay,” Peggy said. “Do you want me to close my eyes?”
Bob paused at the back door and nodded. “Good idea. Close your eyes.”
Peggy sat at the kitchen table with one hand on her coffee mug and the other in her lap and squeezed her eyes shut. She wondered if her gift was what had kept Bob in the garage so long after he’d driven home. After a couple of minutes she heard him come in.
“Can I open my eyes yet?”
“Just a second.”
Her husband’s footsteps echoed as he moved toward the Christmas tree. “All right,” he called out. “You can open your eyes now.”
Peggy did, and then blinked. Beneath the tree, surrounded by wrapped gifts, sat a basket, one she kept in the garage and often took into the garden. Bedded down inside was…a puppy. A small black puppy.
Peggy didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. “You got me a puppy?”
“I was thinking we could use a dog,” Bob said.
“But a puppy?” she said, unsure of her feelings.
“Look at her, Peggy, she’s so cute. I couldn’t resist. We need a dog, and Beth Morehouse has a litter of ten she needs to find homes for.”
“So that was the connection with Beth and the library. You volunteered,” she said. “Obviously.”
“Well, yes…”
“You’ll train her?”
“If you want, but she’s your dog. You’re happy about this, aren’t you?”
The puppy raised her head and regarded Peggy with large doleful eyes.
“What do you want to name her?” Bob asked, lifting the tiny squirming creature out of the basket and bringing her to Peggy.
The puppy immediately made herself at home in Peggy’s arms. “Let’s name her…Millie.”
“Millie, it is,” Bob said. “Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
“Merry Christmas, darling. And Merry Christmas, Millie.”
Millie barked, adding her own greetings.
Chapter 9
“Let’s go for a sleigh ride,” Bailey said excitedly, as if this was the most brilliant idea of the century. “Can we, Mom?” She clasped both hands. “I mean, now that Gloria and Chad have picked up the puppy…”
“Ah…” Beth hesitated as a sense of dread filled her. Every minute with Kent and Danielle felt more awkward than the one before.
“Mom, we should. Dad’s never seen the Christmas tree farm.” Sophie was as animated as her sister.
“You want to, don’t you, Dad?” Bailey asked, hurrying to her father’s side and slipping her arm through his.
“That way Danielle can breathe some fresh air and not have to worry about sneezing,” Sophie said in a solicitous voice.
Beth didn’t dare look at her ex-husband. She had to believe he was as miserable as she was. This entire family Christmas was a disaster. She’d seen the expression on his face when she’d so vehemently declared Danielle was welcome to him. Shock and pain had flashed in his eyes so quickly she wasn’t even sure she’d read his feelings correctly. Everything inside her cried out to take the words back, swear that none of it was true. But she couldn’t do that. Not with Danielle standing right there.
“Danielle probably isn’t up to this,” Kent said with an unmistakable lack of enthusiasm.
Beth figured the other woman would willingly return to the Thyme and Tide. She couldn’t be enjoying the afternoon any more than Beth was. The only ones who seemed to derive any pleasure from this fiasco were Bailey and Sophie, who were apparently oblivious to the tension in the room.
“A sleigh ride might be fun,” Danielle said with a halfhearted shrug.
Bailey and Sophie leaped up and down and clapped their hands. Their behavior reminded Beth of when they were youngsters and were told they could stay up past their bedtime.