A Teaspoon of Mistletoe Read online

  “Did he have kids?”

  “Six or seven as I remember–all girls. Some stayed, some left when they were married. There’re still descendants of his living in town, but with different last names of course.”

  “I grew up in Portland. We studied Oregon history in school, but I never felt a connection with the founders of the city.”

  “Small town America, we do things a bit differently,” she said with a grin.

  Chapter Three

  Nick liked her smile. It seemed to light up her face. He'd worked with female doctors and nurses over the years, even fell for one his first year in Africa.

  But none sparked the interest Annie did with her smile.

  “Tell me about growing up on a cattle ranch. I assume you ride,” Nick said.

  “Sure do, and rope and brand calves and whatever else needed doing. I still help out at branding time if my folks need me. And I'd much rather be riding a horse than working the chuck wagon. My mom's been in charge of that for more years than I can remember. One year I helped out and burned some things, served half raw meat, and was banished forever. My good luck,” she said, swirling a final french fry in the catsup.

  “Planned?” he asked.

  “Not really, but if I had thought of it, I would have tried it. No one expects much of my meals. But I'm a great cake maker. My sour cream pound cake has won ribbons at the county fair.”

  Nick's mouth began to water even though he was totally full from the lunch. He hadn't had cake in years.

  Annie looked at his empty plate and the last of the milkshake. “Are you about ready to go?”

  He nodded, draining the milkshake. “You were right, this is great food.”

  When they reached the truck, Annie offered to drive him home.

  Nick accepted, not because he was tired–surprisingly–but he wanted to spend a little more time with Annie.

  He told her where the condo complex was. Annie knew it and before long she stopped in front of the unit he was staying in.

  “Thanks for letting me ride along,” he said, reluctant to get out of the truck, but having no reason to stay.

  “Glad for the company.”

  He nodded and opened the door. Climbing out, he turned and ducked down to see her.

  “Do you visit the coffee shop every morning?”

  She hesitated a moment then smiled. “Yes, before work if I’m not putting up wreaths.”

  “Maybe I'll see you there tomorrow. I'm going back for another one of those cinnamon rolls.”

  They heard a high whimper.

  Nick looked around but didn't see anything. Still it sounded like an animal nearby.

  Annie switched off the engine.

  “Did I hear something?” she asked in the quiet.

  The whimper came again.

  Nick pinpointed it near some shrubs covered in snow. “There, I think.”

  Annie climbed out of the truck and walked slowly toward the large bush, Nick joining her. In seconds she knelt and peered into the dim space beneath the bush. A puppy shivered there, whimpering again.

  “Oh, honey, what are you doing out in the cold?” Annie said, kneeling closer and reaching in beneath the branches. Snow fell on her from the disturbance, but she caught the puppy and pulled him out, immediately snuggling him against her chest to warm him up. His shivers attested to the cold.

  Nick squatted beside her, reaching out to stroke the soft wet fur. Then he stood and looked around. “I don't see anyone looking for this little guy.”

  “Well we can't leave him out in the cold.”

  “Come inside the condo. He'll warm up in there,” Nick said.

  It was a short walk to the end unit condo and Annie cuddled the puppy trying to get him to stop shivering. Once inside, she glanced around. The condo belonged to Roger Keller, not Nick, so she knew the decorations were reflective of him. What would Nick's place look like? Like a motel room if he just lived out of a suitcase, always on the move.

  Sleek and sophisticated were the adjectives that came to mind for this home. Black leather sofa, large TV on the wall, chrome and glass side tables. It was a ubiquitous bachelor pad in Annie's mind.

  “Come through to the kitchen. I'll warm some milk and that'll help warm him up internally,” Nick said.

  The authoritative tone reminded Annie that he was a physician and probably used to giving orders to nurses and patients alike.

  A few moments later Annie put the puppy down in front of a shallow bowl of warm milk. The little guy began lapping it up as if he were starving.

  “How do we find out who he belongs to?” Nick asked as they watched the puppy.

  “We can call animal control. If they don't have a lost dog report, we could take a picture and post fliers around here. He's little, so I don't think he wandered far. I bet someone is frantic with worry.”

  Nick asked Annie to call while he took a couple of pictures of the puppy and went to his cousin's office to make a flier.

  “No one's reported a missing dog,” Annie said when she searched for Nick.

  “I'm making a flier. We'll print up a few and post them around. Wonder if I should go door to door?”

  “Do you know any of the neighbors? Maybe they know who the puppy belongs to,” Annie said.

  “I've met the Larsons who live next door. And Mrs. Aberthany who lives beyond them. Otherwise I don't know anyone.”

  “I know Mrs. Abernathy; she is one of the wrappers for the Christmas presents. Let's check with her. She's lived here for years and I bet knows a lot of what goes on with her neighbors.”

  When they had a dozen fliers, they bundled up, took the puppy and headed for Mrs. Abernathy's.

  The older woman invited them in, exclaimed over the puppy, but had no information on where he belonged.

  Annie looked at her watch when they left Mrs. Abernathy's place. “I have to get back to the nursery.”

