Page 38 of Christmas in Paradise

Sebastian

I’m on my knees cleaning up Uncle Rad’s latest puddle I just found when I hear Bear and Carson talking to Mrs. Christianson at the front of my shop. Radley—I only call her Uncle Rad in front of Charly, who insists on it—runs around the coiled bundles of electrical wire, stopping long enough to chew through a section of the coating before moving on to the next one.

“Radley! Bad girl.” I leave the rag on the floor and run to grab the puppy before she ruins one more piece of expensive wire.

“Excellent dessert bars.” Bear walks into my office space, unwrapping the plastic covering over a pumpkin bar.

“Agreed,” Carson says, taking a bite of his own bar. “Tell me again why you’re selling them next to lights, switches, and non-dessert items.”

“Did you bums pay for those?” I ignore Carson’s comment. He knows why I don’t open a bakery: Paradise already has a bakery, and I can make more money as an electrician.

I set Radley next to my desk, then go back to her pee puddle. Within seconds, Radley is back at the wire, pretending it’s her giant chew toy.

“You shouldn’t let her do that,” Bear says, taking another bite of his bar.

Carson folds the plastic wrap back around the bar and sets it on the one clean spot he can find on my desk. He takes the pocket square from his suit pocket and wipes his fingers. Carson always dresses like he’s just walked off a photo shoot for one of those men’s fashion magazines.

“Is this the little lady I’ve heard so much about?” He tucks away his pocket square, then pats his knees for Rad. She bounds to him, yipping with excitement.

Then pees in front of him, narrowly missing his fancy dress shoes.

“Radley! Bad girl!” I yell and grab her.

She looks up at me with sad eyes, and I feel so guilty, I cuddle her instead of swatting her like I want to. “It’s okay. I know you didn’t mean to.”

“Are you taking her out regularly?” Bear crumples up the plastic wrap and tosses it at me.

I swat away the wrap before it hits me, then glare at him, and answer his question.

“At least once an hour. But she never has to go until I bring her back in.” I set Radley back on the floor, then grab the cloth I used to clean up her first mess and start scrubbing this latest one.

Of course, Radley tries to run away again, but Bear picks her up. “You have to wait there until she goes, no matter how long it takes,” he says matter-of-factly.

Like that should be obvious to me. Which, now it is, but it wasn’t half an hour ago when I was freezing, and Radley was running around in the weeds behind my shop doing everything except peeing.

“Good to know,” I mutter while wiping up her newest spot.

“Are you going to spray anything on that? Or at least get the towel wet?” Carson looks down at me—literally since I’m on my knees—his mouth twisted with judgement.

I look at Bear and roll my eyes, knowing he’ll agree Carson’s clean freak is coming out with that ridiculous suggestion.

Except he doesn’t.

“Even on cement, you have to clean it up really well or she’ll be able to smell it and will keep peeing there,” Bear lectures while scratching Radley’s tiny ears with his big, meaty paws.

Again, his tone implies this is common knowledge. But I didn’t know it until right now, and I’m more than a little annoyed by that fact.

“Is there a reason you’re here?” I glare up at them from all fours. “Or did you coordinate this visit to tell me how I’m doing things wrong?”

“I came here to check on my dog,” Bear says with a shrug and turns to Carson. “You?”

“Bro, you gave her to me. She’s my dog.” I climb to my feet and take Radley from him.

“I’m here for a different reason,” Carson says. “But now that I’m seeing all the things you’re doing wrong with the little princess who’s just pooped in the corner over there, I’ve got another reason to talk to you.” He ignores my glare and motions for me to hand him the towel.

He takes it from me between two fingers, then, as daintily as possible, crosses the room and uses the rag to pick up the poop. He carries the package at arm’s length out of my office, and a few seconds later I hear the toilet flushing, then the water running for a very long time.

Bear and I watch and listen to all of this in silence. Radley squirms in my arms, and I set her back on the floor.

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