by Lori Wilde
Chapter 4
Holy cow.
That kiss sure had been something. Mind-blowing was an understatement. She reeled, confused and hoping…
For what?
Chloe shook her head. She had no idea what she’d been hoping for. Evan had run out of her mother’s house as if his hair was on fire, and Peter followed soon after. Leaving her with her mother.
Mom’s eyebrows arched to her forehead, and a knowing smile lit her lips. Chloe kissed her mother’s cheek and got out of there before she started asking her questions that Chloe didn’t want to answer.
Once she got home, she took off her coat and sank against the door, realizing one scary thing. She liked Evan Conner. She liked him a lot. Probably too much. Kissing him had only confirmed her attraction to him.
But chemistry didn’t mean a thing.
Sure, Evan seemed like a nice guy, and he definitely got her pulse racing, but that wasn’t enough to build a relationship on. Or even a romantic fantasy.
“Cool your jets, Anderson,” she muttered under her breath. “So what if he’s hot as a firecracker and can kiss like the dickens? Big deal.”
She had a life in Kringle, and he was just passing through. He’d told her enough about himself over dinner for her to realize his career meant everything to him. It seemed every member of his family was educated and successful. His brother had an MBA and worked for a large computer firm, while his sister was the CFO of a major cosmetics company.
Face it. He was out of her league.
Although her vet clinic kept her busy and made more than enough for her to live in Kringle, she knew it was small potatoes compared to what Evan and his siblings earned. If she considered the student loans that she was still paying—and would pay for many years—her income wasn’t all that much.
But it was plenty for her. Kringle made her happy. If two years at the corporate clinic in Tyler had taught her nothing else, it was that happiness was more important than money. She’d been paid well there, but there were so many clients, she couldn’t learn the names of all the patients or their pet parents. It had required her to keep each visit as short as possible and to sell additional treatments, whether pets really needed them. Many days, she’d felt like she was examining animals on a conveyor belt, and she hated it.
All that changed when her father passed away. Suddenly, appreciating each day and finding happiness had become the most important thing to her. Then, when her mother moved to Kringle a year after her father’s death, Chloe moved with her. They both adored their adoptive town as passionately as any native.
Happy to be home, she plunked down on her favorite comfy chair and picked up Snowball, her rescue dog. Snowball was part Bichon Frise, and part who-knew-what. Chloe’s best guess was a dash of Pomeranian, and a dab of Maltese as well, but whatever her heritage, Snowball was the perfect name for her.
Chloe discovered her on a cold and snowy morning, huddled in the clinic’s doorway and tied to the doorknob. Someone had left her there. It had taken a moment for Chloe to realize that the pile of white fluff in the corner was a dog and not a clump of snow, hence the name Snowball.
Snowball had been skinny, sickly, and frightened. Chloe had taken her inside and nursed her back to health. Instantly, Snowball bonded to her. She was a wonderful, loving dog who brought joy to Chloe’s life every single day. Even though she’d been living with Chloe for two years, she still was slow to warm up to strangers though, especially men. But once she decided you were okay, then your lap was hers from then on out.
Stroking the dog, Chloe told her about the date with Evan and the kiss. “What do you think? Should I just stay away from him? Or could I enjoy this feeling while it lasts, putting no expectations on an outcome?”
Snowball thumped her tail against Chloe’s thigh.
“I see. So you approve of him, do you? But what if I can’t keep things casual? What if I spend time with him, and I get my heart broken when he leaves town? What then, Snowball?”
As usual, the dog had no sage advice. She was a superb listener, but not much on offering concrete solutions.
“I know you know the right answer,” Chloe teased, patting the dog. “You just want to me to figure it out on my own.”
Because avoiding Evan completely wasn’t an option. She’d already promised to stop by the Madison house every day to check on Vixen. And she always kept her promises. But next time, she was going to look up before she went through a doorway. No more getting ambushed by mistletoe!
* * *
“What do you think?” Peter asked, his tone, as usual, a little demanding. This morning, Peter had come down to breakfast, laptop in hand, ready to decide about the party.
Evan scrolled through Kringle Kakes website filled with specialty cakes and realized he didn’t care. A cake was a cake. Although maybe kakes were different?
“Any cake is fine,” he said, returning the laptop to Peter. “You could even consider cupcakes and get a bunch of different flavors.”
“Cupcakes aren’t impressive enough.” His boss shook his head. “It has to be special.”
As had become their habit, every decision about the party turned into a debate. Peter wanted a lavish party. Trying to impress the people of Kringle with his wealth, which Evan thought was tacky. Peter had come here to make amends for taking away the livelihood of many of the residents. It seemed to Evan that the worst thing he could do now was flaunt his wealth in their faces.
Sadly, Peter didn’t see it that way. “That cake has got to make a statement. I want something that will knock everyone’s socks off.” Peter scrolled through the pictures a few more times, then landed on a picture near the end. “This one. I’ll see if they can make it look like a Christmas cake and also add a few extra layers.”
