Miracles are Golden by Catherine Lanigan #WomensFic #BookBoost @PrismBookTours @CathLanigan

Miracles are Golden
By Catherine Lanigan
Women’s Fiction, Christmas
ebook, 100 Pages
February 2, 2016

This heartwarming story is about eight-year-old Jimmy Longwood, who has fallen in love with a Golden Retriever puppy. When his parents explain that their condo does not allow pets, Jimmy is heartbroken. While skiing in Aspen the entire family is killed in an avalanche. Jimmy goes to heaven and meets an angel who decides to send Jimmy back to earth as the very Golden Retriever he’d wanted for his own and to learn the one lesson all human beings must learn…unconditional love.

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Excerpt

Jimmy Longwood pressed his face against the pet store window, not

minding the cold. On the other side of the glass was an eight-week-old Golden

Retriever puppy that Jimmy had named “Bubblehead” because the

puppy’s head was unusually large. Bubblehead was just as eager to

see Jimmy and jumped over his five brothers and sisters to stand nose

to nose with Jimmy.

Jimmy’s heart leapt just seeing the adorable puppy.

“Did you miss me, boy? I missed you. Now that school is out for

the holidays, I can visit you every day for as long as I want.”

The puppy licked the glass as if he understood every word Jimmy

had said. As Jimmy walked into the store, Bubblehead followed his

every move through the glass, wagging his tail in anticipation.

A little silver bell tinkled as Jimmy entered the shop. “Hi, ya, Mr.

Lenza!”

“Hi, Jimmy. It can’t be time for school to be out already is it?”

“Yep. Three fifteen on the dot.”

“Ever since these puppies were brought in, I could set my clock by

you, Jimmy.”

“How is Bubblehead today?”

“He’s perfect, of course. When are you going to take him home

where he belongs?”

Jimmy looked over at Bubblehead longingly. “I’m still negotiating

with my parents.”

“Jimmy, if an eight-year-old boy can’t melt a mother’s heart,

maybe I could help with your sale’s pitch.”

Just then the bell over the door jingled again. Mr. Lenza

brightened as a woman and her young daughter walked in. “Sorry,

Jimmy. Customers.”

“Go right ahead, Mr. Lenza. I just want to talk to Bubblehead for

awhile.”

Mr. Lenza patted Jimmy’s head through the stocking hat he wore,

which normally Jimmy would have instructed others never to do as he

hated people treating him like he was a kid. Mr. Lenza was different.

Besides the fact that he was a pet store owner and loved dogs and cats

almost as much as Jimmy did, Mr. Lenza never said a word to Jimmy

about playing with the animals and he allowed Jimmy to give the

puppies plenty of hugs and even help out around the shop from time to

time. Mr. Lenza was the only person in the world that Jimmy had

confided to that he wanted to be a veterinarian when he grew up.

While the woman spoke to Mr. Lenza, Jimmy picked up

Bubblehead, held him and let the puppy lick his face.

The little girl who was about Jimmy’s same age walked up to him.

“Hi, my name’s Sally. What’s yours?”

“Jimmy.”

Sally smiled as she watched Bubblehead and Jimmy. “He likes

you.”

“We’re pals.”

“Really? Then why don’t you take him home? I would,” Sally said

stroking Bubblehead’s back. “He’s got a really big head. Is he

deformed?”

“No way! He’s special. He’s a champion. You should see his

pedigree. And he’s very expensive.”

“How expensive?”

“Eight hundred dollars.”

“Is that a lot for a dog? I have a cat. Santa brought her to me last

year.”

“Santa?” Jimmy’s face screwed up. “You don’t still believe in

Santa, do you?”

“No, but I did last year. And when I did, I got the kitten I wanted,”

Sally replied smugly.

The little girl’s mother finished her shopping with Mr. Lenza and

the little girl had to leave.

“Bye, Jimmy. Merry Christmas.”

“Bye, Sally. Same to you.”

Just as Sally and her mother walked out, Jimmy’s cellular phone

rang. He reached in his backpack and answered it. “Hi, Mom.”

“Sweetheart, I am just about to go back into court and I called the

apartment and you weren’t home yet. Are you all right?”

“I’m fine, Mom. I was just…er….Christmas shopping.”

“What kind of shopping? You’re not using my Visa again to buy

something on the internet are you?”

“No, Mom. I’m just down the street…”

“Oh, good, would you stop in the market and pick up the order I

called in? He put it on my bill. It’s just some milk and bread and fruit.

It won’t be too heavy to carry home…Jimmy? Where exactly did you

say you were?”

“Er, Mom, hasn’t the bailiff called for you yet? Judges can’t be

late you know.”

“Jimmy, are you at Mr. Lenza’s again?”

Just then the bell jingled and a very elegantly dressed woman in a

mink coat walked in. Jimmy looked up, forgetting that his mother had

been to Mr. Lenza’s with him a half dozen times, but only to indulge

his whims rather than actually considering the purchase of a Golden

Retriever puppy.

“Jimmy, I would know that silver bell anywhere. You are at Mr.

Lenza’s! What have your father and I told you about this puppy

issue?”

“Mom, Bubblehead is not an issue. He’s a puppy.” Jimmy put the

puppy back in the window to play with his brothers and sisters.

“He’s against the rules in our co-op, Jimmy.”

“But, Mom, I love him. And he loves me. He doesn’t understand

stupid ‘no pet’ rules.”

