Page 34 of Here Comes Santa Paws

My tastebuds were in heaven as I took a bite of the chocolate pie. The sweetness of the thick, creamy pudding was cut by the flaky crust and chocolate sprinkles had been added to the whipped cream on top.

“This is the best pie I’ve ever had.”

Elias smiled around a fork. “Thanks. It’s a recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook.”

“His mom used to make it.” Pride shone from Jim’s eyes as he smiled at Elias.

I squeezed Elias’s leg as we returned our attention to the television. I stayed another couple of hours, watching football and drinking beer. I was stuffed to the gills and couldn’t imagine eating for another week. All in all, I stayed several hours longer than I had intended and had the best damn Thanksgiving. Maybe ever.

I could get used to spending more time with Elias and Jim before I left.

Chapter 16

Roman

I tappedmy fingers against the steering wheel to the classic rock music blaring over my speakers. I’d been in a pretty good mood today, but how could I not with a belly full of delicious leftovers? The company had been pretty good yesterday too.

It was dark by the time I finished my errands. The grocery store had been nearly empty, with most people shopping for Black Friday or lining up for the over-the-top parade.

A pang in my chest caught me completely off guard. There was probably still time to go and see what the fuss was about. Gripping the steering wheel, I shut that thought down. I didn’t give a shit about Christmas parades or any of that festive crap. What was so special about people tossing out candy alongside glowing monstrosities on wheels? Though the old-school firetruck Elias told me about sounded kind of cool.

Elias was there with more than enough Christmas spirit for both of us.Why does my brain keep jumping to him?

I could feel myself starting to get attached in the way I promised myself over twenty years ago I wouldn’t do again. If I kept letting myself get closer to Elias, it would hurt like hell when I left. I could feel myself not only falling for him, but forthe quaint life a town like Christmas Falls promised. Just like I had for Dahlia Springs.

I wasn’t built to stick around. There were too many places to explore, and it was time for me to make the next jump in my career. There were no opportunities to do that in this area. It was likely one of the jobs I’d applied for would come through, so I needed to keep my emotions in check.

I pulled into my garage a few minutes later and juggled unlocking the door with the reusable grocery bags threatening to cut off circulation to my hands. No matter how much I bought, I always insisted on bringing everything inside in one trip.

The tree squeak toy I’d picked up on an impulse slipped farther into the bag as I shifted to twist the knob open. So what if it was a Christmas tree toy? I might get pleasure out of watching Carol tear it to bits.

As I opened the door, I expected an eager Carol standing there to greet me like she’d done each time I came home, her tail and body wiggling in sync. But my kitchen was empty. I’d grown used to her enthusiastic greetings and began to look forward to them. I had to admit it was nice having someone excited to see me.

“Carol?” She didn’t come. I frowned as I set the bags on the counter and worked my way through the house.

She wasn’t on her bed in the living room. I ground my teeth. That little shit better not have snuck into my room again. I’d found her in there once already, snoozing with her head on my pillow. I’d been diligent about closing the door behind me every day since. At least, I thought I’d been.

When I reached the hallway, sure enough, the door was open. Either I’d forgotten, or she’d learned how to press down on the long-handled doorknob. What I didn’t expect was the pile of vomit at the foot of my bed or the whimper that came out of Carol when she saw me.

I rushed over, dodging the puke, and gently lowered myself beside her on the bed.

“What’s wrong, Carol?”

I gave her a thorough visual inspection. Her stomach looked even more swollen. What if she’d eaten something that had wrapped around her intestines? Or something she was allergic to? Researching how to take care of dogs had produced way too many medical horror stories. Each one flashed through my mind.

As she rolled toward me, I noticed her nipples seemed larger—not that I’d really studied them in any level of detail. Maybe I was noticing them now because they were bigger. Or because I was searching for a sign of something being off.

She scooted closer and my heart melted into a puddle as she rested her head on my leg, staring up at me with her big dark eyes. The wall around my heart crumbled.

“You’re faking it so I’ll let you sleep on the bed. Not going to work, missy. This is a one-time pass only.” She licked my hand. “Gross.” The side of my mouth turned up.

Carol let out another soft whimper.

My chest constricted as I dragged my fingers gently along the top of her head between her ears. “You’re going to be okay. Elias will tell me what to do.”

I could call the vet directly, but I wanted Elias with me. I didn’t want my lack of experience with dogs to harm Carol, and I knew Elias would ensure she got what she needed.

ELIAS

---