Lone Star Christmas. Jolene Navarro

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       Chapter Three

      Once her heart returned to a reasonable beat, Jackie kneeled at the edge of the enclosure that held the litter of rambunctious puppies. Next to her, Ethan gripped the top of the wire panel that made a temporary pen. His shoulders rose and fell with each hard breath. It looked like he was breathing fire when his exhalation hit the cold air. The color had left the teen’s face.

      “You told me you were going to the restroom!” he started yelling at the twins. “You can’t just leave like that.” His voice cracked. “What were you thinking?” His pitch went higher.

      “Ethan.” Max walked up next to him and placed a hand on the center of his back. “We’ll talk about this later.”

      The teen’s nostrils flared as he shook his head. “Someone bad could have kidnapped you. The people in the café had to call the police!”

      Tomas ducked his head. Tears built in his eyes as he hugged the puppy.

      “Stop, Ethan.” Max’s stern voice left no room for argument. “We’ll talk about this later, and we’ll also address your responsibility in this. They’re little kids. You’re older.” He cut a glance at the boys. “We will talk about this.” He looked back at Ethan. “In private.”

      The black fluff ball that Tomas held against his chest stopped wriggling and licked the boy’s face. He kept his eyes down.

      Isaac looked down at the golden puppy in his lap. “There’s lots of cool stuff here, then we heard the puppies bark,” he mumbled. The usually happy brother was also on the verge of tears. “Momma said she was bringing home a puppy for Christmas.”

      Jackie covered her mouth. These babies had lost both parents and had been left with brothers they didn’t even know. Swinging her leg over the panel, she joined the boys in the middle of the litter.

      She sat between them. Maybe she was overstepping, but she pulled them close. Two other puppies joined them, jumping over each other, tails wagging.

      With a soft squeeze, she pressed a kiss to the side of each of the boys’ heads. “We were worried about you. You must let your brothers know where you’re at all the time. They love you, and were scared when they couldn’t find you.”

      Isaac looked up at Ethan and Max. “We’re sorry. Look.” He held his pup up to them. “This one has the same color of hair as Momma, and that one is the same as Daddy. They were waiting for us.”

      Tomas wiped his face across his sleeve and smiled at the puppy that licked him. “They need homes. Can we take them? Maybe they’re the dogs Momma was going to give us.”

      Max blew out a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m sorry, boys, but it’ll be up to Vanessa. You’re going to be living with her.”

      Silent tears fell to the concrete, leaving prints in the dust. Tomas buried his face in the soft fur. Jackie looked at Max. He had his hands stuffed in his back pockets. The muscles in his jaw popped. There had to be something they could do. Ethan joined them, sitting cross-legged, and a few of the puppies scrambled into his lap.

      “Hey, folks. Jim McClain.” The feed store owner joined them. He wiped his hands with a bandanna before offering one in greeting to Max. “If you want them, those puppies will be ready to go home with you by the end of the week. The two smaller ones are the only homeless ones. They’re my sister’s dogs. The mother is a super sweet Lab. Good family dog.” He grinned. “Not sure about the father. I think he might be the neighbor’s Australian shepherd. They’re real smart. Easy to train. Already house broke. Looks like a perfect match to me.”

      “We’re just here temporarily.” Max frowned.

      Jim looked down. “Jackie! Hey, girl, what are you doing? Your dad need any hay or feed? Maybe a couple of dogs?” He laughed.

      Jim towered over Max and was twice his size. He had played college ball and was now back in town running the family business. He was always trying to get her to buy something or go on a date with him. She had been able to avoid both by avoiding the feed store altogether, until now.

      She smiled. “No thanks, Jim. This is Tomas and Isaac Delgado and their brothers, Ethan and Max.”

      Eyes narrowed, Jim crossed his massive arms. “Thought you looked familiar. Your uncle had all his feed and hay shipped in from Kerrville. You here to clear out all those thistles? They’re ruining all our grass.”

      She stood. “Jim, he’s here with his brothers because their father died in an accident. He’s looking to clean up the land and get it back into shape.”

      Max glared at her. “I don’t need to explain myself or my brothers to anyone.”

      Isaac stood, holding his puppy close. “Mr. McClain, we’d take really good care of these two. We think they want to stay together, so they won’t be scared when they leave their mom.”

      Jim СКАЧАТЬ