Pawliday Love

Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

NOELLE

“ L isten, you silly strand of color changing lights, you just need to loop around the top of the shelf, behind the pothos vines, and not knock over any of my princesses. Especially the pink one or the white knight, because those two really took a long time to grow as gorgeous as they are, and I’ll cry if you take them out,” I pleaded as I tossed the strand of lights up and behind the pots on the top shelf along the wall with a huffed out breath that once again, reminded me I needed to hit the damn treadmill more often than not.

A squeal of triumph left my lips as I jumped up and down as much as I could on the ladder, because even the plug end landed exactly where I wanted it to.

“And that, Frosty,” I said to my long haired dachshund, who sat and watched me, neither nonplussed nor impressed, as I did the last minute details of decorating for the Book Boyfriends for Christmas fundraiser I’d let Indra talk me into doing. The tiny yet very convincing book dragon hadn’t had to try very hard, though. I mean, having Book Boyfriends & Lattes next to Love & Leaves was a match made in heaven. Plants, HEAs, and caffeine? Yes, please. And add in real life book boyfriends, some of which were hot hockey players that were at least fun to stare at while I wished for a Christmas Wish. I adjusted one of the Queen Marble Pothos, its long vine wrapping around the wrought iron side supports, dangling down to the floor. “Is how you grant your very own Christmas Wish. Though, if Santa left a book boyfriend in my stocking, even for one night at this point, I wouldn’t mind. I’d even share my Christmas cookies. As long as he’d eat my cookie first.” I let out a sigh, and Frosty let out a perturbed bark. Which was so unlike him, that I nearly fell off the ladder in surprise as I turned to look at him to make sure he was ok.

The ladder, steady enough before I climbed it in heels and red holiday dress holly jolly happiness, suddenly felt like it was teetering on the edge of a disaster of epic and not merry proportions. I yelped as the world blurred and shut my eyes so I could at least imagine a happy place as my life flashed before my eyes.

Then, just as suddenly, it all stopped, and I found myself suspended midair.

And when I opened my eyes, stared into a set of brown eyes that would make hot cocoa jealous. Arms cradled my body, skirt of the cute and maybe a little short, especially now that I was being suspended a few feet from the floor where I almost gloriously landed in a pile of red not so holly jolly disaster.

He was beautiful. Lips, full, with a bottom lip made for nibbling on like a damn frosted sugar cookie. Dark hair that couldn’t be called red, but the kind that probably shined in the sun but looked tousled and ready to grab as his head was buried between your thighs as you-

Holy shit. Get it together, Noelle and stop fantasizing about the handsome, sex on a stick stranger who is currently scowling at you but just saved you from an early grave and a ticket to Scrooge’s ghosts of Christmas Past brigade.

“Um, you can put me down anyti-”

“Anything hurt?” Concern laced his tone mingled with mild annoyance. I ignored the annoyance and focused on the concern.

I blinked, taken aback by the fact that I had been thinking about the perfect book boyfriend for Christmas, and here I was, in what I would qualify as the perfect gingerbread man specimen of one.

He nodded. “You twisted around pretty quick. Any tingling in your ankle, arm?”

I was keenly and wonderfully aware of his arms, under my knee and cradling my head when I realized–

NOT THINKING . I was not wishing for the perfect book boyfriend in my head, but saying it OUT LOUD. To Frosty. Because I thought I was alone. Or just with my fur baby, who, if we’re being honest, is the reason I’m in the arms of a gorgeous if not slightly Scrooge-ish looking stranger who was eyeing the Holly Jolly Happiness explosion of my beloved store like he wanted to be anywhere but here.

Then, those brown eyes were back on my face, and the Bah Humbug lessened a little. But when he arched his brows, I realized I hadn’t responded because I was too busy being humiliated in my head. Heat crept up my cheeks as I shook my head. “No, I’m fine, I think.” He set me down, carefully, like he was afraid I would break. My legs felt weak, but not from any fall or injury, but from the way he was looking at me. “Just a little humiliated,” I muttered under my breath, as Frosty came over to investigate the new stranger in our space, tail wagging in delight. “Traitor. Coal in your stocking, Frosty,” Finger pointed, I chastised as tall, dark, and Scrooge bent down to give belly rubs to him. His expression softened a little more, and it was like a present on Christmas morning. Still wrapped, but you were so excited to rip it open and find out what was under all the wrapping paper. Hope and all the possibilities yet to be explored.

“Frosty, huh?” His lips turned into a cross between a grimace and a frown mixed with a sexy smirk.

Okay, maybe the last part was more wishful thinking on my part, but a girl could dream. It was Christmas time, after all. I lifted my chin. “Yes.” I shrugged. “He’s a Christmas puppy, so…” my voice trailed off. Then I remembered I had loudly proclaimed my wish for Santa just as he must have come into my side of the store from Book Boyfriends & Lattes. “Oh, God, I have to finish getting these lights up,” I glanced at my watch, “in ten minutes!”

