Puppy Love Homecoming: Puppy Love, #13

By C. Coal

Carrie was happy to leave small-town life and the boy who broke her heart behind, but when her mother is seriously injured in a car accident she returns to take care of her mom and the puppy she just adopted, Jackson.

 

Little does she know that Jackson is going to lead her right back to that boy (now a very good-looking man) and a second chance at a first love.

 

This story is part of the Puppy Love series of short stories about puppies helping two people find love. (Note: This story is about twice as long as the other stories in the Puppy Love series and a bit more serious but it's still about a puppy bringing two people together.)

• Language: English
• Publisher: C. Coal
• Release date: Dec 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781536568899

Book preview

Puppy Love Homecoming

Also by C. Coal

Puppy Love Valentine*

Puppy Love Rescue

Puppy Love Chance Meeting

Puppy Love Surprise Adoption

Puppy Love Winter Storm

Puppy Love Second Chance

Puppy Love Cupid's Rescue

Puppy Love Spring Flood

Puppy Love Blind Date

Puppy Love Lost Puppy

Puppy Love Holiday Surprise*

Puppy Love On the Road

Puppy Love Homecoming

Puppy Love Christmas Kiss*

Stories with * are holiday-themed stories.

Stories 1 through 13 are available in Puppy Love: Volumes 1 to 13

Puppy Love Homecoming

Carrie squeezed her eyes shut, trying to ignore the quiet crying of the puppy in its crate on the other side of the room, but the sound went on and on, never-ending. It was worse than nails on a chalkboard, getting under her skin, demanding that she wake up at whatever too-early hour of the morning it was.

She slowly opened one eye just enough to see the chocolate lab pup with his nose pressed against the bars and sad green eyes fixed on her face.

She squeezed her eyes shut, but it was too late. He’d seen her.

Jackson jumped to his feet and started spinning in circles, yipping excitedly, his tail battering the sides of the crate.

Groggily, she reached for her phone to check the time. Six o’clock. Too early for her by a long shot, but obviously not for him.

She debated sinking back into the sofa and sleeping a little longer, but, as if he could read her mind, Jackson started scratching at the door to the crate, his high-pitched cries escalating to a point where she felt them in her bones more than heard them.

Okay, okay. I’m coming. She dragged herself across the room and let him out of the kennel, nudging him towards the doggie door to the back yard while she headed towards the kitchen.

Maybe, if she was lucky, she’d be able to brew a pot of coffee before he came back.

But no. She hadn’t taken more than two steps before he was back inside, tail wagging, barking excitedly.

Go outside, you goof. Last thing I need is for you to mess in the house. Mom’ll kill me if you pee on her brand-new carpet.

Assuming her mom was ever going to come home again…She winced trying not to think about her mother’s battered face and broken bones. Man, she hated drunk drivers.

Jackson stood there, waiting, his eyes fixed on her face.

She shook her head. Fine. Fine. Let’s go outside, shall we?

She slid the glass patio door open, waited for Jackson to bound past her, and then followed at a more leisurely pace. It was chilly this early in the morning and late in the year. She rubbed at her arms, wishing she’d thought to at least throw the blanket around her shoulders.

Jackson immediately peed—thankfully—but then proceeded to start digging at something in the ground right at the base of the fence.

Stop that! She ran over to him, her socks getting wet from the grass, but he ignored her as he threw large chunks of dirt behind him.

She scooped him up and headed towards the house, but he wriggled so much she had to put him back down almost immediately.

As he raced around the yard, sniffing and peeing on things, she wondered what she’d done to deserve this. Bad enough her mother