Bark! the Herald Angels Sing Read online

  “I’m sorry, too, child.” Gramma added to the hug, and then they all inched back to see Trace beaming at them.

  “Nothing quite like Kilcannon women loving each other.”

  “Kilcannon!” Cutter exclaimed, turning to Gramma. “Then you—”

  Just then, the room was filled with the sound of truck engines and tires crunching snow, flashing red lights, and then some loud and familiar voices.

  “And speaking of Kilcannons,” Trace said, pointing at the window. “I believe at least a dozen more of them just arrived.”

  “You got off the boat?” Cutter practically flattened Gramma with the strength of the question.

  “Of course I got off the boat, lad!” She gave a typical Gramma Finnie giggle. “It appears I’ve always had a bit of a reckless streak, and I guess that’s how we ended up here, with me tryin’ to recapture my youth.” With a sigh, she shook her old white head and pinned her gaze on Pru. “For everything, there is a season. And I think we both, Pru and I, learned to embrace the season of life where we are, nine or ninety, and enjoy it for what it is.”

  Cutter stepped closer, bearing down on Gramma. “Wait. Finish the story. You got off the boat and…” He held out his hands in question.

  “And we married, moved to America, made up with my family, and started one of our own, which has grown quite large and is, if I’m not mistaken, currently gathering in your yard.”

  “Have you ever thought about writing this down?” he asked.

  Gramma hooted. “If you’d join this century, lad, and get a little somethin’ called Wi-Fi up here, you could read my blog. And come to think of it, I shall tell that whole story. Spread it out over plenty of posts. Aye, my readers would love that.” She beamed at him as they walked toward the door that Trace had already gone out. “’Tis a fine idea. I believe you’ve cracked my writer’s block. Now, go outside and meet your guests because I’d venture the clan will be spendin’ Christmas Eve right here. Have you a lantern I could put in the window? It’s Irish tradition.”

  Molly turned to Pru, who was biting her lip and fighting tears, barely paying attention to anything but the movement, people, and lights outside.

  “They all came after us.” Her voice cracked. “The whole family.”

  Molly nodded. “I’m guessing the Mahoneys, too, who probably rounded up the local fire department. And Aidan and Beck flew here, and are no doubt out there, too.”

  “On Christmas Eve!” she practically wailed. “Oh God, I’m the worst.”

  Molly searched her face, lost for a moment in eyes the same color as her own, but so young and sweet and unlike any other human who’d ever walked the earth.

  “You are not the worst, Pru,” Molly whispered, bringing her closer for another hug. “You’re safe and alive, and I guess when I get over how upset I was, I will realize that I should have been more in tune with what was bothering you. And like Trace—”

  “You mean Dad,” Pru interjected.

  Molly smiled. “Like Dad, I’m proud that you risked your safety to save a dog and make Gramma happy again.”

  Outside, they could hear men’s voices and a few women’s, all rising with concern as they fired off questions that Trace had gone to field.

  At the sound, Pru pressed her face into Molly’s shoulder. “I am so sorry.”

  Molly stroked Pru’s hair with nothing but love and forgiveness. “Baby, we all make bad decisions. My mother used to tell me we are not the sum total of our mistakes.” Of course, she’d said that the day Molly admitted that she’d had a one-night stand in a minivan and Pru was the result.

  Pru leaned back. “But you fainted, Mom.”

  “I know. I haven’t even ever been dizzy like that in my life except…except…” That week before she made the confession to her mother. “Once before.”

  Pru’s eyes flashed, instantly following Molly’s thoughts, as she so often did. “Mom!”

  “Pru…”

  “It worked!” Pru exclaimed.

  “Something did,” Molly joked as the realization hit her heart and sent her reeling.

  “Exactly,” Pru said. “It’s the ‘somethings’ surprise.” Pru leaned closer. “‘Shock the bride with old, new, borrowed, and blue, and she’ll be favored with not one child but two.’ That’s the old Irish proverb Gramma quoted.”

