Page 69 of The Twelve Months of Christmas
And humble. She liked a man who wasn’t all full of himself. Like a certain ex-husband.
“I want to do some upgrades, then I’m gonna sell.”
“So, you bought this house to flip?” Somehow that seemed sad. With its front porch and gables, it had a lot of character.
“I inherited it. My gram thought I needed stability,” he said with a shrug. “Places like this need kids, though.”
“And dogs. You’ve got that part going.” Buster had dropped a looped dog toy at her feet. She went to pick it up and he grabbed it.
“He doesn’t do fetch,” Alden explained. “He’s waiting to play tug-of-war.”
Tug-of-war. It seemed like the whole last year she’d been entrenched in her own tug-of-war—herself versus discouragement and fear. Just when she’d figured she was winning, fate had stepped in and started a new round.
“Aah.” She grabbed an end of the toy and pulled. Buster hung on with a growl.
“He always wins,” said Alden.
“Somebody has to win.” And shewouldwin her tug-of-war.
“Want something to drink? Beer? Pop? I’ve got Pepsi in the fridge.”
She loved the idea of flopping on Alden’s couch and hanging out. Talking. Maybe even doing more than talking. Remembering the comforting feel of his arms around her when she sat crying on her porch made her thirsty for more than pop. But...
“I’d better get back to the house,” she said.
“Everything going okay over there?”
Nothing was okay, but she knew what he meant. “We’re good.”
“You’ll get through this.”
She sighed. “We will.” Anyway, there was no other way but through.
Buster was ready to follow Arianna right out the door, but Alden picked him up before he could. “No, you don’t. You live here, dude.”
Buster whined.
“You’re way too easy,” Alden informed him.
Buster was happy being easy. He barked and struggled to get down. Then, the minute he was, positioned himself at the door and barked.
“You don’t need to whiz,” Alden informed him. “We already went out.” His dog was a sucker for attention.
Maybe he was, too. He watched from his window as Arianna walked back to her house and found himself wishing she’d stayed. That brave face, that determination, that smile—she was getting to him. He wished he could swoop into her life like some movie hero and fight all her battles for her. Protect her, keep her safe. And darn but he was thinking more and more how it would feel to kiss her, to let his hands wander those tempting curves. What would his house be like with her living in it? What would it be like to step into a ready-made family?
“Probably not a good idea,” he said to Buster.
Buster had bonded with Arianna. He cocked his head and studied Alden.What are you, crazy?
Alden didn’t know.
Molly had kept some of the cookies from the party to take to work and share with her customers. On Monday she set them out on a green plate.
“Leprechaun Christmas cookies,” she said to everyone. “Merry Christmas in March.”
“Such a cute idea,” said one woman. “Molly, you know how to make the most out of life.”
“I’m working on it,” Molly told her.
