Page 64 of Here Comes Santa Paws

I squeezed my eyes closed and balled my fist under the table while biting back a string of colorful curses. I hadn’t thought about what to do with Carol.Which is exactly why I have no business having a pet.I wasn’t even responsible enough to think about how leaving for a few days would affect apregnant dogliving in my house. Fucking hell.

Elias’s warm hand on mine pulled me out of my self-flagellation spiral. “Hey, don’t worry. I’ll take great care of her. You’re not letting her down by doing this.”

Why was it hard to breathe? I never should’ve agreed to foster her. I’d gotten attached to her, to Elias, hell, to Jim, and now I was running away. To my “next adventure.”

I muttered a quick thank you but couldn’t meet Elias’s eyes. Fortunately, I was saved from having to when someone came over to our table.

“Mason, hey. How’s it going?” Elias’s voice was strained but cheerful. It killed me to see his usually large smile ever-so-slightly dimmed.

Mason took an empty seat at our table. “Hi, I hope I’m not interrupting. I needed a breather from the schmoozing for work.”

“This is Mason. Director of the Holiday Hope Foundation,” Elias said.

I’d remembered Elias talking about him.

“And averygood friend who agreed to foster a dog.” Mason grinned and held out his hand.

“That too,” Elias said with a small smile.

“Roman.” I accepted his handshake. “Good to meet you.”

I enjoyed meeting Elias’s friends, even if I wanted to melt into the floor. It helped to know he’d have a community around him after I left. Not that I thought so highly of myself and my looming absence, but Elias wore his heart on his sleeve, and I knew he’d be sad. Hopefully not for too long.

Mason’s smile was knowing. “Glad to finally meet the infamous Roman. Ow! That was my foot.”

Elias glared at him.

What had he told his friends about me?

“How’s the fundraising going?” Mason asked Elias.

Elias seemed to seize the topic like a lifeline. I couldn’t blame him.

I wanted to get out of there, but I knew that would worry Elias. Instead, I pretended to listen to Elias get Mason’s input on the fundraising efforts while mentally berating myself for not giving a thought to Carol when I’d readily agreed to fly to Tucson. Clearly, I wasn’t fit to worry about anyone but myself.

Chapter 26

Roman

I watchedthe slow drip of the office coffee machine refill the pot and tried to shake my morose feelings. A wilting poinsettia on the counter matched my mood. The heaviness had settled in my chest at the coffee shop with Elias, and it hadn’t left.

The worst part was that Elias and I werefine. We’d left the coffee shop after Mason excused himself, and Elias had chattered like nothing was wrong, but thingswerewrong. I could tell he was sad. Hell, I was sad. We’d gone on another walk with the dogs yesterday but had parted ways after. I couldn’t tell if he was pulling away. I didn’t want that, but how could I blame him? It was one thing to say we were casual, just a little fun, but we were human. Feelings always fucked stuff up.

How had I let myself get so wrapped up in someone when I knew I planned to leave? Impatient, I filled my mug when the pot was only half full.

Elias had every right to pull back, but I might not even get the job.Yeah, but what about all the other ones you’ve applied for? Something will come through. It always does.

No matter how much time I had left in Christmas Falls, I wanted to spend that time with him. If he’d let me.

“Uh-oh.”

I turned toward Anisha as she eyed the coffee machine suspiciously.

“Uh-oh what?”

“You make the coffee too damn strong when you’re upset. It smells like tar. Are you dying?”

I glanced around to make sure we were alone in the break room and no one was passing by. “I’ve got a job interview in Tucson.”

---