Chapter 9
Chapter Nine
Gayle told herself that coming to the Christmas market on Saturday afternoon was research.
She was scouting out the space to see how the vendors were set up, and to get a sense of the crowd flow. It had nothing to do with the fact that Corey had mentioned the market last week. It had nothing to do with wanting to see him, or the puppy, or to take back how she’d reacted to his invitation.
The market was in full swing. Vendors lined the perimeter of the park, selling handmade crafts, wreaths, baked goods, and holiday decorations.
The large Christmas tree in the center glowed with thousands of white lights, and Christmas music played from speakers scattered throughout the space.
Families wandered between booths, hot chocolate in hand, the air filled with the scent of cinnamon and evergreen.
It was festive and beautiful. Exactly the kind of warm, community-focused event that made Gayle's chest tight because it represented everything she kept herself apart from.
She was making notes on her phone about booth placement when she heard the distinctive sound of a puppy's excited bark.
Gayle's head snapped up.
There, near the wooden toy ornament stand, was Corey. He was holding Presti, who was wiggling with enthusiasm at all the new sights and smells. Corey was laughing at something the vendor was saying, his whole face transformed by the smile..
Gayle knew she should turn around and pretend she hadn't seen him. The smart move was to go back to her shelter business and maintain the boundaries she'd worked so hard to establish.
Instead, she found herself walking toward him.
"Hi," she said, and then wanted to kick herself because that was the worst possible opener.
Corey's face lit up. "Gayle. Hi. I didn't expect to see you here."
"I'm doing some planning for the volunteer fair," she said, the words coming out stiff and formal. "The shelter wants to have a booth."
"That's great." Corey adjusted Presti in his arms, and the puppy immediately tried to climb toward Gayle, tail wagging frantically. "He's been excited about the market. Wanted to come check it out."
"He looks like he’s having a good time," Gayle said, and the words came out softer than she intended.
"He is." Corey's gaze lingered on her face. "We both are. Mostly."
Something unspoken hung in the air between them.
"Can I—" Gayle stopped, then started again. "Would you mind if I walked around with you for a bit? I could use some input on the booth setup."
Relief flooded Corey's face. "I'd like that."
They started walking through the market, Corey pointing out which booths seemed to have the best traffic flow, Gayle taking notes and trying not to be aware of how close he was walking to her.
Presti was a perfect ambassador. People stopped them constantly to admire the puppy, and Corey handled each exchange with genuine warmth, letting children pet Presti gently, answering questions about his breed, smiling at elderly folks who reminisced about dogs they'd owned.
"He's wonderful with people," Gayle said as they moved away from one particularly enthusiastic family.
"He's easy to be wonderful with," Corey replied, scratching behind Presti's ears. "He brings out the best in people. Or maybe he just shows you who they already are."
They continued walking, and after they'd made a full loop of the market, Corey stopped near a quieter area, away from the main crowd.
"I'm sorry," Gayle said suddenly.
Corey turned to look at her, surprise flickering across his face.
"For refusing your invitation," Gayle continued, the words tumbling out before she could stop them. "And for being harsh about it."
"Gayle—" Corey started, but she held up a hand.
"Let me finish." She took a breath. "I've spent a lot of time protecting myself from getting hurt. I’m not good at trusting people. And I think I was using Presti as an excuse to keep you at a distance because being around you scares me. And that wasn't fair to you."
Corey was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "I'm not going to hurt you."
"You might," Gayle said, and the honesty of it surprised them both. "People do. Even when they don't mean to."
"They do," Corey agreed. “But keeping people out is already hurting you, isn’t it?”
Gayle didn't have an answer to that. She looked at Presti, who was contentedly watching the crowd, completely oblivious to the emotional weight of the conversation happening around him.
"I've been thinking about what you said the other day," Corey continued quietly. "And I still think it’s a good idea to hang out, because I like you. And I think you might like being around me too, if you'd let yourself."
Gayle felt tears prick the back of her eyes and blinked them away. "This is complicated."
"It is," Corey agreed. "But nothing good is simple, right?"
She thought about the shelter. About how difficult it was to care for so many animals with so few resources. About how that difficulty was also what made it meaningful.
"Okay," she said finally. "Let’s get hot chocolate. Under one condition."
Corey's whole face lit up with a smile that made Gayle's breath catch. "What’s that?"
"We’re getting Presti a pup cup. He’ll love it.” She found herself grinning at the expression on the man’s face.
They walked over to the hot chocolate stand together, and Corey ordered. The vendor smiled knowingly as Corey paid, and Gayle realized people at the market probably assumed they were a couple.
She didn't correct them.
When Corey handed her the steaming cup, their fingers brushed, and Gayle felt that spark of connection that had been building between them since the day he'd caught Presti at the school.
"And one pup cup," the vendor said, handing Corey a small cup full of unsweetened whipped cream.
They found a bench near the Christmas tree, and Gayle sat down, cradling her hot chocolate. The warmth felt good in her cold hands. The sweetness tasted like comfort.
Corey set the puppy cup on the ground, and Presti immediately went to work, his little tongue flicking out to catch the whipped cream.
"Careful, buddy," Corey said, watching to make sure he didn't eat too fast. "That's all you get."
They sat in companionable silence, watching Presti enjoy his treat and the Christmas market unfold around them.