Page 19 of Puppy Christmas

Chapter 5

“So, the primary goal is for this little guy to become your second pair of ears.” Lila sat cross-legged in front of Emily, talking to the child in a low, calm tone that was making it difficult for Ford to concentrate on his work. “Any sound that you think is important, we’ll also teach Jeeves is important. That way, if you miss it for whatever reason—because you’re doing your homework or watching cartoons or just not having a good day—he can remind you.”

Emily nodded solemnly, her eyes wide as she sat at attention next to her puppy and absorbed the importance of what Lila was telling her. Ford wastryingnot to interfere and had turned his chair away from the three of them in hopes that he could focus on the coffee-maker manual he was drawing, but it was difficult.

And not just because there was a gorgeous woman on his living room floor in a golden sweater with her hair swept up in an elaborate crown of braids. The fact that she’d made a genuine effort to look regal was enough to cement her in his heart forever. That she spoke to his daughter as if she were a miniature adult, capable of making her own decisions, was going to be the end of him.

“I’ll start. One of the sounds I think is super important is a smoke alarm. Have you heard one of those before?”

Emily giggled. “Only when Daddy burns the toast.”

“I like a nice char on my bread,” he called over his shoulder. “Crispy and full of flavor.”

Lila ignored him. Ever since that morning’s encounter with Helen, she’d been doing that a lot—she and Emily both. With the kind of determination rarely seen in a child three times her age, Emily had thrown herself wholeheartedly into the puppy training.

She’s just like her mother.And, come to think of it, like Lila.

“Now it’s your turn,” Lila said. “What sounds are important to you?”

Ford turned back to his drafting desk, determined to concentrate on illustrating the best water reservoir in the history of coffee makers, but it was no use. Emily and Lila were having way more fun than him.

“I like it when the roosters crow at Grandma Louise’s house. She haseightchickens.”

“That’s an excellent sound,” Lila agreed.

“Are you sure about that?” Ford asked. “Emily failed to mention that of the eight chickens, seven of them are roosters. When they really get going, they’re like a choir of sopranos with their throats cut. And usually well before dawn.”

“Roosters are kind of like alarm clocks, aren’t they?” Lila persisted, still ignoring him. “We can put alarm clocks on our list. That’s a good one. Oh! And how about when a car is driving down the road? There are a lot of different traffic sounds we can teach Jeeves.”

“Including the ice-cream truck?” Emily asked, getting into the spirit of things.

“Especiallythe ice-cream truck.” Lila’s pen tapped against the pad of paper in a thoughtful pause. “Let’s see, what else… The doorbell, maybe? For when your friends come over to play?”

Ford whipped around and shook his head, but it was no use. Lila wasn’t looking at him and therefore couldn’t see the warning he was trying to send her way.

“No, thank you.”

“You don’t have a doorbell? That’s okay. Knocking works, too. Jeeves is really smart. We can teach him that they mean the same thing.”

“No.”

“Well, maybe we could just add it in case—”

“No, no, no, no, NO!” Emily’s vehemence grew with each repetition.

“Are you not allowed to answer the door?”NowLila gave him her attention, her head swiveling toward his. “We don’t have to teach her to open it—only to know that there’s someone there. In case you’re in the shower or something.”

Ford tried to make the quick motion of a knife across his throat, but Emily’s face had already started to crumple in on itself, all of her placid happiness coming to a crushing halt. At the sight of it, Ford’s heart started to do the same, clenching with a familiar sensation of frustration and helplessness.

“This is a stupid game,” Emily announced. Her thumb went automatically to her mouth, her other hand clutching Jeeves around the neck. The puppy took it like the true gentleman his name suggested, determined to absorb his lady’s suffering no matter the cost. “I don’t want to play anymore.”

Lila looked as though she wanted to protest, but Ford just nodded. “Jeeves could probably use a break. Why don’t you take him to your room for a few minutes?”

Emily gave a resolute sniffle, but there was little she could do to prevent the tears from gathering in her eyes. She held her head high as she marched through the living room, her puppy on floppy legs as he trailed in her wake.

“What did I say?” Lila asked as soon as Emily had slammed the bedroom door behind her. The house was so small that the action caused the pictures to rattle on the walls, but Ford wouldn’t punish her for it. A slammed door was preferable to the withdrawn silence that so often took over. “Do you guys have a rule about guests that I should know about?”

Ford sighed and scrubbed a hand over his jaw, momentarily forgetting that he had a tendency to get ink all over his fingers while he sketched. “No, there’s no rule. In fact, teaching Jeeves to recognize a knock on the door should probably go to the top of the list. In case you didn’t notice, neighbors around here have a tendency to drop by at all hours and on the flimsiest of excuses.”