Page 12 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
He followed her gaze to the dog crate. As she stared at its emptiness, there was a vulnerability that showed in her eyes. It was all he could do not to go to her and hold her in his arms. He wanted to assure her that everything was going to be okay.
But the professional part of him knew he couldn’t do that. First, he didn’t know if it would all work out for the best. And second, he had to maintain a professional distance.
Instead, he directed her attention away from the dog crate. “Is there anything missing from the mantel?”
Her gaze hesitated before moving toward the mantel. After a moment of sweeping her gaze across the collection of snowmen in all different sizes, she shook her head. It was then he directed her to the next area to search.
He noticed how her house was completely decked out for Christmas. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was one of the residents who kept the decorations up year-round, since Kringle Falls had been deemed a “Christmas Town.” Their claim to fame grew each year, drawing in more tourists. On one hand, it was good for Kringle Falls, but on the other hand, his department hadn’t grown. The tourist business was putting a strain on his officers. But that was a problem for another day.
It wasn’t until they reached the kitchen that Belle said, “They went all through here.”
He had to admit that this crime was strange. So far, they stole a puppy, and now they’d rifled through the kitchen. It didn’t make sense, unless it was a diversion to throw them off the track of what they were really after.
Ding.
Ding. Ding.
When Belle pulled her phone out of her coat, he asked, “Do you need to get that?”
She looked at the screen and shook her head. “It’s just my friends. They heard something was going on and wanted to make sure I was all right.”
He was glad she had such good friends. “Maybe you should message them back.”
Belle nodded. She typed a very brief message and then put the phone back into her pocket.
He turned his thoughts back to the crime scene. They were missing something. Perhaps the answer would be upstairs in one of the bedrooms.
He cleared his throat. “I take it you don’t normally leave the cabinet doors hanging open?” He didn’t think so, but he had to ask.
“No.” Her answer was firm.
“Can you tell us if anything is missing?”
She walked over to the cabinets and hunched down. “The bag of puppy kibble is still here. So are the cans of moist dog food.”
He watched as the color drained from her face. He figured she was panicking. And he couldn’t blame her. Having someone break into her home—her safe zone—would rattle anyone.
“I can’t believe someone did this.” And then her eyes widened. “Do you think they’ll hurt him?”
He saw a tear roll down her cheek and heard the waver in her voice. He acted on instinct and pulled her into his arms. He didn’t know how she’d react. For all he knew, she might shove him away, yell at him or stomp off.
But she didn’t do any of those things. Instead, she followed the lead of his pull until her head was resting against his shoulder. His arms tightened around her waist. And in that moment, he noticed how well they fit together—as though they were made for each other.
The last thought startled him to the core. His immediate instinct would be to step away from her because their connection was short-circuiting his mind. He fought that reaction. This moment wasn’t about him or his totally out of control thoughts. This was about Belle.
Her home—her sanctuary—had been invaded. The puppy she obviously loved had been taken. And she was feeling off-kilter and longing for her four-footed friend. Giving her a hug was the least he could do in that moment.
He stood perfectly still with her in his arms. When he inhaled, the gentle scent of jasmine came over him. The scent was sweet and slightly musky. It was a complex scent, much like the woman in his arms.
She could be so frustrating and argumentative one moment, and then it was like the layers were peeled back to reveal her tender, caring side. And he wasn’t sure how to deal with this gentler side of her.
He breathed in another whiff of jasmine. He didn’t think he’d ever smell it again without recalling this moment—of having his arms wrapped around Belle.
She pulled away, and the moment was over as fast as it had started. She lowered her head and sniffed as she swiped at her eyes. “I’m sorry about that.”
What was he supposed to say in response? Did he tell her he didn’t mind her leaning on his shoulder?No.He didn’t want her to get the wrong impression. He wasn’t interested in her romantically. She was simply a victim whom he was going to do his best to help.
Speaking of the case, they needed to get back to it. He had her look around the downstairs another time before he followed her upstairs. When they reached her bedroom, he hesitated. Even though he was working on a case, it always felt as though he were intruding when he went into a victim’s bedroom.
