Chapter Four
Had they done the right thing?
Colin had been surprised when he showed up at Purr ’n Woof Supplies and found Merry with Tater Tot.
When Merry said she couldn’t take him home because of her husband’s allergies, Colin thought she was going to ask him to take the dog.
As it was, he had three dogs and one cat in the house, plus the goat and pig in his backyard barn.
He truly did worry about alienating Merry’s husband, the mayor.
Colin couldn’t afford to let that happen.
He was happy living in town, close to the clinic.
But on a practical side, he couldn’t afford to sell his house and buy a farm out in the country.
He definitely didn’t have time to run the animal clinic and take care of a farm. No way.
But when Merry mentioned Holly, his ears had perked up.
Growing up, she had been the girl-next-door.
When she was little, she was an annoying shadow, but as she’d matured into a beautiful teenager, his feelings toward her had warmed up.
But she was three years his junior, and when you were young, those three years made a big difference, so he kept her at arm’s length.
Now, Holly was all grown up, and even though he didn’t think it was possible, she grew more beautiful every day. And it wasn’t the makeup, because she hardly wore any. It was just her goodness that started on the inside and glowed outward in her smile and the twinkle in her blue-gray eyes.
He couldn’t believe all of the puppy things he’d loaded into his pickup.
Merry had gone overboard, but he wasn’t saying a word.
He knew if Holly backed out of taking care of the puppy, it would fall on his shoulders.
Everyone in Kringle Falls knew he had a soft spot in his heart for animals.
The sadder their story, the more he opened up his heart.
But he knew Holly—well, he used to know Holly—and she had a big heart too. He thought about how he’d failed to renew their friendship in the last two years since he’d moved home. It weighed on him. That was why he decided he’d help her to feel confident in her ability to care for Tater Tot.
After loading the remainder of the puppy supplies into the pickup, he closed the door and headed back into the back of the pet shop. When he stepped into the office, he found Holly sitting at the desk petting the puppy. It looked like this transition was going to go smoothly.
“Everything is loaded.” He approached Holly. “Are you ready to go?”
She got to her feet and looked at Merry. “You’ll let me know as soon as you find a home for the puppy?”
Merry nodded. “I will.”
Holly wrapped her fingers around Tater Tot and picked him up. The pup’s tail wagged as she snuggled him against her chest. Colin wondered if that puppy was already home in Holly’s arms.
He was usually good at making light conversation, but as he escorted Holly to his pickup, he found himself struggling to think of anything to talk about.
As they stepped outside, he said the first thing that came to mind. “Looks like snow.”
He inwardly groaned. Really? That was the best he could come up with?
And so, as he helped her with the dog to get into the pickup, they talked about the weather. The weather. Seriously? He was better than this.
When he pulled out of the alley, he automatically turned right.
“Hey,” Holly said, “you turned the wrong direction. I live above the soap company.”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. It’s an old habit.” He slowed the pickup to a stop at the next intersection. What was going on with him? He put on his turn signal.
Until recently, Holly had lived in her grandmother’s house next door to his parents’ place. After her grandmother died, the house had been sold. His parents were unhappy to see Holly move.
He honestly hadn’t even known there was an apartment above the soap company. He never knew of anyone living up there. He couldn’t help but wonder what condition it was in after being vacant for countless years.
A couple of minutes later, he pulled to a stop in front of the soap company. He looked at the showroom window and smiled. “I like your display. It’s very festive.”
“Thanks.” Her voice was hesitant. “It’s the first time I did it on my own.”
He could hear the pain in her voice. He reached over and squeezed her forearm. “I’m so sorry about your grandmother. Every time I visit my parents, I glance over at your grandmother’s house and expect to see her rocking on the front porch.”
“The new family… They have young children. They’ll, um…make the house a home.”
His hand was still resting on her arm. “I’m sorry you had to move.”
She didn’t look at him as she shrugged. “It was time.”
She adjusted the puppy in her arms. When she moved, his hand fell away. He wondered if that had been the intent of her movement.
He turned off the engine and got out. He made his way around to her door. A glance in the window let him know that Holly was struggling to hold the puppy, keep her hand on the leash, and release her seatbelt.
