Page 71 of Here Comes Santa Paws

“Thanks!” I smiled at her. My smiles never took effort until today.

Light, fluffy snowflakes leisurely fell from the sky as tourists eagerly popped in and out of the shops for their last-minute souvenirs and Christmas gifts. The air was crisp, but the bright afternoon sun chased away the worst of it.

The coffee should perk me up. I’d been dragging since Roman left for Tucson the day before. Partly because I’d been watching Carol like a hawk since we relocated her to my extra room and partly because I couldn’t shake the fact that Roman would be flying home with a job offer and making immediate plans to move. I tried to be okay with it—I was, I wanted him to be happy—but I’d grown fond of my grouchy teddy bear.

“Hey, Gramps. Here’s your coffee.” I sat next to him on the bench in Sugar Plum Park and handed him a cup.

“Extra whipped cream?”

“And sprinkles. Just how you like it.”

He tipped his cup against mine. “Atta boy.”

Gramps preferred gingerbread lattes to my peppermint ones, but we agreed that the more toppings, the better.

I glanced at my phone to check the time and tried to ignore the fact that I hadn’t heard from Roman about his interview. He’d replied to my good luck text this morning, but it’d been quiet since. Logically, I knew he probably wouldn’t text until later, but try telling my heart that.

“Looks like we’ve got twenty minutes until the festival’s closing program begins.” I couldn’t believe tomorrow was Christmas Eve. The festival always passed in a blur.

“I wish I’d seen more of the festival this year.” Gramps’s smile held a somber note as he watched a family pass, with a little girl giggling as she sat on her dad’s shoulders.

I rested my head on his shoulder. Gramps and I had been attending festival events since I was a kid, and this was the first year we hadn’t gone to more of them together. I’d always loved ice skating with him when we were younger. Maybe someday, I’d have my own grandkid to take ice skating before I needed my own hip replacement.

“I bet it’s hard having to slow down while your body heals.”

Gramps let out a resigned sigh. “It is. Especially as you get older.”

“There’s a difference betweenslowing downand idling. You’re idling, so you can step on the gas soon.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “You’re a good kid, Elias.”

“Thanks, Gramps.”

“Don’t tell Roman. He’ll kick my ass if I walk too much today.”

I smiled but remained silent.

“Speaking of slowing down, how’s that sweet dog Carol doing? At the photo shoot, she looked like she was about to burst. When’s she due?”

I smiled easier that time. “She’s in the early stages of labor. I checked her temperature this morning, and it had dropped, which usually happens twenty-four hours or so before labor begins. The vet said he’d swing by after office hours this afternoon to confirm everything’s looking good.”

Gramps’s eyes widened. “Why are you here? She needs us! Let’s go!” He moved to stand and nearly dumped his coffee.

I grabbed his shoulder. “Whoa there, cowboy. She’s fine. I checked on her while waiting for our coffees.”

“Did you add teleportation to your skills without telling me? Family’s supposed to share. I wouldn’t mind teleporting to somewhere warm.”

I pulled out my phone and launched the camera system app. “The nice thing about being the boss at the shelter is I can borrow extra equipment. She’s still under the care of the shelter, after all.”

Gramps laughed as he took my phone and watched her pace in my extra room. I’d had to remove some things I didn’t want shredded during her anxious nesting.

He frowned. “That’s your place. Why isn’t she at Roman’s?”

Well, shit. I hadn’t planned on telling Gramps what was going on. It wasn’t a state secret, and he’d find out soon enough anyway when he needed to find a new PT.

“He left for Arizona yesterday.” Somehow, I managed to keep the morose tone from my voice.

“Visiting family for Christmas?”

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