Page 23 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

I slip into my car and Noel hops over to the passengerseat. Elliot opens the door and No-No smiles up at him. I bite my lip and contemplate making him sit in the back. That is Noel’s spot. And he did attempt to evict her.

Elliot glances at me and I twist my hands, already attached to the steering wheel.

“Can she sit on my lap?” he asks, surprising me again with his softness.

Maybe it’s that he didn’t even consider booting her to the back that has me saying, “Noel, back seat.”

She doesn’t mind making room for Elliot—and yet, she’smygirl. She can tell, with the scent of my stress hormones and the tone of my voice, that my anxiety levels are higher than normal. She won’t be going too far from me. I appreciate it.

“Thanks,” Elliot says, climbing inside.

But Noel’s fluffy head perches on the center armrest console, her nose nuzzling my elbow.

“She likes you a lot.” He smiles down at her between us. “And she listens like no dog I’ve met.”

“Noel isn’t like any other dog,” I say. And shelovesme. She loves me like I love her. If I had to take one of those ethical tests and answer the question, ‘Would you save one relative or five strangers?’ I’d probably choose the strangers. It would be difficult. But I would still understand that I’m trading five lives for one.

And yet, if someone gave me that same test, only the question read, ‘Noel’s life or five strangers?’ it would be an impossible decision. I’m not sure what I’d do.

And if that makes me a horrible person, then I guess I’m a horrible person.

“I think you’re right,” he says, watching Noel as her nose brushes the back of my arm. “What is she doing?”

I clear my throat. I’ve talked a lot about my anxiety since joining the board for Canine Compassion. I believe in the cause, and if sharing my story means helping others, I’m in.

Still, Elliot is tall and built and stupidly cute. He was sweet to his overzealous mother and hugged both his sisters goodbye. He loves his grandmother dearly—that’s clear after seeing them together once. Sure, I didn’t decide tonothate him until I saw him snuggled up to Noel. But the fact is, I don’t hate him. Put the whole package together—mother, grandmother, sister, dog lover, plus six-foot-four inches of yumminess—and it makes sharing my weaknesses a little more difficult.

And yet, if I’m going to keep Noel in the building, if we don’t want to lose our home, I need to make this ruse believable. That means the man will have to know a few things about me. And this is a big part of what makes meme.

“Bonnie?” he says when a minute passes and I haven’t bothered to answer him.

I clear my throat and focus on the road. At least I have the excuse of driving to avoid eye contact. I swallow. “I have anxiety attacks. Noel is good with everyone, but she ismyservice animal.”

He sets a hand to the dash and twists in his seat, the heat of his stare warming me. “She’syourservice animal, not the senior center’s.” He shakes his head. “Why didn’t you say anything? I mean, forever ago, when I left that first note.”

“Because you were just some snitch who wanted to be the rule police. I didn’t want to tell you.”

His Adam’s apple bobs with a swallow.

“Besides, would you have done anything differently? I’veread the lease. I know what it says. ‘No animals, no exceptions’.”

He runs a hand beneath his chin and my heart rate picks up. Noel licks the back of my arm and nudges me with her nose. “Maybe I would have. I think I would have. I don’t know,” he says. “Either way, there is an exception now. I guess my gran really liked those cards you sent her.”

“You really think that’s why we’re in the middle of this…arrangement?”

“Honestly, I don’t know my gran’s reasons. But it’s clear she likes you. She’s willing to give you this.”

I smirk. “Yeah. As long as I’m willing to kiss her grandson.”

Big, broad Elliot Eaton goes pink at my words. Like maybe the man just ate three entire cherry pies and they’ve changed the pigment of his skin.

“She wants to talk to us when you’re finished at the center. Maybe if we explain that Noel is a service animal, she’ll make some adjustments to this deal.” He peeks back at Noel. “What do you think?”

“I heard that woman loud and clear. Did you not?No negotiations.”I shake my head and deplete the air from my lungs. “I may not understand her reasoning, but you’re nuts if you think she’ll be talked out of anything.”

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elliot

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