Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses (Kringle Falls #1)

2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

I t had all happened so fast.

One moment they were on the road, and the next they were here.

Candi sat back in her seat and glanced around. It was so dark it was hard to make out anything but the branches pressing against the windows.

All three of her precious cargo were panic-barking. They were alive. That was the important part. But she worried that they might be injured.

As she worked to release her seatbelt, she realized that during the accident, the engine had died. The cold of the evening was quickly seeping into the van.

She tried to restart the engine. Nothing happened. No-no-no. It has to start. They needed the heat because the last time she’d looked at the outdoor temperature, it was below freezing and continuing to drop.

She tried to start the engine again and again. Then, realizing the vehicle was still in gear, she moved the gearshift to Park. She gave the ignition a few more tries. Still nothing.

The puppies were barking frantically. She needed to go check on them. Then she’d figure out what to do to get them out of this mess.

She moved to the back of the van. She was relieved to find the three musketeers, as she’d nicknamed them, moving about their crates, not showing any sign of injury. She took her first easy breath. She’d never have forgiven herself if anything had happened to them.

When she knelt before them, the pups stuck their paws through the openings in their crates as they tried to reach her. She could see the fear in their eyes.

One by one, she released the doors on their crates. They rushed out and crawled all over her. As she petted them, she studied them to make sure they were all right.

Once she’d assured herself that they hadn’t been injured, her thoughts turned to finding a way to get them out of there. Because without heat, they couldn’t stay there.

And then a thought came to her. She could try her phone. Her gaze moved to the holder on the dash. Her phone was no longer there. She glanced around, but it was so dark without the lights from the dashboard. It was going to be hard to find her phone.

As the puppies climbed all over her, she thought about how to get them all out of there. The only option was for her to walk for help. But how far? And what about the puppies? She couldn’t just leave them in this frigid cold without heat.

There was a sound.

Was it whimpering?

Michael reached the rear corner panel of the van. There were no lights on inside, and the motor wasn’t running. It didn’t look good.

But there was that sound again. Was it someone in pain? Perhaps.

He tromped through the thick snow to the driver’s side door. Bracing himself for the worst, he glanced in the window. There was no one there. How could that be?

He raised his flashlight and shined it inside. Both seats were vacant. “Hello. Is anyone in there?”

“Back here!” The muffled female voice came from the back of the van.

He tried the driver’s door. It wouldn’t budge. “The door is locked.”

He heard some shuffling and barking. Barking? He waited, but the door was still locked. What was taking so long? Maybe the woman was injured.

“I can break the window,” he shouted.

“No! Don’t. I’m coming.”

There was more barking. Was it one dog? Or two? He tried to shine the flashlight into the back of the van, but he couldn’t see around the seat.

And then a young woman appeared between the seats. In the light’s beam, he could make out her strawberry-blond hair. It was long and pulled back in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder.

When she leaned toward the door to unlock it, he noticed a bit of blood smeared in her hair. He had no idea how seriously she might be injured. He pulled his phone from his pocket and waved it around, trying to get a signal. Still nothing. No way to get help.

When he heard the lock release, he opened the door. “You’re hurt.”

“I am?”

How could she not know? She must be in shock. “It’s your forehead. There’s some blood. You need to sit down.”

“I can’t. I have to get things ready to go.”

“What things?” It was then he heard a chorus of barking.

“I have to grab supplies for the pups. Can I borrow your flashlight? It’ll make this so much easier.”

Normally, he’d insist on getting her medical attention and then coming back for the dogs, but with the falling temperature, they couldn’t be left out there. However, he still wasn’t sure how to get her and the dogs up the snow-covered incline. He’d figure something out.

The more she moved, the more the van rocked. Michael took the moment to step to the front of the van and was shocked when he found the van’s undercarriage hung up on a tree stump. That was it. That was all that had stopped the vehicle from careening the rest of the way down the embankment.

In a perfect world, the van should be secured with lines tied to nearby trees. But he didn’t have any rope or chains. And there didn’t appear to be any trees nearby that were sturdy enough to hold the van in place. All he could hope was that he was able to help the woman and dogs get out of the vehicle without it breaking free of the tree trunk.

He stepped back to the open doorway. “We have to go.”

“I just need a few more minutes to fill a couple more bags with supplies.”

“Leave it. We’ll get whatever you need in town.”

“It won’t take me that long to round up the things. Everything got shifted in the accident.”

“I don’t think you understand. This van is not secure. The more you move around, the better the chance it’ll start rolling again.”

“Oh.”

At last, he seemed to have gotten through to her. The next thing he knew, there was a fuzzy black and white dog thrust at him.

“Take Tank.” Her voice had a hard edge to it that said not to argue with her as she placed the dog on the driver’s seat. “I’ll take Odie and Tater Tot.”

He heard the van creak. “Move slowly. I don’t know how much longer the stump is going to hold it in place.”

It was a big puppy—maybe a few months old. Tank sniffed him. Michael held his hand out for him to sniff. When the dog seemed okay with him, Michael gently ran his hand over the pup’s back. He could feel the puppy shiver. He didn’t think it was from the cold. At least not yet. It was probably from the shock of the accident.

