Page 42 of Here Comes Santa Paws

Elias immediately perked up. “Let’s eat.”

“Don’t you mean, nom-nom, it’s chow time?”

He swatted my arm, but his wide smile grew.

Within a few minutes, we were seated on his couch with TV trays in front of us. He turned on the television and a paused movie with the Hallmark logo in the corner filled the screen.

I felt my lips curl up in a grin as I turned toward Elias. “Hallmark movies, huh? Can’t get enough Christmas in real life so you watch it on TV too?”

“What? They’re romantic and sweet. I like it. It’s how I like to unwind. Plus, I get decoration ideas.” He smirked.

Hallmark movies were his version of hiking and taking pictures. I could respect that.

“Whatever floats your boat.”

He moved to YouTube, and soon footage of birds eating an array of seeds in a snowy wooden landscape played on the screen, with occasional chirps and calls coming through the speakers. One-by-one the animals joined us in the living room. The dogs dropped onto the floor in front of the television while Krampus returned to her perch.

I felt like a voyeur of his cozy routine, but I couldn’t help but picture Elias’s small dogs curled around Carol’s large body and us cooking dinner together in the kitchen. I pushed away the ridiculous thought.

“Is the bird viewing for you or them?” I asked as I twisted my fork in the tender pasta and rich sauce.

He pierced his fork through tomato and lettuce. “Initially for them, but I’ve grown quite fond of it. I’ve been thinkingof getting bird feeders for the front yard, but I’m worried Krampus’s RBF will scare them away.”

“Or the barking.”

Elias chuckled. “That too.” After chewing a bite of salad, he turned toward me. “How are you doing with the whole pregnancy thing? Freaked out?”

“Very.” I paused to consider how I was feeling. I’d thought about it nearly constantly since yesterday’s appointment. Elias waited patiently. The odds were she’d still be living with me when she gave birth. I wasn’t ready to hear about the details, but I knew Elias would be there to help. “But also relieved that it’s nothing serious.”

“Pretty sure giving birth to living creatures is serious.” I wanted to kiss his teasing smile. So I did. A quick one.

I was starting to appreciate the appeal of peck kisses. It was satisfying in a different way from the deeper ones. I felt it more in my heart than my dick.

Elias blinked away a dazed, dreamy expression.

“Your sarcasm is noted. I can’t believe she’s going to give birth to five puppies.” I shook my head.

“It’ll be quite the Christmas gift.” He sounded far more eager than nervous, which, I supposed, was to be expected.

He’d probably had plenty of dogs give birth in the shelter. I needed to lean into his confidence. The last thing I wanted to do was make Carol uncomfortable over the next three-to-four weeks until she was due.

We fell into a comfortable silence as we ate and watched the birds. He was right. There was something relaxing about watching them bounce between containers of seed, chirping happily. It made me want to take my camera into the woods and try my hand at bird photography. Elias would probably enjoy that.

Why was it so damn easy to imagine doing things with him? Going on a weekend hike, carpooling to the grocery store, snuggled up on the couch while watching our animals watch birds on a television.

Our animals.

I needed to rein in these thoughts because it wasn’t happening. I wasn’t meant to stay in Christmas Falls, and EliaswasChristmas Falls. As Elias shifted closer to me on the couch and knocked his shoulder against mine to point out a vibrant red bird, I wondered why I’d never had more with someone. Something deeper than a few dates and a bit of fun. But that required getting close to someone.Just like I’m doing with Elias.

The man was worming his way into the cold, dead cockles of my heart—bringing them to life from within. I supposed I might have to admit my cheerful neighbor wasn’t as annoying as I’d long thought.

I looked at him and studied his profile as he pointed out the birds to his pets, carrying on a one-sided conversation like he did this every evening. He probably did.

He turned to me and simply smiled. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said.

I squeezed his thigh. “Me too. The dinner’s great, and the company is decent.”

He pinched my leg lightly. “Brat.”

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