Page 45 of The Snuggle is Real
“Oh, uh… It’s getting pretty late. I should probably get Pepper home.”
“Aw, but he’s so cute.” She stroked his ears, and he gazed up at her with total adoration. “Can’t you stay a little longer? You helped us get the tree, so you should get to decorate it too.”
She said it as if decorating was a great treat. Honestly? It would be, but I didn’t want to intrude.
I glanced sidelong at Ford, hesitant. He bit the inside of his cheek, seeming equally unsure of how to proceed.
“I guess I could—” I started.
“Mason’s done enough—” he said at the same time.
We both froze awkwardly. I laughed. “Um, I don’t want to overstay my welcome.”
“No, obviously you’re plenty welcome.” Ford waved toward Charlie and Pepper. “I just don’t want to take advantage. You’ve spent a lot of time with us already.”
Oh, if only he knew how muchmoretime I’d love to spend in his company.
“I don’t mind.”
Charlie cheered. “Yes, decorating party!”
With a sheepish grin of defeat, Ford went to get the boxes of decorations. We worked together to hang the lights, then while Ford opened the boxes of ornaments, I fetched a chair for Charlie to stand on to reach the top of the tree.
I turned to find Ford gazing at a clear ornament with a miniature snowman resting on a pile of blue glitter inside it.
“That’s cute,” I said. “Did you make it at one of those ornament workshops they hold during the festival?”
“Nicole made it,” he said quietly, eyes glassy. “She gave a few to me because—” He suddenly burst into laughter, surprising me. “LuAnne kept buying these absolutely hideous gnome ornaments.”
“I like gnomes,” Charlie said with a pout.
“Oh, these weren’t cute like the ones you saw at the festival. They were, uh, well…they looked like trolls. Long hair, ugly faces, but holding a candy cane or a snowball.”
Ford dug through the box and found a couple of cute reindeer ornaments for Charlie to hang. Once she was out of earshot, he whispered, “Lu left them behind and they went straight into the trash. It was more cathartic than kicking the shit out of the Christmas tree if I’m honest.”
I was glad he could laugh about that now. Ford had seemed so guilt-ridden when he told me that story. “Well, it looks like your sister had good taste.”
He smiled wistfully. “Yeah, she always did.”
There were a few more sentimental ornaments, but most of the box was made up of store-bought ones. I helped hang them, occasionally moving an ornament when Charlie wasn’t looking to keep everything balanced.
“All right, Charlie girl, I think we’re done,” Ford said twenty minutes later. “Time for you to get to bed like Pepper has.”
My dog was sacked out in front of the couch, curled up into as tight a ball as he could manage. Every now and then he snored.
“Aw,” Charlie said. “Do I have to?”
“Afraid so. Go on. I’m just gonna say goodbye to Mason, and then I’ll come read you a story, if you want.”
“Okay.” Charlie gave me a quick hug, kissed the top of Pepper’s head, making him stir and open one eye for a moment, then ran into the hall.
“Brush your teeth!” Ford called.
“Okay!”
I grabbed Pepper’s leash and reattached it, then said the magic words, “Want to go for a ride?”
Pepper scrambled to his feet, tongue lolling out, and shook his whole body in some sort of doggie stretch.