  She looked down at the puppy. “He's really cute. I know someone is missing him. I used to have a Golden when I was a kid. She was the sweetest dog ever.”

  She looked at Nick. “Can you watch him? I can't take him with me, I have work to do. And I don't want him to go to animal control until we know his owner isn't looking for him.”

  Nick looked at the puppy. He knew next to nothing about taking care of a dog. But he was the more likely candidate to do that of the two of them. He had nothing to do this afternoon. Why not?

  “Okay, but I'm hoping someone calls after I post the fliers. I put my number on them. So it makes sense I watch him. I bet his owners call before dinner.”

  “I hope so.”

  Annie gave the puppy another hug then handed him over to Nick.

  “Thanks. I'll check in later to see how he's doing. Call me if the owner claims him, please.”

  She took a flier and wrote her number across the bottom.

  Taking another one, she said she'd post it at her place, but it also gave her Nick's phone number.

  Roger's condo had a small enclosed patio area. Nick took the puppy there in case he needed to go. Almost as soon as his paws touched the pavement, the puppy squatted and let go a stream. Then he scampered around the enclosure sniffing the plants and running around. Nick called him and he came right away. Picking up the pup, he entered the condo.

  “Here's hoping that will hold you for a while,” Nick said, sitting in the recliner and petting the dog.

  A moment later the puppy turned around three times on Nick's lap, then collapsed down and closed his eyes. He appeared to instantly fall asleep.

  “Good idea,” Nick murmured, already feeling himself drift off.

  Annie checked in with her employee, Joe, when she reached the nursery. The place had been quiet all morning, but Joe said there'd been several calls about the Christmas trees they stocked. Several people had indicated they'd be by in the afternoon to purchase a tree.

  Annie carried a few smaller ones and appreciated the business. The large tree lot at the outskirts of town carrie
d a wider assortment of trees. She felt badly for those that had been cut and not sold or used, and limited her own supply to what she felt would be sold.

  “Mac called in sick. He has the flu,” Joe said.

  “Oh no. I hear that cough lingers for weeks.”

  Joe shrugged. “Yeah, I heard that too. Hope the rest of us stay well.”

  Annie nodded and headed for the office. With one of her employees out, she'd have to be available to pick up any slack.

  While working on the books, Annie thought about the puppy and wondered if anyone had called Nick about the dog. She'd asked him to call her if the owner showed up and he hadn't called, so probably not.

  Joe came into the office. “I decorated the table top tree for the cops. Do you want me to deliver?”

  “That's great; we're earlier than the date I quoted. Yes, if you don't mind. I'm about to stop now before my eyes cross. I'll be out front if anyone shows up.”

  “At least two families are coming after school gets out,” he reminded her.

  “Right. Say, do you know anyone who just got a puppy–looks like a Golden Retriever pup?”

  He shook his head. “Why? Do you want one?”

  “No, but I found a puppy this afternoon, over by the Bailor Condos. I didn't see anyone around, no one out looking for their dog. I called animal control but they didn't have a lost dog report.”

  “Beats me. If I had a puppy I'd take care of it–especially in this weather. We're due for another snow dump before the end of the week.”

  “I know. At least we know we always have white Christmases.”

  She needed to make sure she had all her deliveries made in case the snowfall was substantial.

  “I'll be back after I deliver the tree,” Joe said, turning to carefully pick up the tree and carry it to the truck he drove.

  Annie put on her heavy jacket and knit hat. She'd spend time in the tree lot in anticipation of customers stopping by for a tree. The ones near the front were still dusted with snow, giving a perfect example of how a tree might look with minimum decorations but with a dusting of flocking.

  She preferred hers with lots of small lights. She had one tree set up on the far right twinkling with colorful lights that blinked on and off.

  Sitting on the stool near the cash register, Annie gazed off into the distance, her thoughts now on Nick.

  She'd enjoyed spending the morning with him. It had been a long time since Jack Carson had left. She rarely dated, not because she was that picky, but because most of the men who asked her out were ones she'd known all her life and there was simply no spark.

  Not that she was thinking about Nick in that way, either. The man was only in Lamberton for a few weeks. Once the holidays were over, he'd be back to Africa.

  After Jack, she'd make sure she never got involved with anyone who didn't want to live here.

  But until then, could it hurt to offer some western hospitality to a visitor? The thought came unexpected.

  A car pulled into the graveled parking lot and all thoughts of Nick fled. Time to get to work.

  Nick woke when the puppy began stirring. He picked the little fellow up and immediately put him outside in the enclosed courtyard. Not a moment too soon. Bringing the puppy back inside he wondered what to do next. He couldn't keep feeding him milk. This young pup needed solid food. Only Nick hadn't a clue what to feed him.

  He reached for his cell phone, then hesitated. His initial thought was to call Annie and see what she'd recommend. She'd had dogs before, he never had.

  He hesitated. He had a medical degree. He'd spent years practicing in some of the most remote areas of the globe. But never the dogs in a village. Just people.

  He called the number she'd given him.

  “Hi, this is Annie,” she answered. “Just a moment, please, I'm with a customer.”

