Page 72 of Here Comes Santa Paws

“A job interview.”

Gramps straightened. “You’ve got to be kidding! What the hell is he doing that for?”

His indignation was sweet, but I didn’t want him to be upset with Roman. “Chill, Gramps. It’s fine. People change jobs.”

“They don’t move halfway across the country willy-nilly. Why does he want to leave? You’re here, and I’ve got a long way to goin my physical therapy. I’m not trusting anyone else with my hip recovery.”

My stomach lurched. The coffee wasn’t settling well.

“Gramps, we’re not together. He has no reason to stay.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” He stared at me, clearly seeing more than I wanted him to. “Elias, you could go with him.”

I jerked back. “Why would I do that? My life is here. You’re here. I barely know him.” My brain scrambled for a dozen more reasons why the idea was absurd.

Gramps tsked. “You’ve known him for years.”

“I’ve knownof himfortwoyears, Captain Exaggeration. Of that, we’ve been on good terms and actually talking for about a month.”

Gramps leaned back on the bench and took a swig of his coffee. “You know, I fell in love with your grandmother within a week.” At my silence, he continued, “I’d be fine on my own, kiddo. You don’t need to keep altering your life for me.”

“Like you haven’t been doing that for me most of my life.” My voice was small.

“Elias.”

The seriousness in his voice made me still.

“I know you got accepted to Stanford and turned it down.” He spoke softly, but the words hit with a thundering boom.

I’d wanted that secret to die with me. I’d felt like a rotten, ungrateful grandson for even applying, but my teacher had encouraged me to after I’d won a contest at school with the prize of a paid college application fee.

Stanford and California had been a dream, and even the acceptance hadn’t felt real. It had been such a long shot that I never truly considered accepting. I couldn’t leave Gramps. Chicago had everything I needed and had been close enough to go home regularly.

“How did you know?”

Gramps laughed and patted my knee. “You didn’t exactly hide it well. It was on top of the trash when I went to take it out becauseyoudidn’t do your chores.”

His teasing tone tried to cut through my guilt, but there was too much of it. I’d buried it long ago.I can’t believe he’s known all this time.

“Aren’t you mad at me? I nearly left.”

“Oh, kiddo. I would’ve cheered you on if you’d gone to college all the way in Australia. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be happy. I don’t care where that happens—here, Australia,Arizona.”

“I’m happy here.” I really was. Sometimes, I wondered what my life would’ve looked like if I’d gone to Stanford or stayed in Chicago after graduation, but I never regretted settling in Christmas Falls. It was my place. How could I even consider leaving after the town had rallied to support me and the shelter during our time of need?

“Someone like you could be happy anywhere. You’re quick to make friends and have a natural knack for community-building. I’m not trying to make you leave, but I need you to know that if you want to, you have my full support.” His smile softened. “I could be a snowbird. My bionic hip doesn’t like the snow.”

I snorted. “Your bionic hip loves the snow, just like the rest of you.”

Relaxing, I took a drink of my cooling coffee.

“It could love the desert too.”

I shook my head. Matchmaking to the very end. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself, old man. I repeat, we’renota couple.”

“Who uses labels these days? Try long-distance. See how it goes.”

I didn’t have a rebuttal for that. Instead, I watched people funnel into the park for the closing ceremony.

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