He soon realized the dog had on a harness and a red leash. Michael took a moment to secure the leash around his hand. Then he glanced toward the back of the van. What was taking the woman so long?

Before he could vocalize the question, there was another puppy thrust at him. “Can you hold on to Odie while I put a harness on Tater Tot?”

Michael looked down at the two puppies now on the driver’s seat. Odie looked to be a small cavapoo mix of some sort. They stared at him and proceeded to bark in unison. He frowned at them. Didn’t they know he was there to help them?

A moment later, the woman placed a third dog on the seat. He didn’t know how they all fit. He worried one of them was going to fall out into the snow. He stepped closer to use his body as a wall.

“We’re ready to go,” the woman said.

At last, they could get out of there. “Move carefully when you climb into the front seat. Remember, you don’t want to rock the van loose.”

“I know. You don’t have to keep telling me.”

He wanted to say it was only a reminder, but he bit back the words. Now certainly wasn’t the right time for an argument.

“Can you move the pups?” she asked.

He glanced down at the three pups, who were smashed together on the driver’s seat. What was he supposed to do with all three of them?

And then he got an idea. He wasn’t sure it would work, but it was worth a try.

He zipped up his coat, and then he stuffed the front hem into the top of his jeans. The belt helped hold everything in position.

Then he picked up the black and white pup. He stuffed him into his jacket. It was a tight fit, but it would work until they made it to his truck.

Then he scooped up the other two pups, one under each arm. With the pups secure, he took a step back from the vehicle.

“Be careful.” He had no idea about the extent of her injuries.

“Did anyone ever accuse you of worrying like a mother hen?” she asked.

His mouth gaped. No. No one had ever accused him of that. One of the pups took that moment to stick his nose into his mouth. Michael jerked his head back, sputtered, and then closed his mouth.

He opened it again to say, “Just be careful. You don’t know how badly you’re hurt.”

He noticed that this time she didn’t have a pithy comeback. When she was at last standing next to him, he noticed she was several inches shorter than him. And he had this instinctive need to protect her, but that was hard to do when he had puppies all over him.

“Let me get the puppies up to my truck, and I’ll come back to help you up the hill.”

“I can take one of the pups.” She held out her right hand for one of them.

Michael shook his head. “I’ve got them.” Just then the one in his jacket started squirming around. Michael moved his hand to help secure the pup’s backside to keep him from working his jacket loose and falling out.

“Then let’s go.” She closed the van door.

It appeared she wasn’t going to listen to his suggestion for her to wait. Stubborn woman. Oh, well, who was he to argue with her? It’s not like he even knew her. And he was certain he’d never see her again after this evening.

And so, he carefully turned. It was so dark. He squinted, searching for his previous tracks in the snow. At last, he found them. However, as the incline got steeper, he had a hard time balancing himself while holding on to the pups that refused to sit still.

At one point, he lost his balance. He thought for sure they were going to tumble down the embankment. Luckily, he regained his balance just in time to save them from becoming one giant rolling snowball.

When he reached the roadway, he turned to see the woman at the bottom, struggling to get up the incline.

“I’ll be right back,” he said.

He didn’t wait for her response. He rushed over to the snowplow. It took some quick maneuvering to step up and open the door without losing his grip on the puppies.

When at last all three puppies were in the warm cab, he made sure the emergency brake was on. Then he secured their leashes to the steering wheel for the lack of a better option.

“Just sit down and enjoy the warmth.” He turned up the fan on the heater. “I’ll be right back.”

They barked. He imagined they were telling him not to leave them, which was totally ridiculous because they had absolutely no idea what he’d just said.

As he carefully closed the door, he told himself to get a grip. It had been a long day and now a long evening. He just needed some sleep, and he’d be fine when the early shift rolled around.

When he made it back to the embankment, he found the woman halfway up. He rushed down to her side.

“Let me help you.” He had a feeling she might bristle at the offer.

Instead, she surprised him when she nodded her head.

“Do you mind if I put my arm around your waist?” he asked.

She shook her head.

With his arm around her slender waist, he helped her the rest of the way up the embankment. She was quite light but not exactly sturdy on her feet.

When they reached the roadway, she glanced around. Her gaze came to rest on the big yellow truck. “Is that yours?”

He nodded. “Well, not technically. It belongs to the township.”

“So, you’re a snow plow driver?”

He didn’t feel the need to correct her. So, he merely nodded. It was close enough. “My name’s Michael Bishop.”

She held her hand out to him. “I’m Candace Goodman, but my friends call me Candi.”

His gaze moved between the smile on her face and her extended hand. At last, he took her hand in his, and immediately, he knew it was a mistake. His fingers tingled where they touched the smooth skin of her hand. The sensation pulsed up his arm and settled in his chest, giving him a funny feeling.

He pulled his hand back. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

“But what about my van?” She turned to stare into the darkness that had eaten any sign of her vehicle.

“There’s no way it’s coming out of there tonight. It might be two or three days until you can get someone out here to tow it up for you.”

