Chapter 7:
Christmas MorningDecember 25, 2014
“God, what is it now?” Laura peers at the clock. “3:52 am,” she grumbles. Gruffly throwing the covers back, she scurries downstairs. What's gotten Sammie riled up? She's surprised his incessant barks haven't wakened the girls. Turning on the kitchen light, and squinting at Sammie prancing to and fro and growling at the back door, she murmurs, “Calm down, Sammie … What's gotten into you?” Sammie stops, sits on his haunch, and barks loudly at the door. “What? You wanna go out?” Slowly, opening the door and peering into the black backyard, she scans the veranda east to west. Curiously, Sammie peers from the other side of the door, his loud growl now a low grumble.
“Okay, scaredy cat … are you going out?” With a tilted head and dangling tongue,
