The Loner's Thanksgiving Wish (Love Inspired) by Rustand Roxanne

Author:Rustand, Roxanne [Rustand, Roxanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2011-10-31T17:00:00+00:00

Sunday morning dawned with six inches of fresh snow and stiff winds keening out of the mountains that frosted Mei’s cottage windows with lace and blew snowdrifts across the streets in town.

After letting Moose out to do his business, she put him back inside the cottage and drove over to pick up her mother for church.

The silence in the vehicle was deafening by the time they reached Clayton Christian Church and parked out front. Mei started to open her door, then settled back in her seat. “Is there anything you want to talk about, Mom?”

Lisette’s chin lifted. “We don’t want to be late.”

“Mom?”

Lisette sighed. “I’m not happy about the dog, to begin with. I specifically told you that you couldn’t keep it on my property. It has to go by Monday.”

“Did you know that he’s probably half wolfhound, half Great Pyrenees? The vet says he has the personality to make a wonderful pet.”

“Be that as it may, he’s still a very large and smelly dog. I don’t want him on my property.”

“The vet says he’s probably around two or three years old and surprisingly healthy given his very low weight from the fact that he’s been starving. He’ll be taking monthly pills for fleas and heartworm.” Mei grinned. “He smells like peaches, but I think he’s embarrassed about it.”

Lisette sighed.

“He’s a good watchdog, Mom. He barks if someone comes to the door.” Mei looked over at her. “I’ve never felt so safe living alone. I hope no one claims him, and if that happens, I’ll start looking for another place to live.”

“Oh, Mei—” Lisette’s voice was laced with disappointment.

She plowed on. “I really do understand your reasons for not wanting him around. But he’s such good company that I just can’t turn him in at the shelter and risk that he might be put to sleep.”

Lisette’s jaw tensed. “We’d better get inside or we’ll be late for the service. We can talk about him later, but there are other, far more important things to discuss, too. After church.”

The snow-drifted roads had kept some of the more rural members at home, but there were still a lot of familiar faces to see when Mei walked into church behind her mother. Most of the local shopkeepers. Mark Arrington, the Clayton family’s lawyer who had presided over the reading of Grandpa George’s will. Several old high school classmates, who turned and smiled. She caught a glimpse of Brooke, who was lingering at the back, deep in conversation with an elderly woman.

Vivienne and her new fiancé, Cody, were already seated in a middle pew with Zach and Kylie, and a young, school-aged girl Mei didn’t recognize. Behind them, Jasmine and Cade were seated next to Arabella and a tall, handsome man who was likely Arabella’s fiancé, Dr. Jonathan Turner.

Mei smiled to herself when she spied Arabella’s triplets seated alternately between the adults, probably in hopes that the four-year-old girls would make it through the service in relative peace. They were such darling little things

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