He took his time opening the door so as not to let the puppy escape. However, Tater Tot didn’t seem to want to go anywhere. He seemed quite content on Holly’s lap. Colin couldn’t blame the pooch. Holly was pretty great.
When he had the door open, he asked, “Do you want me to take him for you?”
“Uh, yes. Thank you.” When she handed Tater Tot to him, she paused to unwrap the red leash from her hand.
He had nothing to worry about. From the marks on her hand, she had a very firm hold on him. It was sweet the way she worried about the puppy. Merry had been right about having Holly care for the puppy.
With Tater Tot in his arms, Colin stepped back.
When she stepped out of the pickup, her foot hit the sidewalk.
One moment she was standing next to him, and the next moment, she was falling.
With lightning speed, he reached out to her.
His free arm wrapped around her waist and drew her to him.
She landed against his side with an ompf!
He turned his head in her direction. When she tilted her head upward, he realized just how close she was. If he were to lower his head, their lips would meet. He wondered if her kisses were as sweet as he was imagining.
At the last second, he realized his head had moved ever so slightly toward her. Whoa! What was he doing? He stopped and turned toward the squirming puppy. Hopefully, Holly hadn’t noticed that he’d momentarily lost hold of his faculties.
She straightened. “So sorry about that.”
He swallowed hard. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” She reached into her purse. “I’ll unlock the door.”
He followed her to the single door next to the soap shop. She had to stab at the lock a couple of times before she got the key in and opened the door. She stepped inside and flicked on a light.
She pulled the door wide open. “Here. I can take him.”
“That’s okay,” Colin said. “I’ve got him.”
She hesitated, as though she weren’t sure what to say. The longer she stood motionless, the more he got the impression she didn’t want him to see where she lived. Why would that be?
Maybe he was reading too much into the situation. Perhaps she’d gotten shaken up when she almost fell on the ice.
Holly turned and headed up the stairs. At the top was a door. She opened it and stepped inside. He followed her. He wasn’t sure what he expected to find, but it wasn’t a wall of cardboard boxes.
He took a couple more steps between boxes. He couldn’t tell if she was still unpacking or if she’d changed her mind and was moving out.
Once he stepped past all of the boxes, he entered the kitchen.
It was like he’d gone back in time. The clash of colors was the first thing he noticed.
There was faded yellow-gold wallpaper on the walls.
The cabinets were mint green with no backsplash and a scarred butcherblock countertop.
The white laminate table with chrome legs was paired with red vinyl chairs.
And if that weren’t enough, the floor was done in black and white tile. It had cracks here and there along with a lifetime of scuffs. This kitchen had seen a lot of life but not recently.
Drip...
Drip…
Drip…
His head turned toward the white porcelain sink, and he noticed the faucet was leaking. The yellow-green refrigerator, with a big dent in the bottom door, turned on. The compressor made a loud rumbling sound. It didn’t sound like it had much life left in it.
Oh boy! He had no idea this was how Holly was living. When he caught her gaze, she frowned at him.
He opened his mouth to say, well, he wasn’t sure what to say, but before he said anything, Holly held up her palm. “Don’t.”
“What?” He was confused. He hadn’t done anything.
“Don’t tell me how sorry you are or whatever it is you were going to say.” She leveled her shoulders and tilted her chin upward ever so slightly. “I don’t need your sympathy.”
“That wasn’t what I was going to say.”
She arched a disbelieving brow. “You weren’t?”
He shook his head. “I was going to say that I’m in the process of renovating my house.”
“You are?”
He nodded. “The place is ancient, and the owners before me didn’t do a whole lot of work on the place.”
“Oh.” She blinked, as though she were computing his words. “Why did you buy it?”
“Because it comes with a double lot, and that is hard to find in Kringle Falls.”
“Oh.” And then she looked guilty. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I guess I’m just a little self-conscious about the place. I’m saving up to hire some contractors.”
He nodded. “Let me know if you need any recommendations.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The puppy was squirming in his arms. “Where do you want me to put him?”
“Uh.” She glanced around. “Anywhere. I guess.”
He hesitated. “You might want to keep him contained for a while. You know, until he gets acclimated to your place, and you’re sure that he’s housebroken.”
Her eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. I tried to tell you and Merry that this wasn’t a good idea.”