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"It was a good thing I happened to be on the road tonight, I haven't seen another vehicle all night," I said to the coyote setting in the cab with me as I shifted the Brownie down to low range.

"Yea, I know. I've been stuck there in that snow bank for over three hours and you were the only one I've seen," the young coyote said. "I'm on leave and wanted to get home to my wife for Christmas Eve. I guess I was a little to eager to get there."

"No trouble and you'll make it. It's not too late yet. I have a stop to make in your home town anyway, call it a holiday tradition," I grinned. "You can call her from there and she can come get you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it," said the coyote as he settled back in the seat and shifted out of his jacket.

"So, you're on leave?" I asked as I put a little more pressure on the gas peddle.

"Yep, rotation actually, I'm with the 746th Aircraft Maintenance Unit and was stationed in Iraq. I'm Staff Sergeant Teejh Pawpad. You?"

"Puma Concolor, truck driver, among other things," I grinned offering a paw to shake.

For the next hour or two the conversation drifted back and forth, more to help pass the time than anything else. As we entered town, I pulled off at a local warehouse and dropped my trailer. From that point we bob tailed deeper into town to stop a little rustic pub, fittingly named O'Malley's.

I parked the rig in a small lot across the street, retrieved a very large, floor length furred overcoat that looked as old as it was heavy from the sleeper, and jumped down from the rig. Shrugging into the coat, I pulled the hood up over my face so my appearance was obscured.

"Ummm, isn't that a bit of overkill? It's not really that cold," Teejh asked with a worried look lurking in his black eyes.

"Actually, this old coat has a lot of stories connected with it. One concerns the owners of this pub," I added with a grin, "Come on, I think you're going to enjoy this." I said and started across the street.

As I entered the establishment with Teejh hot on my heels, I stopped with my back to the back bar- dinning room and closed the door. The bartender, a bit too chubby and graying Irish terrier, looked over scowling, "Sorry gents, kitchen is closed, and we're on last call. We're closin' for Christmas eve and all," he said, a bit to loudly.

"Since when does the infamous Thomas O'Malley turn away strangers in a storm?" I quizzed.

At this, I had the bartender's attention and with a very puzzled look he inquired, "And who'd be askin', stranger?" His squinted gaze raked over me before he added, "Do I know you?"

"Not only do you not show kindness to strangers, but you are forgetting who calls you friend as well?" I said turning and pushing the hood back from me face, grinning.

The look of puzzlement was replaced with astonished recognition and the scowl replaced with an ever widening grin, "By the blessed St Mary, it can't be. Puma? Puma Concolor?"

"One and the same, old friend," I answered with a chuckle. "I trust you are well, and your family?" I added as I doffed my old, buffalo skin jacket and hung it on the well hook.

"Who you talking to Daddy?" came a very famine voice from the kitchen.

"Some one you're gonna wanta see, Kitten," he said, not taking his eyes off me as though if he did I would disappear in a puff of smoke.

"Puma? No, you're kidding me again... aren't you?"

"Why don't you come out and see for yourself, Kitten!" I said in a voice loud enough to be heard by the female in the kitchen.

"Puma?" the voice questioned, her daddy looked through the small serving window and nodded.

A red blur came running out from the kitchen, rounded the bar, and was streaking on a collision course with me, yelling at the top of her lungs, "PUUUUUMAAAAAAA!!!!!"

A very pretty Irish Setter proceeded to wrap herself around me, smothering me with kisses. When she stopped for a breather, she looked deep into my eyes and then planted a very hard and powerful kiss on my lips. I had no choice but to melt into it.

"Making moves on my wife, Cat?" came a very menacing growl from behind the female still hugging me tightly.

"Aye Clancy, there be no one more beautiful. But alas, she is smart as well, for she married the better man," I answered unwrapping her from myself and offering a paw to the very large and menacing blue eyed wolf hound lurking behind her.

"You think a paw shake is all you're going to get away with, Cat!?!" he said and violently yanked me into an embrace. "God we've missed you, old friend."

"And I you, but if you squeeze any harder I am going to snap in two!" I gasped out.

"Is this still the coat?"Kitten exclaimed as she grabbed my jacket from the hook and buried her face in the lining. "Mmmmmm, it still smells of the pups."

By this time, we had the entire staff and patrons gathering around to see what the commotion was all about. Thomas now figured it was time to make introductions. "This be the one and only, Puma Concolor. The best friend a family could ever be blessed with. A person I am glad to call my son!"

"But, he's a Cougar!?"one of the patrons, a lean, Boston Terrier stammered unbelievingly.

"And there is something wrong with that, Monty?" Thomas answered very defensively.

"And who is this cutie?" one of the waitresses asked, now eyeing Teejh with a very hungry look in her eye.

"This is a new friend of mine, Teejh Pawpad. He's on his way home, to his wife,,, Glenda,,," I put emphasis on wife as I looked at the petite poodle and clearly read her interest in my new friend before I added, "He needs to call for a ride if it's Ok."

"Sure, here use this," Thomas held out his cell phone as he spoke, "the pay phone is broke. So, you trying to get home to the family?"

"Well sorta, it's just the wife and I, no family yet," Teejh answered as he accepted the phone.

"Well in that case, tell her she is invited to our little family reunion. "

"But we can't intrude...."

