Page 21 of Here Comes Santa Paws

“Maybe if they stopped barking long enough to look cute.”

He let out an exaggerated, affronted gasp. “My dogs are always cute. Even when they’re barking.”

I shrugged. “They’re alright.” My smile grew as his did. He’d never stop giving me shit if he knew I sometimes stood at my back door and watched his dogs chasing each other in his half of the backyard while drinking my morning coffee.

“What are you up to now?” he asked.

“Heading home to do some chores.”

Elias nodded and rocked back on his heels. “I was thinking of going to the Arts and Crafts Fair at the museum to do some gift shopping.”

Something about that event niggled in my brain. “I think I overheard someone talking about that earlier, along with gnome carving? Surely that can’t be right.”

“You’ve never heard of our local celebrity? Murphy is a world-renowned carver, and his specialty is gnomes.”

“Gnomes.”

“Yes. Gnomes. He made that giant Santa one at the park entrance. It’s pretty awesome watching him. Want to join me?” His voice held a forced casual tone. “No pressure. I know I’ve already wrecked your Sunday.”

Normally, I’d immediately decline, but I hesitated, and that hesitation startled the ever-loving hell out of me. I liked spending time with Elias.What the hell am I supposed to do now?

“Sure.”

My response stunned both of us, but Elias recovered quicker than me.

“Great. It’ll just take me a couple more minutes to wrap things up here, then we can go?”

Nancy must’ve been eavesdropping because she joined us, sporting a knowing grin I didn’t appreciate. “You two scoot. The volunteers have got this.”

“No one can mind their damn business around here,” he muttered.

I let out a loud laugh. Elias gaped at me.

“What?”

He blinked. “That’s the first time I’ve seen you smile. With teeth. You have great teeth, by the way.”

“Four years of braces.” Normally, I felt self-conscious when someone commented on my rare toothy smiles, but with Elias, I wanted to smile more.Danger, danger.

Chapter 11

Elias

“Wow. That’s actually pretty impressive.”Roman stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched Murphy wield the chainsaw with ease.

We stood among a rapt crowd in the ballroom at the Christmas Falls Festival Museum. The loud growl of the chainsaw drowned out the din of the Arts and Crafts Fair around us.

A twinge of jealousy niggled in my gut as Roman openly gaped at Murphy.Can I get any more ridiculous?We hugged.Once. And okay, I’d claim it as an almost kiss. He could gawk at Murphy all he wanted. Anyway, Murphy had reconnected with his childhood best friend and the love of his life last year and was a happily committed man the last I’d heard. So why did I want to jump on the stage, rip the chainsaw from his hands, and try it myself to get Roman to watch me that way?

Chill out.

“It is.”

Roman turned toward me, sporting a shit-eating grin.

“What?”

His grin widened.

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