Free A Christmas Home: A Novel by Gregory D Kincaid Page A

with several of the finest service-dog trainers in the business. It had taken several weeks of intensive work and a few training tips, but now Gracie was a pro at helping Laura up.
    When Laura gave the command “stand,” Gracie positioned her body sideways in front of Laura like a four-legged stool. The dog splayed her feet slightly and braced herself. Laura placed one hand on Gracie’s haunches and the other close to her neck, where the dog’s front legs could better support Laura’s weight. She tilted her torso over the top of the dog’s body and then with her palms down, pushed herself up. “Good girl, Gracie.”
    Once up, she took Todd’s elbow in her right hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
    Todd and Laura went out the front door, with their two dogs tagging along. There was no moon, and the stars were crisp and bright. They stood together by the cab of Todd’s truck while the engine warmed up. Laura stuck her hands in Todd’s coat pockets to keep them warm.
    As if on cue, Todd’s phone rang. He checked the callerID, sighed, and showed Laura the phone, letting Mary Ann’s call go to voice mail. “Sometimes my mom loves me too much.”
    She turned away from Todd and took a step toward her house. “Come on, Gracie. Todd has to get going on that long drive home,” she said, rolling her eyes in a teasing way. “Will you call me later, so I don’t worry about you being eaten up by all those coyotes I always hear howling out there?”
    Todd laughed. “Coyotes don’t eat people.”
    “Are you sure?” she asked.
    “Nah, you’re thinking of wolves.”
    Laura growled, “Rrrrff. See you tomorrow.”
    She reached down, grabbed the handle on Gracie’s vest, and made her way back toward the small ranch home where she had lived her entire life. As she reached the front door, Laura turned and waved good-bye to Todd as he pulled off. She stood for a moment and listened to the sound of the poorly muffled truck fade away in the distance.
    On the edge of town, Todd checked his messages on his cell phone. His mother still wanted him to stop by and check in with her before he went to bed or, if he was too tired, before he went to work the next morning. The second message was the one he had been hoping for. Brenda Williams—the Problem Solver—asked Todd to call her back tomorrow morning. “Yes!” he said aloud, feeling as if he’d scored a small victory.
    Todd drove under a clear sky crowded with stars, theground beside the road covered in snow. In the distance, Todd saw a doe in his headlights. He watched it amble across the road. He tapped the brakes and slowed to make sure she reached the other side safely. Once she was across, he switched his foot back to the accelerator and continued on his way to his parents’ home.
    At the end of his parent’s gravel driveway he turned off the ignition. “Come on, Christmas. We’re home.” The dog lumbered along behind Todd as he entered the family house through the back door.
    George and Mary Ann were waiting for him in the living room. Earlier that day, George had cut a Christmas tree from the wild cedars that flanked Kill Creek, and he had set it up in the living room, but the lights and ornaments were still stacked in boxes for another day. Mary Ann, sitting on the sofa knitting a blanket for one of her grandchildren, got up and hugged Todd. George greeted him with a military salute from his recliner by the fire. Todd proudly unfolded the piece of paper that he had painstakingly prepared and handed it to his father before sinking into the sofa. “I already did my résumé, and Laura said it was excellent.”
    While George looked over the résumé, Christmas strolled over to the fire and rested on the floor with his back to the heat. Exhausted from the day’s activities, he quickly fell asleep. George handed the résumé back to Todd. Judging by the glow on his face, he was proud of his son. “Pretty impressive, I’d say.”
    Todd seemed pleased with himself.