  It sounded as if she'd laid the phone on a counter. Nick could hear her talking with someone about the cost of a tree. From the way the conversation was going, she sold a Christmas tree to a young family. He smiled when he heard the excited exclamations of the children in the background.

  “Thanks for waiting. What can I do for you?” Annie spoke a moment later.

  “Share some advice on puppies,” Nick said.

  “Hi, is he doing okay?” she asked.

  “He slept most of the afternoon.”

  “But no calls about him?”

  “Not a single one.” He looked at the little puppy running around on the kitchen floor, slipping and sliding if he ran too fast. “Now I expect he's hungry, but I don't have any dog food. What kind should I get?”

  “There's puppy food. The grocery store on Ellis has a good selection. Just get a small bag. I'm hoping he'll be back home before long. Otherwise, how are things going?”

  “Where is the store exactly?”

  “It's on Ellis Street, off the main drag. I tell you what, I'll swing by and pick up a small package of puppy food and bring it by. I'm almost finished here for the day. I can be there in about a half hour.”

  “Sounds good.” Nick watched the puppy slide halfway across the kitchen.

  “Do you want to stay for dinner? I could order pizza. That's something I've had several times since I've been here. It's a treat after not having any for years.”

  “You're on,” Annie said.

  Nick clicked off and looked at the puppy. “We're having company for dinner. And she's bringing you food, too.”

  He watched the little dog run around, envying him all that energy.

  “I wish I could bottle some of your energy,” he told the puppy.

  Less than an hour later, Annie rang the door bell. Nick went to answer it and the puppy scampered after him, sliding on the tile entry way as he tried to stop his forward momentum.

  It was colder out than before. And the wind had picked up. Annie no longer wore the cap she'd had on earlier, and her hair was swirling in the wind.

  “Hi. And hi to you, too, Puppy,” Annie said with a big smile. She had a small brown bag in one arm.

  “Come in. Don't let him out. I have an enclosed area where I'm putting him in from time to time. So far, no accidents.”

  “Good. He's a smart little guy. Maybe someone has already started housebreaking.”

  “I'd think so, but then I would have thought his owner would have gone looking for him by now,” Nick said.

  She nodded, brushing her hair back from her eyes.

  Nick reached out and tucked another wayward strand behind her ear. For a moment he touched her soft skin, still cool from the outdoors.

  She caught her breath, gazing up into his eyes. For a moment time stood still.

  Then Annie stepped back and handed him the sack. “Dog food.”

  She took off her jacket and hung it on one of the hooks in the entry way.

  “Good, I bet he's starving. Though I did give him some more milk,” Nick said, turning abruptly to head for the kitchen. His fingers could still feel the softness of her skin. Good grief was he now becoming delusional?

  He set the bag on the kitchen counter and pulled the small sack of puppy food out of it. “How much do I give?”

  “I think the directions are on the back,” she said, crowding closer, but not touching.

  At least he hadn't freaked her out by his touch.

  “I don't know how much he weighs though,” Annie said, reading the suggested serving sizes.

  “I'd say between fifteen and twenty pounds,” Nick said, getting down a small bowl and scooping the dry food into it. He set it on the ground and the puppy made a beeline for it.

  He made an endearing gulping sound as he ate as if he was in a race. In no time the bowl was empty. He moved to the water dish Nick had placed on the floor some time ago and slurped up water for almost a full minute. Turning, he dribbled water across the floor as he walked over to Annie, his tail wagging.

  “You are so adorable,” she said, scooping him up and cuddling him close to her. “Should we give him a name?”
she asked.

  “I don't know. Seems a bit presumptuous. I keep hoping the owner will call.”

  “Yeah, you're right. Still, it seems silly to just call him puppy.”

  “He responds to it,” Nick said. Do you think that's what his owner calls him?”

  “No. I suspect he comes to any name when someone calls him,” Annie said. She stooped down and placed him gently on the floor. When he wandered away, she called “Jerome?”

  The puppy ran over wiggling all over.

  She grinned at Nick. “Care to try?”

  He waited until the puppy began exploring again and then called, “Theophilus.”

  The puppy scampered over.

  “I rest my case,” Annie said and laughed.

  “So much for knowing his name. Ready to order pizza?”

  She nodded.

  “What kind?” he asked.

  “I like them loaded.”

  “Me, too. Sounds good.”

  Chapter Four

  When dinner was ordered, Nick and Annie moved into the living room to await the pizza delivery.

  Nick's phone rang and he glanced at the caller before standing. “I need to take this,” he said, walking out of the room.

  Annie could hear the murmur of his voice as he walked down the hall. Soon it was cut off.

  She watched the puppy wondering if it was his work calling wanting to know when he was returning.

  Nick returned a couple of minutes later. “Sorry about that. It was my boss.”

  “Checking up on you to see when you'll be returning?”

  “Yes. At least checking in. He knows I'm not looking to return until the New Year.”

  “Are they shorthanded?”

  “Not any more than normal. How many doctors practice in Lamberton?” he asked.

  “I don't know. A bunch. We have a hospital over near the elementary school. And several specialists. The town may be small, but our population isn't that small. We have a lot of ranches in the area.”

  She thought a moment. “I don't believe we have anyone specializing in tropical medicine, though.”