Page 79 of Here Comes Santa Paws

He draped his leg and arm over my body and pressed a light kiss to my chest. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me too.”

“I thought your return flight wasn’t until the twenty-sixth?”

It was time to spill my guts. I’d been a nervous wreck about it during the long journey back to Christmas Falls, but as soon as I saw Elias, I knew I didn’t need to worry. Elias had put himself out there when, in not so many words, he’d asked me to stay. It was up to me to meet him halfway, and I was finally ready.

I inhaled a long, slow breath. “It wasn’t, but I wanted to come back. I had the interview, toured an apartment, and got offered the job.”

Elias lifted his head. “You got the job? Congratulations, Roman. I knew they’d snap you up.”

Andthatwas why I’d come back to Christmas Falls. Backhome. Despite everything, Elias still encouraged me to follow my dreams. Just like my mom always did for my dad. That was the kind of partnership I wanted—supporting each other, even when it was hard.

“Thanks, but I turned them down.”

That made Elias move to sit up, but I stopped him. I wanted to keep him close. He let out a sweet, soft sigh as he settled against me again.

“Why?”

The million-dollar question. “You. How you make me feel. Carol. This damn town. It’s grown on me like mistletoe on its host tree.”

Elias laughed. The sound warmed me like a crackling fire.

“I got there, and everything was falling into place, but it didn’t feel right. In the end, I couldn’t convince myself that the promotion was worth more than what I have here.”

He kissed my chest again. “Before you showed up at my door today, I’d already decided to talk to you about trying long-distance. Gramps tried convincing me his bionic hip would enjoy visiting warmer weather.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “That man never stops meddling, does he?”

“Nope. You’d better get used to it.”

A pleasant warmth spread through my stomach. “I don’t mind.” We were silent for a moment, and then Elias yawned. It might be nap time soon. “You were thinking long-distance, huh?”

“I don’t have any experience with it, but I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to you yet. Waiting for a dog to go into labor gives you a lot of time to think. I love Christmas Falls, but I’ve made many decisions in my life for other people. For Gramps. He challenged me to make a decision for myself, and I wasn’t ready to let yougo yet. What we have feels special, rare, and I’m open to moving if things work out between us.” He lifted his head again. “I want you to know that a relationship with me doesn’t have to mean you’re stuck.”

That statement obliterated any doubts lingering in dark corners. I’d grown to appreciate Christmas Falls, but Elias was who I was falling in love with. Knowing he’d consider leaving his beloved hometown for me proved he was just as invested.

“That means a lot. Thank you.” I cupped his cheek and brushed my thumb across it. It hit me that if I was thinking the L-word, I might as well say it. I’d never been in a situation where I’d wanted to say it to anyone. My gut fluttered.

“Are you okay? Your pulse is speeding up.” He pressed his open palm against my chest.

I covered his hand with mine. “I’m falling in love with you.”

Elias’s Bambi eyes blinked at me for several moments before his face split into a smile and he scrambled to straddle my waist. “Really?”

I gripped his hips and laughed at his sudden rush of energy. “Really.”

He stared down at me with wonder in his eyes.

“Any thoughts about that?” I fished. I attempted to sound casual. Given Elias’s grin, I failed miserably.

“Many thoughts. Many good thoughts. Thoughts that I’m falling in love with you too.” He lowered himself until our lips touched.

The kiss was gentle and held promise for a happy future.

Elias pulled back and stretched his body on top of mine. “I imagine it wasn’t easy to get back here at Christmas.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “You have no idea. Everything was sold out, but I eventually got to Chicago after two layovers and a delay. I couldn’t get to the Christmas Falls airport and there were no available rental cars in Chicago. Fortunately, Ifound a very generous taxi driver willing to make the drive for a nice Christmas bonus.”

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