Puppy Love for Christmas

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

Sabrina could barely breathe. She focused on the light coming from inside the Animal Sanctuary. One of her hands was buried into the dog’s fur. They had to keeping going. It wasn’t looking good. She had no idea how long the animal had been left outside. If they hadn’t stumbled upon him and with the snow finally coming down, he wouldn’t have survived the night. Not with his injuries. There was so much blood. And the leg. Sabrina couldn’t look at it for long. Her stomach turned.

Once they reached the glass door of the shelter, Sharleen yanked it open and stood aside to let them in. Marcy was already in her scrubs, ready for surgery. The second Sabrina and Chris stepped inside, she started rattling off everything they needed to know.

“White German Shephard mix, approximately six months of age. Run over and left by the side of the road. No collar. Extensive wounds on his left hind leg and front left leg possibly broken. Breathing shallow.”

“Good work, Sabrina,” Marcy said, taking the dog from Chris’s arms. “We’ll take it from here.”

Sharleen placed a hand on Chris’s shoulders when he moved toward Sabrina and Marcy—who already disappeared behind the shelter’s swing door.

“Let me, Sharleen,” Sabrina said. “Go and help Marcy prep. I’m right behind you.” Then to Chris, she said, “We got here just it time from the looks of it,” she reassured, squeezing his shoulder. “Everything is going to be alright. Let us do our work.” Then she too disappeared through the swing door.

“I’ll be right here,” Chris said, resolute.

“That dog needs to live,” she said, her hands shaking from all the adrenaline in her system.

“He will,” Chris said with unbreakable uncertainty.

She looked back over her shoulder at him. “How can you be so sure?”

“Because it’s Christmas,” he replied. “It’s a day for miracles.”

“That’s probably the least scientific thing to ever come out of your mouth.”

He shrugged. “Hey, I’m allowed once in a while. ‘Tis the season after all.”

She paused at the door. “You should go home.”

“I’m staying right here.”

“You have blood on your shirt.”

“It’s black. It won’t show.”

Under different circumstances, Sabrina would have laughed, but not tonight. Not until she was sure that dog was safe and on the way to recovery.

“Thank you,” she said after a long moment.

“You keep thanking me tonight when you really don’t have to. I’m here for whatever you have in mind. I’m here for all the adventure—illegal or otherwise.”

That brought out the smallest of chuckles. Then with a last look at him as he settled into his seat at reception, Sabrina pushed into the back. She took a deep breath. As if a switch clicked in side her, everything calmed. For the first time since finding the injured dog, her hands didn’t shake.

***

It was at the break of dawn on Christmas day when Sabrina finally pushed through the swing doors into reception. She had a wide smile on her face. Chris jumped to his feet.

“How is he?” he asked, hands fisted at his sides.

“He’s one lucky pup, that’s for sure.” Her smile continued. “If we hadn’t brought him in the way we did things would have been different.”

Chris let out a long, slow breath. “That’s good. That’s so good. But I feeling like there’s a ‘but’ coming.”

Sabrina sighed. It was long and heavy, but still full of hope. “As much as we wanted to, we couldn’t save the hind leg. We needed to amputate.”

“Oh,” he said. “It was in really bad shape. The front leg?”

“Is in a cast,” Sabrina reassured. “He’s a little dehydrated and thin, but we’ve got him on fluids and antibiotics. If he fought hard out there to stay alive until we found him, I expect that he will make a full recovery given enough rest and food.”

“That’s good news.” Chris pulled Sabrina into his arms.

She went willingly. The surgery had been brutal. The comfort he provided was welcome.

“He’s currently still sedated,” Sabrina continued against his shoulder. “Why don’t we go home and get cleaned up. We’re closed for the day but if you want to visit him in the afternoon, that’s fine. Sharleen will be here to check on him. It’s Christmas day. Let’s spend it with our families.”

Sabrina was ready for a shower and a couple hours sleep. After a big breakfast and opening presents, of course.

