Page 32 of Christmas at the Guest House

“I remember Colette too, although I didn’t interact with her much. She was quiet. It was always Emma who did the talking. But I always thought Colette seemed sweet.”

Zach paused, a smile tugging at his lips as he thought of his current landlord. “She is.”

“Pretty too.” Dennis’s voice had taken on a pointed tone, and Zach rolled his eyes at the ceiling and groaned.

“Don’t act like you haven’t noticed.” Dennis laughed, and Zach could practically picture the amused glint in his eyes.

“Of course I’ve noticed.” Zach pursed his lips to hold back the smile that threatened to break forth. “But that doesn’t mean I want to talk about it.”

“You know, for someone who’s so blunt about everything else, you sure play things close to the vest when it comes to the romance stuff.”

“No, I don’t. Besides, I don’t know if anything could ever happen between us. She’s a little too practical for that.”

“Oh, if only there was someone in Snowy Pine Ridge who wasn’t practical, and who could help her lean into her more creative side.” Dennis’s voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“How do you know she has a creative side?” Zach arched an eyebrow.

“You know as well as I do that everyone has the potential to expand their horizons and think outside the box they’re used to. They just need the right catalyst.”

“And I would be the catalyst? For my landlord?”

“Better you than some sleazeball who would break her heart.”

“Need I remind you that I don’t even live here, and that I’m just visiting?” Zach rubbed the bridge of his nose, a little surprised at the turn the conversation had taken—and even more surprised that Dennis’s arguments were starting to make a bit of sense.

“Yeah, yeah, all I hear is excuses.” His friend’s tone shifted as he changed the subject. “But speaking of, when will you be returning to Rochester?”

Zach paused, knowing that his answer would only make his friend even more nosy about his nonexistent budding romance with Colette.

“I don’t know.” He finally answered, the words emerging slowly. “I’m loving it here. And I’m feeling more inspired than I have been in a year. And it’s not like I have a ton of work or a day job waiting for me back home.”

“So you’re saying your hang-ups with not living there are all in your head because you could stay indefinitely. Got it.”

“Dennis,” Zach drawled in a warning voice.

“Fine, fine,” Dennis answered with an amused chuckle. “I’ll let it drop. All jokes aside though, I’m glad you’re doing well, man. I was worried about you for a second there.”

“Me too.”

There was a quick rush of noise on the other end of the line, before Dennis’s voice came through again. It was muffled now, as if he’d placed his hand over the speaker.

“I’ll be just a second,” he said. After another pause, his voice became clearer again. “All right, I’ve gotta let you go. Justine and I are about to go for dinner, and we’ll be late.”

At the mention of Dennis’s fiancée, Zach could hear love fill his friend’s voice. He was happy for the two of them. He’d always liked Justine, and the fact that she made his friend so happy was an added bonus.

“Well, you definitely don’t wanna be late,” Zach said with a smile. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Dennis said goodbye, and they both hung up, leaving Zach still smiling as he stared out the window of the living room. Another fine layer of snow had fallen on the ground since the night before, and his mouth fell open in shock when he saw a dog sled zoom by the window, pulled by a small team of excited huskies.

He laughed as he watched them, their tongues lolling out of their mouths before they finally faded into the distance. Zach recalled the day before, when he had seen Colette with the dogs, and the way her face had lit up as she was surrounded by them.

Puppy therapy, she had called it.

As he walked across the room and grabbed a sketchbook, his hand itching to draw one of the huskies’ adorable faces, he found that he might actually understand what she’d meant.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

A gentle breeze stirred a tendril of Colette’s hair, and she reached a mittened hand up to pull her beanie down a little more snuggly over her head before wrapping her fingers around her mug of hot cider.

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