Page 20 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
Belle’s chest tightened.What was that?Her worried gaze moved to Parker. He pulled his hand from hers and sat up straighter, as though he were listening for the sound.
Thunk!
There it was again. Maybe it was someone at the door. She walked around the island to head for the front door. But before she could exit the kitchen, Parker held his arm out stopping her.
“Wait here.” His voice was low but firm.
Thunk!
“I’ll go investigate.” And then he walked away.
She was left alone in the kitchen, and suddenly, she was relieved Parker had insisted on sleeping on her couch. If the criminal came back to finish what he’d started earlier, she didn’t want to have to face him alone.
As she waited in the kitchen, she listened. The thunking sound was intermittent, but it was still there. Not able to stand still any longer, she began pacing. When she thought she heard a different sound, she stopped and listened. Then she’d resume her pacing.
It felt like eternity had passed when Parker returned. His hair was windswept, and his cheeks and nose were pink tinged from the cold. “You don’t have to worry. It’s just the wind. It’s picked up. A loose shutter was pounding against the side of the house. I did my best to secure it. Hopefully, it’ll hold for the night.”
“Thank you.” She suddenly felt silly for thinking it was someone trying to get into her house…again.
Belle got the cookie dough from the freezer and tore off a piece. She placed it on a floured countertop and then returned the rest to the freezer. It was time to cut out some cookies. Her favorite part.
When she noticed Parker was leaving the kitchen, she asked, “Would you like to help me decorate the cookies?”
With his back to her, he hesitated.
When he didn’t respond, she said, “Never mind. I’ve got it.”
He turned to her and retraced his steps. “I’d like to. What do you want me to do?”
“You could get the colorful sprinkles out of the corner cabinet.” She gestured to the right cabinet.
Without a word, he headed for the sink to wash up. A few moments later, he returned to the island with his hands full of decorations. She rolled out the cookies and worked the cookie cutters while he decorated each cookie. To her surprise, he was artistic. Then again, she realized that even after knowing him since they were kids, she actually didn’t know that much about him.
As she pressed a snowman-shaped cutter into the soft dough, she asked, “Have you ever thought about moving away from Kringle Falls?”
He shook his head. “My whole family is here. And I know it probably sounds strange, but we’re really close.”
“It doesn’t sound strange at all.” She thought of her parents and wished they were still around. “It sounds really nice that you have that sort of relationship with them.”
“What about you? Ever think of exploring the world?”
“Sometimes. Especially after my parents died. Everything about Kringle Falls reminds me of them. My mother loved Christmas. She loved living in a Christmas town.”
“So, why didn’t you leave?”
“I don’t know if it was just one thing that kept me here. I think it was more like a bunch of things. Like my friends, the memories, and this house is just… Well, it’s my home. I don’t want to go searching for another place that gives me the same warm and cozy feelings that I get right here.” And then realizing that perhaps she’d revealed more about herself than she’d intended, especially with the sheriff who made a point of ticketing her, she pressed her lips together.
Buzz.
He reached for his phone. “It’s work.”
“No, problem. I’ve got the rest of this.” She glanced at the next two trays of cookies, which needed decorating. “They won’t look as good as yours, but they’ll have sprinkles on them.”
He arched a brow. “Make ’em look pretty.”
He turned and pressed the phone to his ear as he left the room. “Bishop.”
She was touched that he’d taken time to keep her company. He didn’t have to do it. The more time she spent with him the more she found herself liking the man she couldn’t stand the day before.