***

Even exhausted, there was a lightness in Sabrina’s steps. With Marcy’s help, they were able to save that dog’s life. It was truly a Christmas miracle that she and Chris had discovered the pup. Now he stood a chance at a full recovery. He would become such a beautiful dog, Sabrina could already see it.

A smile crossed her lips as she pushed into the suite she shared with her mother, only to be greeted with, “Where have you been?”

The worried look on her mother’s face was understandable. Sabrina was a grown woman, but that was no excuse to make her mother worry. She gathered the frowning woman into her arms and gave her a tight hug.

“Merry Christmas,” Sabrina said, breathing in as if she hadn’t breathed at all until that moment.

Her mother stepped back from the hug and held Sabrina’s face in her hands. “Merry Christmas. Now, where have you been?”

“Surgery.” She kissed her mother’s cheeks. “Do we have any food, I’m starving.”

“What do you mean?” Her mother gestured at the table filled with all the breakfast trimmings: Pancakes, bacon, eggs, sliced fruit, a pitcher of OJ, and as a special Christmas treat, candy cane French toast—a Wakefield hotel specialty.

Sabrina lifted a strip of crispy bacon into her mouth and groaned the second she took a bite of the salty goodness. Only after she followed it with a swallow of orange juice did she tell her mother about the dog they had found.

“Poor thing.” Her mother clutched at her chest. “Is he going to be alright?”

“Just fine, Mom.” Sabrina smiled. “Just fine.”

“Christopher was with you?”

The instant she heard his name, it seemed as if her entire face grew hot. “Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

“Oh?”

“Christopher invited me to San Francisco for a couple of days. He wants me to be his date for this Christmas gala his company is throwing.”

“Oh.” The surprise in her mother’s face was priceless. “I always had fantasies of you two getting together. This is the best Christmas gift ever.”

“Mom!” Sabrina covered her face.

“What? He’s handsome and a good boy. He can certainly provide for you. What more can a mother ask for?”

Sabrina stood up, backed away from the table, and declared, “I have packing to do.”

“We’ll open presents when you’re done,” her mother called after her.

She might have rolled her eyes at her mother’s glee, but Sabrina couldn’t deny that thinking about being with Christopher made her happy. Once in her room, she reached under the bed for her suitcase. Then she moved to her closet and started picking out what to bring.

Her bag was about halfway full when her eyes wondered to her vanity. There an extra flyer for the Adopt-a-Thon lay. The smiling faces of the dogs and cats pictured on it made her stop what she was doing. She picked up the flier and stared at it a moment.

Was going with Christopher really the right thing? She had been denying the question since he’d asked her to come with him to San Francisco. All this time she had been reminding herself that nothing should come of liking him because they lived in two different places. She wasn’t about to leave Trevor and it wouldn’t be fair to ask him to move back home.

What was she to do?

***

It was nearly five in the afternoon when Sabrina met Chris outside of the Animal Sanctuary to check on their rescue. The snow fall had paused, leaving the town powered in white. The Christmas spirit was alive and well in Trevor. The Christmas fair would continue up until the New Year. Plus, there was so much to do. Christmas by the Sea was still in full swing.

“Hey,” Chris greeted. He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“Hey,” she said back. “I’d offer you my hot cocoa, but I wouldn’t want to put you out of commission for the rest of the night.”

Chris raised both hands. “You are merciful. Thank you.”

They shared a smile. It was different between them now. They were more than just friends, but she wasn’t sure what label to use. They were in that in between of undefined mutual understanding. After some rest, Sabrina had been doing some thinking.

Sharleen was already at the shelter. The vet must have said something about them coming back to check on the dog. She unlocked the door and let them in.

“He’s awake,” Sharleen said, smile as bright as sunshine on her face. “He’s ready for a little soft food. Maybe you can try to feed him?”

“Thanks, Sharleen.” Sabrina gave the nurse a hug. She was full of love and appreciation that day. And not only because it was Christmas. She placed her half-finished hot cocoa on the counter, intending to get back to it after their visit.

