'Tis the Season: A Collection of Mimi's Christmas Books by Mimi Barbour Page A

his body and with a running leap, dove into the surf.
    She followed with her heart in her mouth. Heavens, he was a prickly little guy. Seems she couldn’t say anything right. For the next while, she swam in circles, staying within arm’s reach but not crowding Mano. He swam like a fish, and as she watched, she realized he was showing off for her. She rather enjoyed his performance and kept her eye on him until he headed back for shore to sit on the sand.
    She tagged along and sat near him. “You swim wonderfully.”
    “I’m almost six. I could swim since I was little.” His haughty announcement drew a smile, which she hid. Instead, she nodded.
    “Yes. I see. Did your grandmother teach you?” Instantly, she again realized the error of her ways.
    He glared at her with tear-filled eyes, and ran back to the blanket. Then he lay facing the opposite direction.
    She moved to sit next to him, her heart aching for his pain. “I’m sorry about your grandmother, Mano. I wished I could have had more time with her. She seemed like such a lovely lady.”
    “Don’t talk!” Stiff and unyielding, he spat the words over his shoulder.
    Leilani put on her short beach cover up and lay down next to the boy. Once she sensed he slept, she rolled over onto her stomach and wept inside for the hurt that the boy suffered. If only he’d let her help him, talk with him—hold him.
    The heat of the sun warmed her as she drifted off. Afterwards, she supposed it was her sleepless night that lefthe her so tired. The hideous barking of a large and angry dog close by woke her.
    Mano! He’s gone! Panic forced her to her feet, and the sound of a boy’s screams made her run faster than she’d ever thought possible. Rounding the corner to a fenced-in area, she saw her terrified little cousin on the ground, and a huge, vicious animal standing over him.
    Without thinking, she jumped the fence, ran past the Doberman and straight to Mano, scooping him into her arms. A whistle and shout forced the dog to back away and go to his master. And in the meantime, Leilani rocked the shaken child, all the while whispering murmurs of endearments and calming noises.
    Kale came at a run, and his large hand reached to tenderly brush through Mano’s curls. “You’re okay, boy. Don’t be afraid. Cesar thought you were an intruder. He would never bite you, but he would have kept you pinned until someone called him away.”
    As soon as Mano realized Kale had approached and heard his voice, he swung away from Leilani and arched toward him—his desires obvious. Once safely held by Kale, he turned tear-filled eyes and watched to see what Leilani would do. As if daring her to force him back into her arms. Her hands dropped and she smiled. “You were very smart, Mano. You didn’t try to run away.”
    With a noticeable tremor in his voice, Mano said. “I saw his big teeth, but he didn’t bite me.”
    “Cesar’s a good dog. He’s been trained not to bite. Would you like me to introduce you to him? I promise, once he knows you’re his friend, he’ll never attack again.”
    Leilani started to refuse, and when Kale shot her a frown, she stopped and watched the boy carefully. Mano first looked at her to see her reaction. Then he looked at Kale, who smiled encouragingly. Then he glared at the dog who sat at a distance with a watchful grin on his face, panting, with his sharp teeth visible. A shudder gripped him at the same time as his shoulders stiffened. “Will you stay with me?”
    “Of course!” Kale carried Mano, and they all walked up to the waiting canine, which began whining his greeting and wriggling his rear end that seemed glued to the ground. With a hand motion, Kale released him from his hold, and the dog sprinted toward them, friendly and looking for pats.
    Close up, Leilani could see the dog was very young, though not a puppy and his delight in the small boy caught at her heartstrings. He licked his face, which made Mano laugh and want to be lowered.