Page 18 of A Very Merry Matchup
She starts for her house, then pauses and points to Ivy’s car. “Did I see someone arrive with another dog earlier?”
“Ivy. She’s, uh...” What is she? I chuckle. I don’t know. A big surprise, that’s what she is. “She’s one of the nurses who took care of me after my car accident in the fall. It’s kind of a long story, but she’s here with her dog Hamish.”
Crystal’s eyes widen and her cheeks, already pink from the cold, flush a shade deeper. “Ivy?”
“You know her?”
“What? No. I don’t—” She shakes her head and turns for her house, dragging Pinky several steps through the snow since Pinky’s jaws are clamped on her right pant leg. “I think your mom may have mentioned her or something,” she saysover her shoulder, shaking her leg free of Pinky as she reaches the bottom porch step. “That’s probably it. Anyway, good seeing you. Tell your folks hi.”
She disappears into her house, and I stare at the Christmas wreath hanging on the front door, visible in the white Christmas lights wrapped along the frame of the porch roof.
“Was it me or did she act a little weird?” I say over my shoulder toward Pinky. “Probably just me, huh.”
When Pinky doesn’t so much as yap in response, I spin around. “Pinky?” I spin again. Then drop my shovel and sprint several steps. “What are you doing in the middle of the street?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Oh,Christmasmatchmaking isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind
Ivy
Maybe getting stranded in Iowa isn’t so bad.
After fourteen hours of sleep, the best rest I’ve experienced in a long time, I’m dressed in my favorite cozy sweats and hoodie with a belly full of pancakes, sitting on a comfy couch watching Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire debate whether they’ll capture a lady’s heart through singing or dancing as an adorable Hamish snoozes next to me.
And if the movieHoliday Innisn’t entertaining enough, watching Beau chase Pinky Collar around the dining room table hunched over, always just one step behind Pinky, adds another layer of joy to this late winter morning.
“How does she keep getting that gnome ornament? Did Hamish give it to her? Is he her gnome dealer?” The teacups on top of the china cabinet rattle as Beau continues his hot pursuit of the dark blur streaking around the table.
I give Hamish a little rub behind his ears. “I believe my client is innocent, your honor.”
“Your client should be helping me.”
“My client is exhausted.” Another tally mark for why being stranded in Iowa isn’t so bad. Hamish really is a sweet dog when he gets his energy out. And Pinky Collar seems to have a wonderful way of getting Hamish’s energy out.
“Well, good morning, you little precious head,” Rob says as he steps into the dining room with a cup of coffee while Pinky screeches to a halt so she can try climbing his leg.
“Are you giving Beau a workout this morning?” He chuckles and sets down his coffee so he can scoop her into his arms. The gnome falls from her mouth as she mauls his chin with kisses. “Aw, you’re such a good girl, aren’t you? Yes, you are. Have you learned where to go tinkle yet? It’s outside, isn’t it? But you know that, don’t you? Because you’re so smart. Smarter than Beau. You wouldn’t believe how long it took us to train him where he was supposed to go tinkle.”
“Really, Dad?” Beau says, attaching the mangled gnome to the star on top of the Christmas tree while I smother a laugh.
Rob hands Pinky off to Beau when his phone chimes from his back pocket. His grin disappears the moment he reads the text message. “Oh great,” he mutters.
“What’s the matter?” Beau asks, trying to keep a squirming Pinky Collar from leaping out of his arms.
“More church stuff.” Rob shakes his head, twisting his head to talk to Cecilia in the kitchen. “Baskets never got delivered. Nobody’s even picked anything up to assemble the baskets.”
“Oh, you’re kidding,” Cecilia says back. “That should have been taken care of weeks ago.”
“What baskets?” says Beau.
“The charity baskets the church always delivers around town a few weeks before Christmas.” Rob takes a quick drink of his coffee. “Just one more thing that’s fallen through the cracks this year.”
“Anything I can do to help?” asks Beau, setting a wiggly Pinky on the floor.
“Nah, I can—”
“Yes,”Cecilia says, rushing out from the kitchen. “Yes. Beau should deliver the baskets. With Ivy. That would be a huge help. Wouldn’t it, Rob? Sure, it would. Especially since you still need to pick up Nana later today.”
