solace.
He lay there in the straw, mute and motionless. But Esmeralda, dedicated mother that
she was, wouldn’t stop trying. The other puppies stayed busy climbing over one another
while she worked.
“Mr. Callahan—,” Janice said, a catch in her voice.
But he was already there, through the stall door and kneeling in the straw. He rubbed
the newcomer’s belly, his tiny chest, and stroked his muzzle. “Come on,” he urged
the puppy.
But nothing happened. Esmeralda nosed around him, clearly worried.
The groom picked up the scrawny parcel, cupped the puppy in his palm, and gave him
another massage.
“Oh, wake up,” Janice murmured. “Please, little one.”
Nothing.
It pained her to see the puppy so lifeless, but she couldn’t afford to succumb to
the feeling. She couldn’t distract Mr. Callahan from saving him.
“You’re going to wake up,” the groom told the prone pup. Opening the newborn’s mouth
and clearing it, Mr. Callahan blew into it. The pup’s ribs expanded and sank back.
One more try.
No, two.
And three. Why not? Janice was glad Mr. Callahan couldn’t bear to give up just yet.
Four.
The puppy gave a little start. A wriggle. A tiny yelp.
“Yes!” said Janice. “Oh, please, be well.”
Esmeralda nosed the tiny body cradled in Mr. Callahan’s hand with the impatience that
any new mother would have when she wanted to connect with her baby.
“Is it all right?” Janice couldn’t help hoping.
“I believe so.” Mr. Callahan sounded well satisfied when he laid the now-wriggling
newest member of the family in the straw next to his siblings.
“Oh, thank God.” Janice shot through the door and wiped away a tear on her way to
Mr. Callahan’s side again.
Together they watched Esmeralda line up her troops. The one that had been ailing seemed
as frantic to get to her teats as the rest now.
“Thank you for saving it,” Janice quietly told the man beside her.
“I was glad to do it.” They sat in silence a moment, watching the happy scene; then
he added, “For Esmeralda.”
Not for Janice, of course. He was making that clear. But she was so grateful to him
for saving the puppy, she ignored the slight.
“I’ve already named almost all of them,” she said. “Pinky, Walnut, Sweetie, and Beanie.
Whether they’re boys or girls, the names will fit.”
“How did you do that so fast?”
“The names just came to me.” She grinned at him. “I left the last one for you.” She
dared to touch the groom’s arm, and it instantly brought her back to that kiss in
the road. “You saved him. He’s your puppy. Or she. So you’ll name that one.”
And she stood before Mr. Callahan could react or respond.
“Wait a minute.” He stood, too. “I don’t name puppies.”
“You’ll name this one.” Despite her fascination with the canine family, Janice was
even more fascinated with Mr. Callahan. She put the stall door between them. “I plan
to tell your friends that you saved it and must name it—”
“For the love of God, don’t do that.” He didn’t look a bit repentant when he opened
the stall door and came around himself. “I’ll name the damned thing; just don’t go
out there telling them I saved a puppy.”
“Mr. Callahan.” His nearness set off alarms in her. “It is not a damned thing.”
Funny squeaks started soft and grew insistent, near frantic—puppies seeking their
mother’s warmth. The sounds made Janice’s whole being soften.
Who couldn’t be moved by them?
When she turned back to look at the groom, she saw that he was taking it all in, too.
“Puppy noises,” he murmured, observing the little family with obvious pleasure. “Puppy
noises and a strong, beautiful woman next to me. It does get better—when you get that
particular woman alone, really alone. But this will do … in the meantime.”
The meantime? Was there going to be a time when he got her alone? “You can’t—” Janice
felt her
He lay there in the straw, mute and motionless. But Esmeralda, dedicated mother that
she was, wouldn’t stop trying. The other puppies stayed busy climbing over one another
while she worked.
“Mr. Callahan—,” Janice said, a catch in her voice.
But he was already there, through the stall door and kneeling in the straw. He rubbed
the newcomer’s belly, his tiny chest, and stroked his muzzle. “Come on,” he urged
the puppy.
But nothing happened. Esmeralda nosed around him, clearly worried.
The groom picked up the scrawny parcel, cupped the puppy in his palm, and gave him
another massage.
“Oh, wake up,” Janice murmured. “Please, little one.”
Nothing.
It pained her to see the puppy so lifeless, but she couldn’t afford to succumb to
the feeling. She couldn’t distract Mr. Callahan from saving him.
“You’re going to wake up,” the groom told the prone pup. Opening the newborn’s mouth
and clearing it, Mr. Callahan blew into it. The pup’s ribs expanded and sank back.
One more try.
No, two.
And three. Why not? Janice was glad Mr. Callahan couldn’t bear to give up just yet.
Four.
The puppy gave a little start. A wriggle. A tiny yelp.
“Yes!” said Janice. “Oh, please, be well.”
Esmeralda nosed the tiny body cradled in Mr. Callahan’s hand with the impatience that
any new mother would have when she wanted to connect with her baby.
“Is it all right?” Janice couldn’t help hoping.
“I believe so.” Mr. Callahan sounded well satisfied when he laid the now-wriggling
newest member of the family in the straw next to his siblings.
“Oh, thank God.” Janice shot through the door and wiped away a tear on her way to
Mr. Callahan’s side again.
Together they watched Esmeralda line up her troops. The one that had been ailing seemed
as frantic to get to her teats as the rest now.
“Thank you for saving it,” Janice quietly told the man beside her.
“I was glad to do it.” They sat in silence a moment, watching the happy scene; then
he added, “For Esmeralda.”
Not for Janice, of course. He was making that clear. But she was so grateful to him
for saving the puppy, she ignored the slight.
“I’ve already named almost all of them,” she said. “Pinky, Walnut, Sweetie, and Beanie.
Whether they’re boys or girls, the names will fit.”
“How did you do that so fast?”
“The names just came to me.” She grinned at him. “I left the last one for you.” She
dared to touch the groom’s arm, and it instantly brought her back to that kiss in
the road. “You saved him. He’s your puppy. Or she. So you’ll name that one.”
And she stood before Mr. Callahan could react or respond.
“Wait a minute.” He stood, too. “I don’t name puppies.”
“You’ll name this one.” Despite her fascination with the canine family, Janice was
even more fascinated with Mr. Callahan. She put the stall door between them. “I plan
to tell your friends that you saved it and must name it—”
“For the love of God, don’t do that.” He didn’t look a bit repentant when he opened
the stall door and came around himself. “I’ll name the damned thing; just don’t go
out there telling them I saved a puppy.”
“Mr. Callahan.” His nearness set off alarms in her. “It is not a damned thing.”
Funny squeaks started soft and grew insistent, near frantic—puppies seeking their
mother’s warmth. The sounds made Janice’s whole being soften.
Who couldn’t be moved by them?
When she turned back to look at the groom, she saw that he was taking it all in, too.
“Puppy noises,” he murmured, observing the little family with obvious pleasure. “Puppy
noises and a strong, beautiful woman next to me. It does get better—when you get that
particular woman alone, really alone. But this will do … in the meantime.”
The meantime? Was there going to be a time when he got her alone? “You can’t—” Janice
felt her
Similar Books
