From "Santa's Rescue Dog" ...Sleepy Sam - dozing in front of the warm kitchen fire
Sam had been dozing in front of the kitchen’s open fire. Little flames gently crackled this way and that from the slow-burning wood. He was as excited as Zachariah and Sophie.
The noise of field mice scratching under the wooden floor was usually a comfort to Sam. He knew all the usual cabin sounds, smells, and sights. As a proud defender of the Brockman family and their home, he had to know all these things.
That’s why his guard went up when an unfamiliar aroma suddenly passed over his nose. It somehow reminded him of Christmas – a little pine, a touch of peppermint and a dash of gingerbread. But, the Christmas Day festivities wouldn’t start until tomorrow, and all the Brockman family were still fast asleep.