  “I think she made that up, honey.” Didn’t she?

  “Oh no, she didn’t. Gramma worked in an upholstery factory and memorized all those Irish poems and things she says. Did you know that? And…and…Mom!” Pru’s sadness evaporated as her pretty face lit up as bright as the tree behind her. “You’re pregnant!”

  Suddenly, Gramma Finnie had both her arms around them, beaming. “How could you think I made that up?”

  “I’m…” Molly choked softly. “Is it possible?”

  Pru squeezed her. “Yes, and now you have something new.”

  “And the pin I just retrieved from the jewelry store in town is something old.”

  “I have an idea.” Gramma pointed to the whelping box where Queenie had lifted her head and looked around, no doubt searching for her puppies. Just that much movement assured Molly that the dog would survive her difficult labor. “Pru and I can borrow Blue, and we’ll have those two covered, too. Would Cassie like that?”

  Molly angled her head at Pru. “More important, do you like that?”

  “I love it. And you. And my new baby sibling!” More tears sprang, but this time they were from pure joy. “Merry Christmas to us!”

  Molly just put her head back and laughed while Pru and Gramma did a little dance around the Nativity scene, making Blue bark and bark at the angels who’d saved her.

  You are cordially invited to attend the wedding of Molly Kilcannon and Trace Bancroft…it’s free and available to my newsletter subscribers! Sign up at http://www.roxannestclaire.com/newsletter-2/ and download the festivities!

  And once you’re a newsletter subscriber, you’ll be alerted when I have a new release, including Dogfather book nine—OLD DOG NEW TRICKS. Yes, readers, it’s time for the Dogfather himself to find love. Stay tuned for an early 2019 release announcement!

  Readers can join the private Facebook group of Dogfather fans for inside scoop, secret tidbits, and fun giveaways! https://www.facebook.com/groups/roxannestclairereaders/.

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  Fall in love with The Dogfather Series…

  Available now

  Sit…Stay…Beg – book one

  New Leash on Life – book two

  Leader of the Pack – book three

  Santa Paws is Coming to Town – book four (a holiday novella)

  Bad to the Bone – book five

  Ruff Around the Edges – book six

  Double Dog Dare – book seven

  Bark! The Herald Angels Sing – book eight (a holiday novella)

  And coming in 2019

  Old Dog New Tricks – book nine (Daniel’s story!)

  Have you kicked off your shoes in Barefoot Bay? Roxanne St. Claire writes the popular Barefoot Bay series, several connected miniseries all set on one gorgeous island off the Gulf coast of Florida. Every book stands alone, but why stop at one trip to paradise?

  The Barefoot Bay Series

  1 – Secrets on the Sand

  2 – Seduction on the Sand

  3 – Scandal on the Sand

  4 – Barefoot in White

  5 – Barefoot in Lace

  6 – Barefoot in Pearls

  7 – Barefoot Bound (novella)

  8 – Barefoot with a Bodyguard

  9 – Barefoot with a Stranger

  10 – Barefoot with a Bad Boy

  11 – Barefoot Dreams (novella)

  12 – Barefoot at Sunset

  13 – Barefoot at Moonrise

  14 – Barefoot at
Midnight

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  About the Author

  Published since 2003, Roxanne St. Claire is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than fifty romance and suspense novels. She has written several popular series, including The Dogfather, Barefoot Bay, the Guardian Angelinos, and the Bullet Catchers.

  In addition to being a ten-time nominee and one-time winner of the prestigious RITA™ Award for the best in romance writing, Roxanne has won the National Readers’ Choice Award for best romantic suspense three times, as well as the Maggie, the Daphne du Maurier Award, the HOLT Medallion, Booksellers’ Best, Book Buyers Best, the Award of Excellence, and many others.

  She lives in Florida with her husband, and still attempts to run the lives of her young adult children. She loves dogs, books, chocolate, and wine, especially all at the same time.

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