Guilt niggles at me. “You replaced your phone?”
“Yes, this morning, after Mabel and I had a walk.”
She checks the time. “I’m running late. I don’t usually sit down to a nice breakfast before rushing off to work.” She stands and takes her dish to the sink.
“Go down.” I give her a wink. “Although you might want to stall for a bit to drive the point home to Patrick that we celebrated last night in a big way.”
She blushes. “I don’t think that’s necessary.” She starts to do the dishes and I step up to her, put my hands on her hips and move her aside.
“I got this and afterward, Miss Mabel and I are going to do some training, aren’t we Mabel?” Her tail wags so hard, it thumps on the leg of the table.
“She really likes you.”
“What’s not to like?” I tease.
Without a pause, she says, “I could make a list, but I don’t want to be late for work.” She goes quiet, thoughtful, then adds, “I heard you had that effect on girls, and little Miss Mabel here is not immune to the sweet talker.”
“I’m the sweet talker and you’re the sweet maker. What a team, huh? Also, how do you know that about me? Creeping my Instagram?” Yeah, okay, I creeped hers, but didn’t find anything personal, which is a bit weird. She mostly puts pictures up of her business.
She gives a quick shake of her head. “No, Kayley filled me in, and honestly, Brody, I don’t care if you sleep around. I’m not judging you. I’m just not into that.”
“I know. I’m not looking for that from you, remember?”
She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Yeah, I remember.”
Okay, if she’s so happy about that, why the heck is her brow furrowed, a deep disappointment swimming in her big brown eyes, like I just kicked her pup or something? Does she want me to want sex from her, even though she keeps driving home the point that she’s not sleeping with me?
“Maybe that’s a tiny lie,” I say, gauging her reaction. “You’re a beautiful woman, Josie and I’d sleep with you if you twisted my arm…or even my finger, maybe even a hair on my finger.”
A smile lights up her face, but she quickly hides it. “You have hair on your fingers?”
I laugh and look at my hands. “I think I do. Don’t you?”
She laughs hard and I love this lightness about her. “Don’t worry. I’m not about to twist anything.”
Goddammit, now there are things I really want to twist.
“I never said I was worried. Wait, what was that you said about a list?” She laughs, and I love her quick wit. “You’re kind of a smart ass too, aren’t you?”
“I think you’re rubbing off on me.” Her eyes open wide, and I can’t help but think the word rubbing is messing with her, in much the same way it’s messing with me. “I mean…”
“I know what you mean, now go. I have plans for us later, so don’t work too late.”
She hesitates for a moment, and I sense she wants to tell me something but instead she bends to pet Mabel.
“You be a good girl.”
Two minutes later, I’m alone with sweet Mabel, and I refill her water bowl and wash up the dishes. “Okay girl, you ready to go play?”
She jumps up and I tug on my coat and ballcap and leash her. A few minutes l
ater, we’re walking through town, and I check out all the stores as tourists who are here for a skiing holiday fill the streets. Miss Mabel is a big old chick magnet and we’re stopped a hundred times before we can make it to the park. Everyone wants to pet the pup, and even with my ballcap pulled low, most people recognize me, which means a ton of selfies. Not that I mind. What I do mind, however, is all the numbers that are slipped into my pocket. I’m not sure why that’s suddenly bothering me when it never has in the past.
I finally get Mabel to the park, and we spend the next hour or so working on commands, especially call back, sit, stay and heel. She’s going to need to learn to walk properly before she’s full grown, otherwise she’s going to drag Josie down the street on her rear end. I smile, not at the image of Josie getting dragged by her dog, but because I like thinking of her. I liked seeing her smile this morning, and while her past is her past, I can’t help but want to know more about her. What really brought her here, why does she hate surprises and what’s the real reason behind not putting up a tree in a town that takes Christmas to the extreme? If she hated the holiday so much, surely she wouldn’t have move to a town with the name holiday in it, right?
I walk Mabel home and hurry downstairs. I’m anxious to see Josie, not just because I want to tell her about Mabel’s progress, but…dammit, I just want to see her. I find her in the back, dressed in her jeans and a dark T-shirt, covered by a black apron that dips below her knees. Her hair is pulled back and tucked inside a net, and it’s ridiculous how cute she looks. I grin as I walk toward her, not wanting to disturb her deep concentration, but I am curious about that strange tug on my chest as I close the distance. She smiles when I approach, and the way it lights up her face pulls at me. It’s all I can do to remember we’re only friends. If we weren’t, I’d drag her into my arms, and this time, kiss her on the mouth.
I touch her cheek, brush the chocolate away, and bring it to my mouth for a taste, although I really wish I hadn’t. That sweet taste teases of something more, something I can’t have.