Page 15 of Sweet Christmas Wish
Lacy had entered his life and turned his world upside down in the best of ways, and the fact that she had come to be so supportive of his dogsledding business only made things better. Her father and grandfather had been responsible for helping him obtain the business loan to get Winter Run Racing started, and dating her made everything come full circle.
“She’s a special one, isn’t she, Baxter?” he murmured, pouring some doggy shampoo into his hands and lathering it up before beginning to scrub the dog. “You love Lacy, don’t you, boy?”
Baxter looked up into Derek’s eyes, his own large and blue, and it almost seemed as though he could understand every word Derek was saying. At least, Derek liked to think so. He always talked to his dogs when he was working, knowing that hearing his voice helped connect and bond them even more.
Besides, it was nice to have the dogs to share his feelings with, especially when he needed to work through a complicated tangle without feeling judged.
“I love her too,” he continued, his voice low and soothing as he scrubbed Baxter’s back. “More than anyone in the world—even you. No offense, Baxter, I promise. I still love you and the others just as much as I always have.”
Baxter woofed softly, shifting his weight a little as Derek took one of his paws and lifted it to keep scrubbing.
“Hey, I said no offense,” Derek protested teasingly, pretending that Baxter’swoofhad been a response. “If you ever fall in love one day you’ll know what I mean.”
Derek took the shower nozzle in his hand again and began rinsing Baxter off, letting the sudsy soap slide off and flee down the drain.
“Here’s the thing, Bax. I feel like I’m ready to take the next step with Lacy. I mean, it’s been, what—a year? It’s time to take our relationship to the next level.” Derek began toweling Baxter off, grunting a little with the effort. “Okay, buddy, thanks for listening. You can go lay by the fire to finish drying off,” he said, leading the dog over to the large stone fireplace where a fire crackled on a bed of logs and coals.
Baxter laid down contentedly, resting his head on his front paws, his tail wagging ever so slightly as Derek went to get the next dog scheduled for a bath.
Missy, short for Mistletoe, was a husky Lacy had rescued and brought to Derek the previous winter. They’d both fallen in love with her and, though exuberant, she had proven to be a good sled dog. She still struggled with overexcitement at times, but for the most part she was taking the training well and becoming a valuable member of the team.
“Come on, girl,” he said, squatting to open her kennel. “Time for your bath.”
Missy, who knew by now what time it was, sat in the back of her kennel, refusing to budge. Derek sighed, but he couldn’t help smiling. She was so resistant to bath time, but once she got into the washing station she always enjoyed the water and spending one-on-one time with Derek. He’d come prepared, though. Pulling a treat from his pocket, he lured her out of her kennel and led her to the washing station, only giving her the treat once she was safely inside.
“Good dog. Here you go.”
Missy gobbled down the treat, wagging her tail as Derek turned on the shower nozzle.
“You know, I sometimes think you pretend to hate baths just so you get an extra treat,” Derek teased, beginning to rinse her down. He worked in silence for a minute, his thoughts drifting back to Lacy. “You know, Missy,” he said, breaking the quiet. “I already knowyoulove Lacy, because she rescued you. I was just telling Baxter that I’m ready to take things to the next level with her.”
Baxter lifted his head at the sound of his name, then returned to snoozing by the fire when Derek didn’t issue a command, luxuriating in the fire’s warmth as his coat dried.
“The other night at dinner, I kind of floated the idea of moving in together. Just hinted at it, really. Nothing official.” Derek poured out some doggy shampoo and began scrubbing Missy’s coat. “And she really seemed to like the idea, although obviously I don’t know for sure. Here’s the thing, though…” He paused and looked into Missy’s trusting eyes. “I want more than that, Missy. I know this sounds crazy, but I’m ready for more than living together. I want to marry her.”
It was the first time Derek had said the words aloud, although he’d been thinking them almost constantly ever since he’d brought up moving in together with Lacy. He had thought the idea would scare him, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. If anything, the idea of marrying Lacy Preston filled him with an excitement he’d never had before.
It just felt right, at least to him, but would she see it that way?
Some people just weren’t the marrying type, and he and Lacy had never discussed marriage before.
“What do you think, Missy-girl?” he asked, rinsing her down. “Am I crazy to even consider this?”
Missy woofed softly.
“Annnd I’m asking you what to do, even though you havenoidea what I’m saying.” Derek shook his head, laughing softly at himself. “You’re a great listener, but I definitely need to find someone that can actually answer me back in this case. This is just too important not to get some other opinions.”
Toweling Missy off, he determined then and there that he needed to go talk to Emma Cleaver.
Emma had been Lacy’s grandfather’s love before he’d passed away, and Derek viewed her as a surrogate grandmother. This was especially true because his cousin, Colette Hillis, lived with Emma, working as her companion and caretaker. The two women were some of his best friends, and he could always count on them for listening ears and good advice.
Giving Missy one last rubdown and releasing her to lay by the fire, Derek checked on the rest of his dogs and, seeing that all was in order, he went to go get ready for his visit.
An hour later, Derek—cleaned up and bundled for the cold—climbed out of his truck at Emma’s house. He rapped on the front door and it opened a minute later to reveal Colette wearing her signature baking apron.
“Hi!” Colette exclaimed, stepping back so he could enter. “What a nice surprise. We weren’t expecting you!”
“Sorry to just drop by unannounced,” he apologized, though he knew neither of the women cared about standing on ceremony. “Is Emma up from her nap yet?”
