Welcome back to Hollow Bend, Kentucky, where love (and laughter) are just around the corner.

When Andrew Bateman rolls into town in the midst of a snow storm, his first thought is that the place is hardly big enough for a dog crate, let alone the vet practice he''s looking for. Next thing he knows, his life is flashing in front of him—a depressingly short flash—as he skids right into the side of the local bar.

Things start looking up when the vision he wakes to is not the Angel of Death, but a doctor. Well, actually a vet. Make that a vet tech, wearing red mittens. Who invites him home, where every inch is covered in holiday sparkles, cookies to be decorated, and an odd assortment of stray dogs, cats and puppies. . .

There''s nothing merrier than a white Christmas in Kentucky!

19,000 Words