"Nonsense! If Puma thinks enough of you to call you friend, that qualifies you to be part of the O'Malley clan. Besides you're already here and you are going to need somebody to protect you from Glenda here." Thomas grinned.

The poodle had a hurt look, but still just a hint of hope sparkling in her eyes as she eyed the mistletoe hanging in the archway nearby.

As Teejh was making his call, I looked at Clancy and Kitten standing with my coat in their arms and sniffing the lining.

"So where are the Kids?" I had to smile as they took a moment from my coat to answer.

"They are upstairs with Nana making the egg nog. They will be down in a few. "

The snapping shut of the phone brought my attention back to my new friend and I asked, "So, is she on her way?"

"No, she's having car trouble. So, is there a cab company working tonight?"

"Just one, me," Monty said with a broad smile as he put his bright yellow taxi cap on ,"What's the address? I'll go get her, free of charge. It's the least I can do to get out of hot water with Thomas here."

After a quick exchange of information, Monty was off on his mission to retrieve Teejh's wife, Aurora. Who, by Teejh's own admission, was a beautiful Snow Leopard.

Once again, Clancy and Kitten were clutching my old coat tightly.

Teejh"s curiosity finally got the better of him and he leaned over to where I was setting on a bar stool and chatting with every one around. Whispering he asked, "So, what's the fascination with that old coat?"

"Not much, I just used it to keep her and her pups warm one cold night."I explained quickly.

I guess I spoke just a bit too loud for Kitten now spoke up, "Not much? That's a bit of an under statement; isn't it, Puma!?!"

"Well, I guess there was a bit more...." I admitted a bit shyly.

"A bit more? Don't be so modest cat!" Clancy now popped up, "he not only saved our lives but the lives of our three pups, which he delivered. Thank you!"

Teejh was now looking at me very doubtfully ," This sounds interesting, care to go on?"

"Ok, I guess." Eying Clancy and kitten in mock irritation, "As if I had a choice... I had gotten stuck in a blizzard not far from where I found you tonight. I was going to wait out the storm, but figured it was better to walk out instead of setting in a dead truck in sub freezing weather. With that coat I've walked much further and in colder condition, so off I went." I started softly.

I didn't want to admit it was the desert goddess Coyote who had prompted me to venture out on that night. She said some one needed my help and I have never doubted her word.

"About 10 miles out, I found a car that had slid off the road and took a large rock in the engine. The male, Clancy there," I nodded to Clancy as I continued, "was tending to Kathrin, Kitten for short, who was in hard labor. I assisted in her birthing her pups, left them wrapped up in that coat, while I went on for help..."

"He's still trying to down play his part!"Kitten said, cutting in on my simpler explanation. "He did find us, like he said, but what he didn't say was that I was in labor and in bad trouble. I was in more pain than I have ever been in my life. All the windows were busted out of the car and it was about -10 degrees in there, we were freezing to death. He came up out of nowhere, and got me spared out in the back seat of the car, legs up over the seats before I had a chance to be surprised. He then tried to check out what was going on that was making the delivery so difficult. What he found was that the first pup was breach and needed something done quickly or both the babies and I was going to die. "

By now, I was starting to blush deeply. I knew what was coming next; Kitten noticed and leaned over and kissed my forehead. "No reason to be embarrassed, my hero. I'm not," She said with a grin.

"The next thing I knew, he had several fingers jammed right up me and was pushing the pup back in. He kept telling me to stop pushing, but I wasn't listening. All I wanted was it out of me. He finely got right in my face and hissed loudly, very loudly. It was like looking right in the face of the devil himself. I liked to have wet myself."

"You did! You hosed both of us down." Clancy laughed.

"I was marking my men was all." She grinned evilly. "Anyway, now that he had me well distracted he shoved his whole paw shoved right up inside me, had the pup turned and was catching it as it slipped out pretty as you please . He bit the cord neatly in two, handed it to me saying it was a girl. As I was cleaning her, he delivered the next, a boy. Clancy got the job of cleaning him as he took the third, another girl only she was in trouble. She wasn't breathing."

"What we saw was nothing less than a miracle. A cougar, a predator, setting in a snow bank, sweating bullets and giving mouth to mouth to a lifeless little pup. The steam rising from him seemed to take on a life of its own and reached right over to touch our pup," Clancy said.

Kitten went on to add, "It was a weak cry at first but she got stronger by the second. He personally cleaned her. He then made us lay down, the pups between us, all bloody and wet in this coat. He fastened it up and tied the bottom closed to keep out the draft. Then he took off on foot in nothing more than a soaked T shirt and jeans for town. "

"Somehow he made it and was back with help by sun up. We were all toasty warm and doing great, thanks to him," Clancy said pointing at me. "Before that night, I wasn't a big believer but now I'm convinced. There really are angels, and that cat has one on his shoulder. "

About this time, a commotion came from the kitchen as three young pups came bounding around the end of the bar all screaming, "Unca Pume!, Unca Pume!"

Two jumped up in my lap hugging me. But the smallest, a girl with flame red fur and deep blue eyes held back a step. She was grinning and waving at something just over my shoulder.

I looked up at our reflection in the big mirror behind the bar. There, invisible to all but me and the little child I held on that cold Christmas night five years ago, was Coyote with huge white wings. She looked at me from her reflection and mouthed the words that only I could hear.

"Merry Christmas, my Hero."