“Two or three days?” There was a note of agony in her voice. “That won’t work.”

“This is a winter storm. Things are going to take time. Come on.” He moved to the truck and opened the passenger door for her. All three puppies rushed over to that side of the truck and let out a chorus of barks.

She followed him. “You don’t understand.”

In the light of the truck, he saw the cut on the side of her forehead was still bleeding. He leaned into the truck and opened the glove box. He pulled out some napkins. He held them out to her. When her brows drew together as confusion shone in her eyes, he pointed to her forehead. She took the napkins and pressed them to the cut.

“Let’s get out of the cold.” He gestured for her to get into the truck.

“I can’t. If I’d have known we couldn’t tow the van, I would have grabbed those supplies for the three musketeers.”

For the first time that evening, he smiled. The truth was he rarely smiled at all these days. After losing his family a couple of years ago, he didn’t find many things to smile about.

The woman frowned at him. “What are you so amused about?”

“Your name for the puppies.” He held out a hand to assist her into the truck. “You’re letting out all of the warm air.”

He detected a slight huff coming from her as she ignored his hand and instead grabbed the armrest and swung herself up and into the truck.

With the woman and puppies secure in the truck, he closed the door and made his way around to the other side. Now to make it back to town and drop them off at the hospital. Then he was headed home to bed.

He opened his door and climbed inside. He was relieved to see the puppies climbing all over the woman. Michael settled into his seat, and that was when he noticed a warm sensation on the back of his right thigh and his butt. “What in the world?”

It took him a moment to figure out what had happened. And then he expelled a frustrated sigh.

“What’s wrong?”

He reached for some napkins he had in the center console from his dinner. “I think one of your puppies peed on my seat.”

“Oh.” The corners of her rosy lips quivered, as though she were fighting to hold back a laugh.

“This isn’t funny.”

“No. Of course not.” This time the amusement shone in her green eyes. “I’m sorry. They’re housebroken, but the accident has shaken them up.”

What was he supposed to say to that? No words came to mind. So, instead, he turned off the interior lights and put the truck into gear.

The only problem was that since he’d stopped to help her, a lot of snow had fallen. They were calling for more than a foot of fresh snow overnight.

He checked his gauges. He was out of salt. He’d run out a few miles back. That was why he’d been turning around and heading back to the utility shed when he’d noticed the tire tracks.

He adjusted the plow and they set off. The two smaller puppies settled on the woman’s lap and barked. A lot.

The third puppy… What was his name? Truck? No. Tank? Yes. Tank worked his way across the seat to Michael’s side. He sat there next to him, as though he were some sort of co-pilot. At least he wasn’t barking.

“Do you mind if I turn on the radio?” the woman asked.

He didn’t usually have it on unless there was a football game. He was used to the rumble of the road.

When he didn’t immediately answer, she said, “Sometimes the music will soothe them.”

He sighed. Anything was better than listening to them bark. “Go ahead.”

When she had problems reaching the radio because of the dogs sitting on her, he leaned over and turned it on. It got the dogs’ attention, and they momentarily quieted.

“Anything special?” he asked.

“How about some Christmas music? ’Tis the season.”

He thought of telling her that Christmas music wasn’t anything special around Kringle Falls, but he had a feeling she would learn all of that soon enough.

He turned on the first station with Christmas music. They were playing “Silent Night.” It wasn’t one of his favorite carols. But then Candace started to sing. It was soft but loud enough for him to realize she had a beautiful voice. And suddenly “Silent Night” was becoming one of his favorite carols.

The next thing he knew, the two smaller pups settled on Candace’s lap. Even the dog next to him stretched out the length of his thigh. He didn’t let himself get caught up in how cute they looked. He wasn’t a dog person. He wasn’t a cat person either. He was better off alone.

“He likes you.” The woman spoke over the rumble of the plow clearing the roadway.

Michael chose to pretend as if he hadn’t heard her. And yet he caught himself glancing down at the puppy, who had his eyes closed. Michael told himself that he’d only done it to make sure the pup was okay. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fuzzy white tummy that looked perfect for a pet. Because again, he wasn’t a dog person.

A few miles down the road, he noticed the woman had grown quiet. When he glanced in her direction, he found her head tilted back and her eyes closed. He was no doctor, but even he knew it wasn’t good to fall asleep with a head injury.

“Hey, wake up.” His gaze kept shifting between her and the roadway. He leaned over and nudged her arm. “Candace, wake up.”

She sat up straight and blinked her eyes. “Did I doze off?”

“You did. And you can’t do that—not until you see a doctor.”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you a doctor?”

“No. But I feel fine.”

“You realize that I don’t believe you, right?”

“Whatever.” She muttered something else under her breath, but he couldn’t quite make it out.

She was certainly feisty. She intrigued him. He wanted to know how she ended up adopting three puppies at once. Most people were happy with one, possibly two. But this woman had the three musketeers.

It wasn’t even like they were from the same litter. They were all different breeds. There must be some sort of story behind her actions. He reminded himself there wouldn’t be time to hear that story. Once she was safely at the hospital, he would be on his way home. And he didn’t expect for their paths to cross again.