Page 58 of Festive Fugitive

“Good evening. You take good care of our home,” I say to our German Shepherds and unlatch the door of their kennel. They’re all big boys, and I make sure to give them all treats before we head down the path toward our private pier. The weather’s great for this time of the year, so I’m not worried about taking Eli to shore on his very first outing since we arrived. Still, I’d rather he didn’t get as seasick as he was on the journey we made from Washington state about a year ago.

“They’re supposed to have pretzels,” I say, grabbing Eli’s hand to help him into the boat.

“I already love it! I made sure to stay hungry just so I can eateverything.”

He doesn’t know it yet, but in the evening I’ll be taking him to aChristmas-themed feast in a private dining room at a local restaurant. The town is small, so it’s not like Michelin star chefs are available, but the woman in charge of the place I’ll be taking him to is an amazing cook and will dazzle Eli for sure.

“Bye home!” Eli waves at our house as he always does, and it’s the most adorable little quirk that tells me how much he loves the place.

“It’ll miss you too,” I tell him and kiss his flushed cheek.

The end