Page 56 of Here Comes Santa Paws

Grinning like a goof, I walked with more pep in my step as I updated him on how well things were going with our pop-up adoption events, foster campaign, and the contractor starting work.

“How long does the contractor think it will take to fix everything?”

“Current estimate is by New Year’s, but he said it depends on what they find when they get in there to replace pipes.”

Roman grimaced.

“How’s your week so far? Work going well?”

“Digging for dirt on Jim?”

I laughed. “Gramps is already giving me a blow-by-blow of each appointment. He doesn’t need to keep convincing me how good you are at your job.”

“He’s singing my praises instead of claiming torture?”

“Oh, he’s doing that too. But mostly praise. Seriously though, I’m genuinely curious about your work.”

Roman cleared his throat and kept his attention ahead. “It’s getting busy with coworkers getting sick or taking vacations. I’ve also gotten a couple of new patients recovering from slipping on ice and hurting themselves.”

I asked Roman what a typical day looked like for him as we cleared another block in the middle-class neighborhood full of cute cottages and starter homes. They were all decked out for the holiday season in everything from neatly aligned white lights to multicolor explosions and seas of inflatables.

While he talked, I noticed Carol had relaxed enough to let Nutcracker keep pace with her. He was half her height, a third of her weight, and had to walk double speed to catch up with her long-legged strides. I smiled to myself.Good job, Nutcracker!

Watching Carol slowly come out of her shell and exhibit signs that she felt secure was so damn satisfying. This was why I’d decided to go into this work instead of using my business degree for something lucrative.

As I opened my mouth to point it out to Roman, I noticed he looked…shifty. I couldn’t think of a better word for it.

“Are you okay?”

Roman’s jaw tensed as he looked at me. I couldn’t read what lurked in his dark eyes.

The harsh breath he blew out created a visible cloud. “I had a job interview yesterday for a position in Tucson.”

My first reaction was to congratulate him, but as my brain connected the pieces, it felt like I’d taken a punch to the chest. I’d known this was coming, but the reality hit hard.

I needed to set aside my selfish sadness because no matter what, Roman and I had become friends. I’d figured out he didn’t have a lot of those, and he could probably use one about now. If it were me, I’d want a sounding board, so I would offer to be one.

“Arizona?” I’d never heard of a Tucson in Illinois.

Roman nodded.

“Congratulations. How did it go?” I tried to infuse excitement in my voice, but I wasn’t sure either of us believed it. I appreciated that he didn’t call me on it.

Roman studied me for a moment before his shoulders dropped. “It went well. Quite well, actually.” He paused for a moment. “They liked my ideas, and it sounds like a great place.”

I swallowed thickly. “Is it a position you want?”

We stopped so Carol could pee.

“Yeah. It’s a physical therapy director at a rehab facility. That’s the next step for me.”

“So you can boss people around?” I tried to keep my tone light.

“I already get to do that with my patients.”

I chuckled. “You’re funny.”

He scoffed. “I’ve never been accused of that before.”

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