Page 44 of 12 Days of Mistletoe

“She is.” I blink from Elliot to Brooke once more.

“And we appreciate it so much. I could not believe when Sarah called and said you found a donor who specifically wanted to pay for Abby’s dog.” She shakes her head and tears fill her eyes. “I don’t know how you did it.”

I swallow “Actually, with Elliot’s help.”

“You two are a great pair.” She lifts her to-go cup to her chest, her fingers splayed around the coffee sleeve. “I need to go, but I’ll talk to you soon?”

“Sure,” I say. “Tell Abby hello for me.”

I watch Brooke walk out the door, ignoring the fact that Elliot is watching me.

“Abigail Jones?” he says, a little breathless. “You’re helping my student.”

“Technicallyyou’rehelping your student.”

“I had no idea you were helping Abigail. You know, once, last year, she had a panic attack in her homeroom class. I’d taught the kids breathing techniques in health the week before and when one of her classmates mentioned it to the teacher, the office called me down. I sat with her for the next hour until her mom picked her up. I didn’t remember Mrs. Jones’ face because I was too focused on Abigail.” He shakes his head again as if in disbelief. “You’re helping Abigail.”

“Her friends call her Abby. I’m guessing she’d consider you a friend.”

Elliot breathes out a laugh. “Can I see what you do down there? I mean, at the nonprofit?”

I sip from my coffee, my nerves rising for no real reason. “Sure.”

“You’re full of surprises,Bon Bon.”

I give him the smallest glare with my nickname—the one I am only okay with my senior citizen friends using. “Oh, yeah. I’m shocking people all over the Western United States.”

“No really. You’re helping Abby. And you’re single. Consider me shocked.”

“Wait—now you believe me. I thought you didn’t.”

“After that glowing performance,Elliot Eee, I am now a believer. Unless you’re attempting to save your dog, you are a terrible liar.”

TWENTY-ONE

bonnie

I shocked him.I’m not sure how I feel about that. He was just so sure I should have had this myriad of boyfriends—that is until half my brain fell out of my head and I forgot his last name.

Elliot believing I’ve had a bunch of boyfriends means he thinks someone might find me attractive. Doesn’t it? Maybe even that he finds me attractive. I’m not sure why his opinion warms me head to toe. But it does, and I’m comfortable the entire walk back to the center.

We pick up his gran, drop her off at home with a promise to return, and head to Canine Compassion.

After an hour at my nonprofit’s office, Elliot is still asking me questions.

“Start to finish, once a dog is purchased, how long does it take to get them trained and to their owner?”

“Depending on the dog, one to two years.” I know he’s thinking about Abby. I have been ever since her name showed up on our list a little less than a year ago. “My hope is that Abby will be united with her pup by next Christmas.In reality, it’ll probably be a little later. But her pup is now paid for—thanks to you.”

“You already paid for it?”

“I did. Yesterday.” I tap the folder on my desk with Abby’s Labradoodle’s picture taped to the front. Then I press my lips together and breathe in through my nose, my senses taking in the real Christmas wreaths on the office doors—or maybe that’s Elliot. Because that’s what he smells like to me,Christmas.

“This is our guy?” Elliot says, tapping the folder.

“Girl, but yes.”

Elliot leans a little closer, looking down at the photo of the black-and-white fur baby that now belongs to Abby.

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