Holding hands, she and Chris proceeded to the back where the ICU was. There were several cats and dogs in separate cages recovering from different surgeries. Mostly spaying and neutering. Their dog was at the lowest cage on the far side of the wall.

When he saw Sabrina approach, he lifted his head. His tail thumped. Sabrina kneeled down and reached out a hand.

“Hey there, buddy,” she said.

He sniffed her hand before licking it. Sabrina’s heart melted instantly. She scratched him behind the ear. The answer to the questions she had been asking herself since last night finally had an answer. It had been simple, really.

“I’ll go get the food,” Chris said, allowing them some privacy.

Sabrina opened the cage then she sat on the floor. The dog crawled toward her. Stitches ran along the side of his left flank. Where once was a leg was now completely gone. It reminded her of Triumph. Another dog who would have a hard time finding a home through no fault of his own.

“Don’t worry, buddy,” she said. “I’ll find a way to keep you.”

“Here you go.” Chris handed over an open can of dog food and a small bowl. Then he took a seat beside her.

Sabrina took the food but rejected the bowl. “He’s not strong enough to stand yet.” She dug her fingers into the dog food and took a pinch. Then she presented it to the dog. He took a couple weary sniffs before licking and eventually taking the food.

She continued to feed him by hand until the entire can was gone. Chris then handed her a squeeze bottle filled with water he had brought with him.

“I thought he’d be thirsty after eating,” he said.

“You think of everything.” She took the bottle from him and squeezed a few drops into the dog’s mouth. When he got the hang of drinking from the bottle, Sabrina applied pressure to release a steady flow.

“I made a few calls this afternoon,” Chris said. “The plane is waiting for us at the airport. After we finish here, you can pack a couple of things and then we can head out. That would give us enough time to rest up before the Gala.”

She paused in giving the dog a drink then continued when it looked like he wanted more. “Chris, I’m sorry.”

“What for?”

“I can’t.” For the first time she wished her hair wasn’t so curly so she could hide behind a curtain of strands.

“If you need more time, we can always leave tomorrow. That isn’t a problem.”

“No. What I mean is, I can’t go with you to San Francisco.”

“But you said—”

“I know what I said,” she interrupted him. She looked up into his eyes when he touched her free hand. “Where do you think this is going between us?”

“I’m willing to try if you are. I’m right here.”

“Right now, yes. But you have to go back to work eventually. Your life is in San Francisco. My life is here. Especially now that we have enough funds to move forward with the expansion.”

He grew serious. “I’m not willing to let this end here.”

“I shouldn’t have let it get this far in the first place. I knew from the beginning that you don’t belong here. Not anymore. I shouldn’t have let myself . . .” She trailed off.

Chris’s lips disappeared into a flat line. “Let yourself what?”

She shook her head. Her heart broke piece by piece. “You should take that plane out tonight. You’ve fulfilled your family obligation to come home.” She steeled herself for what she had to say next. “Go back to San Francisco, Chris.”

The hurt on his face was clear. “Is that what you really want?”

“There’s nothing else to talk about here.”

“That’s not an answer to my question.”

The dog whimpered. Sabrina sank her hand into his thick scruff. She wasn’t sure who needed comforting more, but the contact was enough to keep her steady for the moment. She swallowed the large lump in her throat before she spoke again.

“Yes,” she said even if she didn’t believe herself. “That’s what I want.”

Chris reached out for the dog and scratched him behind the ear. “You get well soon, bud.” Then he pushed to his feet.

Sabrina kept her gaze on the dog as Chris walked away. If she looked up now she knew she would breakdown completely. That was the last thing she wanted him to see.

About halfway to the door, Chris paused. Sabrina could see him in her periphery.

Over his shoulder, he said, “If you change your mind, I’ll wait for you at the parking lot of the Wakefield at 6.”

With all her heart, she wanted to say she would be there. That she had her bags packed she had been so excited. But the animals needed her. There was so much to do. If she left now, she had no idea when she would return. Because with Chris, the possibilities seemed endless.