Evan didn’t have to be psychic to know which cake Peter had chosen. It would be the super gigantic wedding cake, the one that cost the most. The thing was already massive. Adding a few more layers was going to make it gargantuan. The only positive about this was that Peter’s order would bring in a nice profit for Kringle Kakes bakery.
“Okay. We’ll go there and order it in person,” Evan said. “I don’t think it’s possible to explain what you want through the website.”
Peter seemed happy with the plan.
“We’ll go over there after you do your walk on the treadmill for an hour.” Part of Evan’s job was riding herd on Peter to make sure he did his cardiac exercise regimen.
For once, Peter didn’t argue. He simply shrugged and headed off to the exercise room.
While Peter worked out, Evan went to check on Vixen and found her cuddled in the corner, nursing her babies.
Vixen looked up at him with big brown moony eyes as if she was madly in love with him and thumped her tail enthusiastically.
Evan’s heart skipped a beat, and his chest got hot, and a melting sensation slid through his veins. He couldn’t deny that the dog and her pups were growing on him.
Crouching, he reached over to scratch Vixen behind the ears.
Her tail thumped all the harder.
The puppies were so young their eyes weren’t open yet. One of the tiny babies had squirmed himself away from his mother. He raised his head and whimpered softly, his little nose twitching as he sought to find her with his sense of smell.
Evan was learning a lot about newborn puppies. They didn’t look a thing like an older puppy. They were so small and helpless. He’d avoided touching them and letting Vixen care for them.
He moved from a crouch to a seated position, landing on his bottom beside the dog bed. He watched them for a moment, studying how Vixen gently licked her babies and herded them to her side with a paw.
The doorbell rang, snapping him out of his reverie.
That had to be Chloe. She’d been stopping by every morning on her way to work and then again on her way home. He’d started looking forward to this twice daily ritual. Three days had passed since their date—and that mind-blowing kiss—but they’
d both pretended it hadn’t happened.
They were forming a friendship, but that’s all it was.
“It’s enough,” he mumbled under his breath, trying to convince himself. “It’s enough.”
He hopped up and rushed to the front door, unable to contain the big smile pushing up the sides of his mouth. He flung open the door to find Chloe standing there with a big grin of her own.
Like most days, she dressed for work in a nice blouse and slacks, covered with her lab coat. He enjoyed seeing her dressed as a vet, but a part of him missed that elf outfit. She’d looked extra cute as an elf.
Whoa, had he just thought that? Was he getting bitten by the Kringle Christmas fever?
“Hi!” She greeted him breathlessly, her cheeks pinked from the blustery weather, her soft brown hair windblown and sexily disheveled.
“Hey.” His eyes caught her gaze and held it.
“How are you this morning?”
That was something else he liked about Chloe. She didn’t just ask about Vixen and the puppies. She asked about him as well, and she seemed genuinely interested in the answer.
“I’m doing well. You?”
Her grin widened. “It would be impossible for me to be any better.”
Oh wow, he loved her wildly contagious optimism. Wished he could bottle it and take it back home with him to Dallas.
“This way,” he said, leading her down the hall to check on Vixen.
“How is the party planning going?” she asked.
Evan shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Over-the-top. You should see the cake he’s picked out. It should be impressive. But I might not stand next to it because even though I’m six feet tall, I’m pretty sure it will tower over me.”
Chloe laughed. “The last thing any of us needs is for an imposing cake to make us feel shorter.”
“True.” He chuckled, his heart feeling fizzy.
In the den, Chloe sank down on her knees beside the dog bed to examine Vixen and her puppies. “They look great. You’re doing a fabulous job. I think I’ll just come by once a day now. You’ve got this.”
His fizzy heart went flat. “You have way too much confidence in my pet care abilities.”
“And you don’t have nearly enough confidence in it.” Chloe shook her head, dusted her palms together, and got to her feet. “You’re a natural at this.”
“I feel like a fraud.”
“Then you’re doing an excellent job of faking it until you make it. Keep up the outstanding work.” She chucked him lightly on his upper arm.
It was no big deal. Barely a touch, but his nerve endings came alive, tingly and thrilling, and Evan forgot to breathe.
“Our big Christmas parade is tomorrow. Do you plan to go?”
Was she asking him out? The tingling spread over this entire body, along with a carpet of goosebumps.
“Um.”
“You haven’t lived until you’ve seen the Kringle Christmas parade. If Peter really wants to have a perfect Christmas, he needs to be there.”
Evan had heard something about the parade, but he hadn’t made plans to go. Not even with Peter. Parades really weren’t his thing. Even as a child, he hadn’t found them interesting. This weekend, he’d hoped to get some work done. But if Chloe was asking him out, did he really want to miss out on a chance to spend more time with her?
“I’ve got work to catch up on.”
“All weekend? You can’t take off for two hours to watch most of Kringle act silly?” she wheedled. “We all have a lot of fun.”
He was pretty sure she was asking him out. “Are you going?”
“I’m in the parade,” she said. “My clinic sponsors a float along with the Kringle Kritters Rescue Society.”
He couldn’t resist asking, “Will you dress as an elf?”
She laughed and nodded. “Yep. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be there as well. Plus, you can meet my staff and my friends and a few of our best behaved Kringle Kritters.”
