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“Yes.” She hoped her voice had a firmness to it. “But I can’t come get them for a couple weeks.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll have my son bring them to you. You remember Shaun?”

“I do.”

“Well, he’s already planning to make a trip in your direction to stop by some other animal shelters. I’ll add you to his itinerary. You’ll be his last stop.”

“When will he be here?” She needed time to get people onboard with the plan.

“With Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wouldn’t expect him until next week sometime.”

After she disconnected the call, she looked up to find Merry sending her a curious look. Candi hesitated as she searched for a way to cajole Merry into agreeing to help.

Then again, she should just shoulder the responsibility for this group of puppies on her own. It wasn’t like last time when she was new in town and didn’t know anyone. This time around, she knew lots of people. Surely, she’d be able to think of three people who wanted to adopt a sweet puppy.

“Out with it,” Merry said.

Candi swallowed hard. “That was my friend Bob. He ran the animal shelter where I used to work.” When Merry arched a brow, Candi realized she had to get to the point. “Anyway, there’s been terrible flooding near where he now lives, and he’s helping to relocate the rescue animals. He asked if I’d be able to take three of the puppies. And I agreed.” Then, not wanting Merry to think she was imposing on her goodwill, Candi said, “But don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.”

Merry was quiet for a moment. “You know I was thinking that some of the town folk could use a furry companion. If you’d like some help placing the pups, I could give you a hand.”

A relieved smile lifted the corners of Candi’s mouth. “I’d appreciate it very much. So, who’s our first lucky person?”

Merry pressed a finger to her lips, as though in thought. “I’ll need to give it some thought. When do they arrive?”

“Sometime next week.”

Merry’s eyes twinkled. “I think it’s going to be a very special Christmas for a few Kringle Falls residents.”

Chapter One

The beginning of December, Kringle Falls

The rain clouds dogged him.

Shaun Higgins yawned as he adjusted the windshield wiper speed. He’d been on the road for hours. He reached for his to-go mug. When it touched his lips, he tilted it upward, but nothing came out. He expelled an exasperated sigh as he put it back in the cup holder.

Just then he saw a sign for Kringle Falls. It was a couple of miles down the road. It would be his last drop-off. He yawned. It was a good thing, too, because the puppies needed to get out and stretch their legs.

He just hoped his father knew what he was doing by sending the dogs to this out-of-the-way place. His prior stops had been at legitimate animal shelters, but there was no shelter in Kringle Falls. So, that meant they had to rely on Candi to keep her word and place the dogs in good homes. His father had a lot of faith in Candi. As for himself, he didn’t know her that well.

Shaun thought about turning on the radio to help perk him up, but he was almost at his destination, so he didn’t bother. In order to make this road trip, Shaun had taken some time off from his construction business, which he ran with a good friend. The business was doing well, and after talking to his partner, he felt it was okay for him to take a short break.

Of course, he had agreed to this trip more for his father than anyone else. His father had tried retirement for all of a month before he was utterly bored. So, his father found an animal shelter in a little town outside of Louisville, where he volunteered. It gave his father a purpose without him being overwhelmed by the administrative side of running his own shelter.

Eventually, he’d convinced Shaun to volunteer a few hours here and there. It wasn’t really that hard, because Shaun enjoyed spending time with the animals. With so many animals who needed help, the facility was grateful for another set of helping hands. The tricky part was not having his father take home every dog with a hard-luck story.

It was dark by the time he reached the outskirts of Kringle Falls. The temperature continued to drop. At the moment, it was hovering right around freezing.

The windshield wipers swiped back and forth. The rain had changed to sleet. The pinging of the ice on the windshield was the only sound in the vehicle. The pups had drifted off to sleep a little way back. He knew if he didn’t reach their destination before they awoke that he’d hear their displeasure about still being crated. And honestly, he couldn’t blame them. He wasn’t any more pleased after driving all day.

Off to the side of the road was a big wooden sign. The background was painted cherry-red with white lettering. He slowed down in order to read it. Welcome to Kringle Falls. Christmas is more than a special day. It starts within and shines outward.

He was intrigued. He pressed harder on the accelerator. Maybe he should have done some research before venturing to this town. As he entered the town, he noticed that practically every house on the street was decorated with twinkle lights, blow-up reindeer, and an assortment of other colorful yard ornaments.

Buzz.

Shaun’s gaze moved to the dashboard. His ex-wife’s name lit up. He had no idea why she was calling him, and he had no interest in finding out. He declined the call.