“I’m not so sure about this.” I tightened my grip on the cell phone.

There were dogs and cats of every size and age filling the high school gym. There were hundreds of them, okay not hundreds, but more than I anticipated at the Give an Animal a Home Before the Holidays adoption event.

“It’ll be good for you,” Raleigh said.

The new veterinarian for my hometown of Season’s Greetings had started the new annual tradition in our town, and my daughter thought a pet was just what I needed. My children were now adults and had moved away from home. My son, my youngest, had moved in with his sister in Morgantown one year, two months, and three days ago. I thought I was handling this new season of my life well, but my daughter disagreed, basing it on the fact that I knew exactly how many days it’s been since her brother moved out.

“I am good,” I said. “I’m not sure now is the time to have a pet.”

“Mom, you’re alone. You don’t do alone well.”

“I’ve never been alone. How would I—or you—know I don’t do it well.”

“Exactly.”

I didn’t like the smug tone in my daughter’s voice. Just because I was divorced—again—didn’t mean I was brokenhearted and pining for a companion, furry or otherwise. I never envisioned I’d be forty-five years old and twice divorced. “I should focus my attention on the animals.”

“Get a cat,” Raleigh said. “They can be left alone for a short period of time. You wouldn’t have to worry about finding someone to watch your cat when you travel to weekend craft events.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I ended the call and pocketed the phone.

Slowly, I walked up and down the rows of animals available for adoption. Kittens. Cats. Puppies. Dogs. A puppy placed its paws on the wire fence containing him and gazed at me expectantly. I never had a pet before, knowing I didn’t have enough time or the financial resources. Now that my children were supporting themselves, and my crating business was doing better, I had enough wiggle room in the budget to properly take care of an animal. I just wasn’t quite sure I wanted to. . .regardless of how my daughter felt about my empty house.

A young boy wriggled himself in front of me. “Him. Mommy. We need him.” His beseeching voice and eyes full of love had me moving away.

I knew true love when I saw it. I wandered around the gym, waiting for an animal to call to my heart. The only way I’d adopt a pet was if I knew we were meant for each other. An animal was a lifetime commitment.

A bitter laugh slipped out of me. So was a marriage, and I had two failed ones. Maybe, I wasn’t a good candidate for a pet. Sighing, I turned to leave, cage that was tucked almost into a corner caught my gaze. A guinea pig was standing in the middle of the cage, staring at me. Boldly. I walked closer. There was a sign stating it was a male. One year old.

He was a multitude of Christmas colors: white like snow, brown like gingerbread, and multiple shades of red like bows and Santa’s suit. I knelt down and wiggled my fingers. He waddled over and sniffed. He pressed himself against the cage, rubbing his fur against my fingertips. He was so soft.

A woman smiled at me. “Story on this guy is he was dropped off on someone’s steps on Christmas Eve. Apparently, a Christmas gift for a child and the custodial parent vetoed it. This little guy has been going from foster home to foster home since.”

With the words, dropped off on Christmas Eve, I knew he was meant for me. We had something in common. It was Christmas fate working its magic.

“Hello, Ebenezer.” The name for my new companion popped into my head. “I’m Merry. Ready to come home?”

Giveaway: Three readers selected at random will receive a digital copy (Kindle or Nook) of Not A Creature Was Stirring. Leave a comment below for your chance to win. The giveaway ends January 24, 2019. Good luck everyone!

You can read more about Merry in Not A Creature Was Stirring, the first book in the NEW “Merry & Bright Handcrafted” cozy mystery series, released January 22, 2019.

Empty nester Merry Winters loves three things: Christmas, crafting and her family. To regain purpose and joy, Merry hits the road to a Christmas vendor event with her furry sidekick Ebenezer in her new mobile crafting sleigh, aka an RV.

But it soon turns into the nightmare before Christmas when Merry unwraps her Scrooge of an ex-husband’s body in one of the RV’s compartments. Add to that his missing winning lottery ticket believed to be stashed somewhere in the RV, leading the homicide detective and Merry’s stepdaughter to believe Merry is the one whodunit.

With visions of prison dancing in her head, will Merry be able to solve this Christmas calamity before she’s locked away?

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About the author
Christina Freeburn has always loved books. There was nothing better than picking up a story and being transported to another place. The love of reading evolved into the love of writing and she’s been writing since her teenage years. Her first novel was a 2003 Library of Virginia Literary Award nominee. Her mysteries series, Faith Hunter Scrap This Mystery and Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mysteries, are a mix of crafty and crime and feature heroines whose crafting time is interrupted by crime solving.

Christina served in the US Army and has also worked as a paralegal, librarian, church secretary, and golf shop pro. She lives in West Virginia with her husband, dog, and a rarely seen cat except by those who are afraid and allergic to felines.

Visit Christina at christinafreeburn.com.

All comments are welcomed.