How in the world was I going to raise eleven puppies?

“Let me get the car warmed up before I drive them back to my house,” I said.

As I walked to the car again, I tried to figure out the logistics of how I was going to raise eleven puppies who should be with their mother. I imagined there’d be some bottle feeding involved. My son, Jacob, was going to be surprised about his new duty when he arrived home from college. I’d most certainly need his help.

I squinted into the darkness for any sign of mom. If I could collect her as well, it would not only make my job easier, but I’d feel better knowing she was in a safe place. I truly hoped nothing had happened to her.

Instead of trudging back to the barn, I drove over and parked just outside the main door. I left the engine running, flipped the heat on high, then hurried down to Charlie. We each picked up a carrier and returned to my car.

“Thanks a lot for coming out, Gina,” he said after we’d situated them in the back seat.

“You’re welcome. Thanks for calling.”

“I can’t take care of the babies,” he said. “I’ve got my own animals, but also the deer. They’ll be here until after Christmas.”

I heard whining from the vehicle, so I didn’t question him further. However, I did wonder why he had a dozen or so deer. “I better go,” I said.

“You still got the website up and running?” Charlie asked.

I nodded.

“I’ll get on there and make a donation as soon as I’m done mucking the stalls.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” I said, smiling. “That will help a lot.”

“And I’ll keep an eye out for mom,” he said. “If I find her, I’ll give you a call.”

“That would be great,” I said. “She needs to be somewhere warm and safe, too.”

“And those babies need their mother,” he said, pointing at my car. “I’ll see you later.”

I slipped into the front seat and made my way out to Route 9, driving even slower than I had come in as I glanced around, hoping the mother would make an appearance. I finally pulled out onto the highway and headed home.

One thing was for certain: If Daisy wasn’t happy with the idea of a “couple” puppies, she was going to be out of her mind with eleven.

Chapter 2

Little whimpers continued from the back seat as I drove home. The sun finally showed up, its rays causing the snow to sparkle like diamonds. The plow had come and gone, making my trip home much easier than my trek out to the farm.

Once I pulled into the driveway, I sighed and braced myself for the upcoming weeks. It would be all about the puppies. Hopefully, I’d get to celebrate Christmas as well. With my son, Jacob, coming home, as well as my father and brother coming over for Christmas dinner, I should have plenty of hands to help me out with the little ones.

It would be a good idea for me to rent a table at the Christmas Festival and see if I could get some of the babies pre-adopted. Another few weeks, and they’d be ready to find their forever homes.

I hauled one carrier inside, then the other. Banshee left her station by the food bowls and sniffed at the puppies. “Daisy!” I yelled. “Come out here!”

She groaned loudly from the bedroom, but eventually trotted down the hall. As she eyed the carriers, her ears perked.

Slowly, she approached them, her head tilted in curiosity. She stared inside one, then quickly moved to the other.

“You said a couple of puppies!” she yelled. “There’s at least a hundred in there!”

“I know,” I replied calmly. “But they need our help, Daisy.”

“I hate puppies!” she wailed as she ran from the hallway into the living room and jumped onto the couch, laid down and placed her paws over her face. “Make them go away!”

The drama was a little much for me.

Ignoring her, I set up the kitchen as a pen. Since I lived alone, I didn’t use the kitchen much except to make coffee or fix myself a sandwich, so it made a perfect containment area for my new guests. First, I moved the dogs’ feeding bowls out into the living room, then I gated the opening to the hallway and the one to the living room. After laying down some puppy pee pads, I brought in some blankets and placed a space heater on the counter. I glanced around for anything they could chew on, and besides my kitchen cabinets, I didn’t see anything¾no wires or cords were within their reach.

I took a deep breath and pulled out the puppies, one by one, setting them onto the blankets. Some snuggled right in, others began exploring. Since I didn’t know the last time they ate, I also prepared some food and a few bottles.

After placing a bowl of puppy mush down, a number of the little ones began slurping away. I sat down on the floor and offered a bottle to one who wasn’t interested in the other meal. I smiled as he latched, then I placed another bottle between my ankles, and held one with my other hand. Two other puppies got in on the action. A couple whined and cried, obviously hungry but not interested in the plate.

“Sorry, guys,” I whispered. “I can only do so much. I promise once Jacob comes home, I’ll have more help.”

As my new charges ate, my heart settled in peace. I loved helping dogs and would do almost anything to save one. That’s how I’d met Daisy and how she had started speaking to me—last winter I’d been running through the forest to try to catch her and I’d smacked into a tree branch. I’d been knocked out cold. After lying in the snow for a while, I’d come to, and Daisy had been standing over me. Color me surprised when I could hear her talking.

I’d questioned my sanity for quite a while, but now I just accepted my talking dog as fact. Of course, I never shared that I had full conversations with my canine even with my closest friends. I didn’t know how to explain or justify it, so I kept that secret to myself.

An hour later, the puppies had all been fed, my butt and legs had fallen asleep from sitting on the kitchen floor for so long, and they’d curled up in the blankets. With a groan, I scrambled to my feet and stretched my hand above my head. Then I cleaned up the pee and poop they’d let loose after eating. Glancing over at the hallway, I found Daisy staring at me.

“Are you jealous?” I whispered. “Because it looks like you are.”

“Of course I’m jealous,” she said. “You’ve spent hours with those little turds and absolutely zero minutes with me. It’s like I’m not even here, Gina.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, stepping over the gate. “Let’s go to the bedroom and I’ll give you some love.”

“Well, now I’m not sure that I want any,” she pouted. “You smell like those puppies.”

With a sigh, I shook my head. “I’ll be in the bedroom. It’s been a long morning and I want to be fresh for when Jacob gets home.”

I walked past her and down the hall, hoping the puppies would sleep for at least an hour. As I stretched out on the bed, exhaustion overtook me. Just as I was drifting off to sleep, Daisy jumped on the bed and laid down next to me.

“Jealousy doesn’t look good on you,” I murmured as I stroked her head. “Maybe if you gave them a chance, you’d find that you like them. They may be fun to have around.”

“All they do is poop, pee and eat.”

“For now. Once they’re settled, I’m sure things will change.”

“Yeah, it’ll be mass chaos,” she huffed.

“Daisy, they need our help,” I said. “What was I supposed to do? Let them freeze to death in the barn? Their mother is gone. I couldn’t leave them to die.”

“That farmer lied,” she said. “You told me there would be a couple. Not two hundred.”

“Yes, he wasn’t very clear on that,” I replied. “I was surprised as well. And if you want to discuss counting issues, there’s eleven, not two hundred.”