Page 67 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
At least one of them was hungry. At that moment, it felt as though a swarm of butterflies had invaded her stomach. “Right this way.”
She led him to the dining room. Odie was right beside him. When Parker stopped, so did Odie. Parker looked at the dining room table, which was already set with one of her mother’s white tablecloths with red poinsettias around the border. She’d put out her grandmother’s china. For the centerpiece, she used a miniature Christmas tree with itty-bitty ornaments and two red tapered candles. Suddenly, she felt as though she’d tried too hard. What did he think?
She turned to him. “Since it’s the holidays, I thought we’d eat in here.”
He turned a smile to her. “It’s beautiful.”
She felt her face grow warm. “I just hope dinner is as good.”
He made a show of inhaling. “If it tastes half as good as it smells, it’ll be perfect.”
Even though she objected, he insisted on helping her serve dinner. Odie followed them back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room over and over again, hoping some of the food would leap from the serving dishes into his mouth. He was such a beggar.
Odie was disappointed nothing fell for him to catch. Instead, Belle fed him his kibble just like she did each evening when she had dinner. The only problem was that he gobbled it down much faster than she ate her dinner. And then he lay at her feet, just waiting for something to fall into his mouth.
Belle was relieved to find the food was actually good—really good. Not that she ate much. Feeling bad for Odie, she ended up feeding him some of her roasted carrots. He loved carrots. With his belly full, he ran off to the living room, where he curled up with his stuffed lamb and blanket.
Belle found herself repeatedly glancing across the table at Parker, wondering when she should tell him that she was wrong about ending things between them. She had missed him and she was falling in love with him. Every time she thought those words, her heart would launch into her throat, choking off her ability to verbalize her feelings for him.
But she couldn’t keep quiet all evening. She had this feeling that if she didn’t make her move tonight, she’d lose her chance. After all, Sheriff Bishop was one of the most eligible bachelors in Kringle Falls.
She glanced over at Parker. He lifted a serving dish and went back for seconds. And there were plenty of leftovers to save her from cooking for a few days.
After dinner, Parker insisted on helping her clean up. It was so sweet of him. She was touched. When they both reached for the bowl of mashed potatoes, their fingers touched and lingered. She raised her gaze to meet his. The visual connection caused her heart to flutter.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Shewasdrawntohim.
The breath caught in the back of her throat.
Belle didn’t want this moment to end. Parker’s fingertips traced over the back of her hand. As he continued to stare deep into her eyes, his fingers trailed up her arm, leaving goosebumps over her skin. His movement was slow and purposeful. Her heart felt as though it were going to pound out of her chest.
This was definitely the moment to tell him how she felt about him. But her mind and mouth were at a total disconnect. She helplessly continued to lose herself in his eyes, which were now the color of molten chocolate.
When his hand reached her shoulder, he kept going. His fingertips tickled the sensitive part of her neck, sending shivers throughout her body. And then his hand moved to the back of her neck. The next thing she knew, she was leaning toward him as he leaned toward her.
With her heart pounding wildly in her chest, he pressed his lips to hers. It didn’t seem to matter that she hadn’t been able to find any mistletoe. She reached out to him. Her hands pressed to his chest and then slid up to his shoulders. She leaned into him as her arms wrapped around his neck.
The kiss went on and on. She never wanted it to end. She didn’t want them to end. If she had any doubts before, she didn’t now.
“Arf! Arf!”Odie squeezed between them.
With the greatest of regrets, they parted. Parker was smiling while Belle frowned at Odie. “I’m sorry,” she said. “He must need to go out.”
Parker nodded in understanding. “I’ll take him out.”
She shook her head. “You don’t have to.”
“I don’t mind at all.”
She put on Odie’s little red snow boots, his red coat, and his red leash. Working in clothing, she made sure to keep him color coordinated. Then she leaned over and whispered in Odie’s ear. “Be good. Please.”
While Parker took Odie out, Belle turned on some Christmas music. She didn’t know why she hadn’t thought of the music earlier. She dimmed the lights and turned on the flameless candles on the fireplace mantel.
She glanced around. Was it too much? She didn’t have time to decide, because the front door opened. A rush of frigid air flooded the room. It felt like another storm was brewing.
She rushed over to take Odie from Parker. She divested Odie of his winter gear. When she put him down, he ran back to Parker’s side. It looked like her two favorite guys had bonded. She smiled. This Christmas just might end up being one of her favorites.