“Hey, it’ll be okay. I’ll help.”

“Why are you-”

“Indra sent me over for the Santa hats.” Scrooge held up a poor, mangled Santa hat as he stood.

I gasped at the sight of the fabric that had been obviously torn. Which then in my obviously very Naughty List brain translated into a book boyfriend tearing off my panties moment. Stop it, Noelle, before you say something else that has him running away in terror. “What happened to it? Did it get run over by a sleigh or used in a tug of war?”

He glowered at me, which only served to make my mouth water. I licked my lips as he answered, eyes focused on his mouth. “ I happened to it.” Frosty looked perplexed as he walked over and plugged in the lights I had been hanging when he swooped in and caught me. Metaphorically and physically. “Noelle, right?”

A nod and huffed out breath later, I took the poor hat out of his grasp and set it behind the counter where no one could see it. Heels clicked on the floor as I walked back to him, only to find him hanging the next strand on the adjoining shelf. Up on the ladder, offering up the perfect view of how the black dress pants hugged his body…and other parts. Jacket slung over the back of a chair. The tables were all set, and the caterers were supposed to be in here just before the guest who paid a pretty penny to be at the launch of the Book Boyfriends & Lattes Calendar.

Featuring…yep, book boyfriends. Many of whom were on the Montreal Triumph hockey team.

If Hot Scrooge had a hat, then he was one, and I couldn’t help but wonder what his hashtag was?

“Lights on the last two units?”

“What?”

Again, the glower. “The lights. Do you want them on the last two like the one you nearly took a nose dive while decorating?”

“Oh! Yes, please. Thank you.”

Within five minutes, he had the remaining strands in place as I plugged them in and finished the final touches on the tables.

A Christmas Miracle, indeed. Sigh, If only Santa would deliver the other wish I had. But, at least the view for the last fifteen minutes would get me through. Frosty yipped at my feet, an expectant look on his face. I scooped him up with a scratch behind his ears. “Thank you…”

“Killian.”

Swoon. Of course that was his name. I took one more glance around the room, satisfied that everything was full of holiday spirit and ready for the dinner portion of the fundraiser evening. A soft glow emanated from the strands of lights scattered around, the green of the plants and red of the bows and candles I added festive and inviting.

I sighed, and smiled. “Thank you, Killian. Let me get you those hats. The tags are on each one, but I might have to make you a new one,” I called over my shoulder. “What was your-”

“Mr. Nice Guy.” Kilian hung his head, shaking it as if he couldn’t quite believe he had said the words out loud.

“Mr. Nice Guy?” The red and green box filled with the remaining Santa hats wasn’t heavy but he took it from me and set it on the counter as I filled out a new tag and attached it to his hat. Each month of the calendar featured a different Book Boyfriend, and as a part of the launch of the joint fundraiser between the bookstore and the Triumph, the highlight of tonight’s event was an auction for a night with a featured monthly ‘book boyfriend’. Killian wore a less than thrilled expression. I hoped it was the auction and not the season that had him so…grumpy.

Again he nodded, then looked me straight in the eye, and my body felt the electricity that jumped between us. “Ironically. Looks great,” he added but I had the feeling a part of him didn’t feel the season like I did. And he definitely hadn’t felt that spark because his expression remained stoic.

“I love Christmas.”

“It shows.”

The hat and tag complete and on the counter, I snuck a peek at him from under my lashes. Something told me he was not exactly excited about being here. I breathed deeply, and asked before I lost my nerve, “Are you okay?’

The noise from the room next door filled the silence as he stuffed his hands into his pockets and eyed the tag I attached to the hat for him. I went to walk away, and murmured, “Sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“The holidays are just a little hard for me this year. Which is ridiculous because I have so much to be thankful for. My health, my career, my family. But, it just feels different this year, and I don’t know why. Last year, we almost lost my dad, and I can’t stop thinking about the way my mom wouldn’t leave his side. She stayed overnight, and slept in this big, ugly ass brown chair. Ate shitty hospital food. We had to beg her to go home and rest or at least shower. But she came right back, her hair still wet yet somehow perfect because she wanted him to see her face as soon as he woke up and know that she was there, every minute he was out. Not worried, but just ready for him to come back, be her best friend and the love of her life again. And why I just said all that to a complete stranger, I have no fucking idea.”

Frosty licked my chin and wiggled, so I set him on the floor. He immediately went over and sat on Killian’s feet. “Sometimes. It’s easier to say something to a complete stranger.”

“Killer! Hats!” A voice called from the other side of the glass garage door that divided our two retail spaces. A whirring mechanical click started as the door began to roll up. A few of the caterers came in from the backroom where they had been setting up. Suddenly we weren’t alone anymore.

“I’d better get these over there. Noah isn’t exactly known for his patience. It was nice meeting you, Noelle. Merry Christmas.”

And with that, my Christmas wish walked under the mistletoe, and out the door.