“And obviously, neither do you, totally. But listen, we’ll talk

about it tonight at dinner. I really do have to go. They’re waiting for

Don’t forget the groceries, okay?”

Jimmy took out his I-Phone and entered the list. “You sure you

can’t think of anything else? Did you get my peanut butter?”

“I forgot.”

“Dad’s ‘Chubby Hubby’ ice cream?”

“Better get that, too. Thanks, sweetheart. I love you.”

“Love you, Mom.”

While Jimmy was on the phone to his mother, he didn’t pay much

attention to the beautiful woman nor her conversation with Mr. Lenza.

It wasn’t until he was off the phone that their words came crashing

into his brain.

“I have exactly the Golden Retriever puppy you’d be interested in,

Mrs. Richardson, over here in the window. They are fine puppies, all

of them. Excuse me, Jimmy,” Mr. Lenza said, discreetly shooing

Jimmy away to make room for a buying customer.

Mrs. Richardson smelled like spring flowers, Jimmy thought as she

followed Mr. Lenza to the window. As Jimmy backed away from

them, horror filled his heart.

“Hello, there,” she said sweetly to him, “I’ll bet you’re asking

Santa for a puppy for Christmas, too.”

“I…am. But I can’t have one.”

“Really? Why is that?” She asked.

“My Dad says our building doesn’t allow pets, but I don’t actually

believe it. I think that…”

Mr. Lenza interrupted, knitting his eyebrows. “Jimmy, didn’t I

hear you talking to your mother just now?” Then he turned to Mrs.

Richardson very quickly. “His mother is a judge. Very busy lady.

Important, too.” He turned back to Jimmy. “Maybe you best be

getting along, son.”

Jimmy was very wise to adult ways; he knew that Mr. Lenza was

anxious to make his sale. He could take a hint.

“Yeah, I better be going. Have to get the groceries. Stuff like that.”

Jimmy put his mittens back on before going out into the snow.

“See you tomorrow, Mr. Lenza.”

“Goodbye, Jimmy.” Mr. Lenza opened the door for Jimmy and

closed it behind him.

Jimmy walked just past the shop, then stopped and slammed his

back against the wall, so that Mr. Lenza and Mrs. Richardson could

not see him from their vantage point. He had to know which puppy

she was going to buy.

With his heart in his mouth, Jimmy watched as Mrs. Richardson

picked up all five puppies and inspected them carefully. Then he

watched as she went to the register with Mr. Lenza and then pulled out

her Visa card.

“She bought one! But which one!” He put his hands together and

with his eyes raised to heaven, prayed, “Please God, don’t let it be

Bubblehead.”

Mrs. Richardson finished her transaction with Mr. Lenza, but

oddly, she walked out without taking a puppy with her. Jimmy

watched as she hailed a cab, got in and drove away.

Totally confused, Jimmy walked back in the shop. “Mr. Lenza,

didn’t she buy a puppy?”

“Jimmy, are you back here?”

Jimmy raced to the counter and looking up into Mr. Lenza’s face,

he read the verdict before it was pronounced.

“She bought one, Jimmy. The male, with the big head.”

“Bubblehead?”

“That’s the one. I’m sorry. But I have to find homes for these

little guys, Jimmy.”

“But she couldn’t have. She didn’t take him with her.”

“She’s coming back on Christmas Eve. Must be a surprise for

someone special.”

Jimmy’s face went white. Heat of anger mixed with chills of fear.

He felt as if all the blood had drained from his body. He didn’t

understand that his heart was breaking in two and this was what

heartbreak felt like. Tears filled his eyes. “I have only one more day

with Bubblehead?”

“I’m sorry, so sorry. I had no idea he meant this much to you.

There are four more…”

“Don’t you understand, Mr. Lenza? There’s only one

Bubblehead!” Jimmy turned to the window and picked up his puppy.

Bubblehead licked Jimmy’s cheek, catching a tear.

Jimmy looked into the puppy’s eager brown eyes as something

magical passed between them. It was as if Jimmy could hear

Bubblehead’s thoughts. Maybe Jimmy was only eight years old. That

didn’t matter. He knew there was some very, very special about

Bubblehead. Somehow he knew that there would never be another

dog for him like this one.

About the Author

Catherine Lanigan is the international bestselling and award-winning author of over forty-five published titles in both fiction and non-fiction, including the novelizations of Romancing the Stone and The Jewel of the Nile. Ms. Lanigan’s novels have been translated into over twenty-four languages. Lanigan was tasked by the NotMYkid foundation to pen a collection of compelling and informative true stories of teen addicts. Ms. Lanigan’s SHORES OF INDIAN LAKE series for HARLEQUIN HEARTWARMING includes LOVE SHADOWS, HEART’S DESIRE , A FINE YEAR FOR LOVE, KATIA’S PROMISE, FEAR OF FALLING, SOPHIE’S PATH, PROTECTING THE SINGLE MOM, FAMILY OF HIS OWN, HIS BABY DILEMMA, RESCUED BY THE FIREFIGHTER and MY RACING HEART (2019).

Ms. Lanigan is a frequent speaker at literary functions and book conventions as well as inspiring audiences with her real stories of angelic intervention from her Angel Tales series of books. She is an outspoken advocate for domestic violence and abuse and was honored by The National Domestic Violence Hotline in Washington, D.C. She has been a guest on numerous radio programs including “Coast to Coast” and on television interview and talk show programs as well as blogs, podcasts and online radio interview programs. She writes a monthly blog for Heartwarmingauthors.blogspot.com.

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