The elf costume convinced Evan to attend. He wouldn’t miss that for the world.
“I’ll talk to Peter and see if he wants to go,” he said.
“Maybe I’ll see you there.”
Their eyes met again, and she gave him a coy smile. “I should go.”
“Will you be back tonight?”
She shook her head. “Vixen and the puppies are doing so well. I’ll drop by tomorrow morning instead.”
“I see.”
“Of course,” Chloe said, eyeing him speculatively. “I don’t know what will happen to her once the pups wean and you and Peter have left town. Vixen and the puppies need forever homes.”
Evan hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Won’t she go back to her owner?”
Chloe shook her head. “Her previous owner passed away, remember? Vixen and her puppies will go to the local rescue organization, Kringle Kritters, and hopefully…” She crossed her fingers. “Someone will adopt them. They need someone kind who loves dogs and will give them a great forever home.”
Evan hadn’t been first in his class at law school for nothing. He knew when he was being played. “I can’t adopt Vixen, Chloe, for lots of reasons. I live in a condo in Dallas. I’m always at work. I simply don’t have time for a pet.”
She didn’t even try to pretend that she hadn’t been trying to talk him into adopting Vixen or one of her puppies. “Are you sure? You’re so good with them.”
He liked Vixen. A lot. And these past few days with her puppies had convinced him that he really was a dog lover, but he wasn’t kidding about his lifestyle being wrong for a pet. His work was everything to him.
“I work constantly,” he went on, realizing he was trying to convince himself as much as her. “And travel frequently. Days off are nonexistent. My job truly is twenty-four seven.”
“You never have a day off?” She blinked, looking astounded.
“Ever. I work holidays and weekends, and until this trip with Peter, I hadn’t taken a vacation in five years. Even now, I’m only here because Peter’s health is iffy, and he needed someone to look out for him.”
“So, you’re his personal nursemaid too?”
“Looking after Peter is part of my job description. Plus, as I’ve said, I’m rarely home, which means I’d have to put Vixen in daycare all day, every day. She deserves a better life than that.”
Chloe’s unwavering gaze was a punch to the stomach. “Seems to me that you deserve a better life than that as well. Everyone needs time off to recharge their batteries.”
Her comment caught him off guard. He guessed on the surface, his life might seem less than perfect, but he was used to working long days with not much rest. Until this trip with Peter, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a day off.
“Financial success takes a lot of commitment and sacrifices,” he mumbled. Was he looking for excuses?
“I don’t believe that having financial success means trading in your free time for money. There’s more to life than work, work, work. What about family and friends and hobbies?”
Evan knew that a small-town vet probably couldn’t understand how he felt. He’d dedicated his entire life to achieving a certain level of financial freedom. His parents had pushed him throughout his life. Rewarding him when he succeeded and withholding their approval when he did not. He was proud of what he’d accomplished, even if it meant he’d given up most of his personal life.
He wasn’t quite sure how to explain it, but he tried. “Chloe, being focused on a career isn’t a bad thing.”
“It isn’t,” she said, sadness lacing her voice. “What’s a bad thing is when work takes over your life. Are you happy, Evan?”
He’d never really thought about it before, but now that she asked, the answer that immediately popped into his mind was not what he said. “Yes, sure, of course.”
“Do you ever think about what would make you happy?”
“I’m happy.” He said it too forcefully. Too intensely.
She arched her
eyebrows. “In what ways?”
“Huh?”
“In what ways are you happy?”
He didn’t know how to answer her. On paper, he should be happy. He’d accomplished everything he’d set out to do. He had a successful career. He had a lot of money. He had a nice condo. He’d achieved most of the awards given out in his field. They had featured him on the cover of D magazine.
“I can buy anything I want whenever I want it.”
“And that makes you happy?”
“It gives me freedom.”
Her smile was wistful. “Freedom to work twenty-four seven? That sounds like a prison to me.”
“I love my work.”
“Even the part that includes babysitting Peter Thomas?”
“Well…” He chuckled. “No job is perfect.”
“Where do you see yourself long term?” Chloe prodded. “All alone in a mansion sitting on an enormous pile of money like Scrooge?”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?” She canted her head. “You told me you live to work and make money. If that’s the path you’re on, it’s likely that’s where you’ll end up.”
He still didn’t see what was wrong about amassing wealth. It’s not the wealth that’s the problem, whispered a voice at the back of his head. It’s the forsaking of everything else to achieve it.
“You should think about your future in terms of more than just money.” She jammed her hands into the pocket of her lab coat. “Who will be in your life ten years from now? Twenty? Will you be like Peter? All alone?”
“No!” he said it so forcefully that Chloe took a step back. Lowering his voice, he said, “I didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so harsh.”
He knew she was right. For years he’d focused on his career to the exclusion of everything else, but now that he’d spent some time in Kringle, and with Chloe, he realized he was missing out on a lot of important things.
He’d only been here a few days, but he’d already enjoyed things he’d never even considered before. He enjoyed going for walks through Kringle and meeting the residents. He’d also come to enjoy exploring the eclectic assortment of shops on what passed for downtown Kringle.