Peanut.
Her heart stuttered. Wh-what? Caleb hadn’t called her peanut since she’d returned his engagement ring and told him that at eighteen, she was simply too young to get married. The term of endearment was the last thing she expected from him, and he seemed equally surprised by his slip of the tongue. A brow-cleaving frown quickly replaced his impish grin.
“Tall order is an understatement.” Chloe chortled. “While Waldo here is a fine fella, he’s known more for his personality than his dashing good looks.”
“Luckily, hard-luck cases are my specialty.” Caleb held out his hand. “Brush?”
Ava extended the grooming tool designed for massive hair removal. For a whisper of a second, their fingers touched.
And Ava’s nerve endings lit up. Just like that Ava was back in high school, feeling giddy, giggly, and girlish. Back when the slightest touch from Caleb was enough to send tingles dancing throughout her entire body. She’d been hopelessly in love with him back then, and for a while at least, he’d been hopelessly in love with her too.
But she’d killed that love dead when she’d broken his heart.
If Caleb felt anything from the touch of their hands, he didn’t show it. Instead, he dutifully set about brushing the dog. He’d always been methodical and trustworthy, the dependable sort that you could rely on to complete a task well and on time. His plodding ways had been one of their key problems as a couple. She was a “get ’er done” type who liked to keep things moving.
She looked at the Chihuahua in Abby’s arms. This dog had short dark fur, so she didn’t need much grooming, but she was quivering all over and looked positively terrified.
Ava took the little dog from Abby and cuddled it against her chest.
“You’re going to be just fine,” she promised. Glancing over at Chloe, Ava asked, “What’s this one’s name?”
“That’s Juliet.”
Ava kissed the top of the Chihuahua’s head. “Juliet, someone great will adopt you. I just know it. Let’s take a super glamorous picture of you with bows and a Christmas doggy sweater.”
She dressed up Juliet, then took her over to where Santa and Mrs. Claus had just returned from a brief break. Zach and Suzannah were good sports to pose with the dogs, freely giving their time as she was.
“Santa, Juliet is very nervous and maybe a little cold,” Ava said, taking off the red-and-white-striped candy cane hat she’d been wearing, and with Suzannah’s help, posed Juliet in Zach’s lap so it looked as if the dog was popping out of the hat like a perfect Christmas surprise.
“Hold that pose.” Ava scurried to her camera and snapped a round of shots.
A peek through the viewing pane showed her just how adorable Juliet looked. There was a splendid home in Juliet’s future; Ava could feel it.
“Hey!” Abby said. “I just had a terrific idea. What if Kringle Kritters Rescue threw a big adoption party so that the pets could have new homes for the holiday?”
Dr. Chloe made a face. “I hate to toss water on your suggestion, sweet pea, but pushing pet adoption for Christmas can lead to impulsive adoption and that worries me. People who adopt need to prepare for a long commitment.”
“We could set parameters in place to reduce spur-of-the-moment adoptions.” Ava snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it. We could have a foster-to-adopt program so that people can be sure it’s the right move for them before fully committing. Would that ease some of your concerns?”
Chloe nodded. “You might be onto something.”
“Let’s do it,” Ava said, gung-ho to get started and find these sweet pets a forever home.
“Do you think your parents would be up for it on short notice?” Chloe asked.
That question gave her pause. While her mother’s note said Dad’s trip to the specialist was not a big deal, what if there was something wrong? Uneasy, she bit her bottom lip. “I’m home for the holidays. I could run the event with a little help from you guys.”
“Ooh, ooh.” Abby clapped her hands and jumped up and down. You could call it Home for the Holidays!”
“I like the way you think,” Ava told the ten-year-old. “We could post the pictures we just took on the Kringle Kritters’ website and write cute stories about each of the dogs. We could make individual posters for them all and put them in the stores and shops around town.”
“That’s a lot of work in a short amount of time,” Caleb mumbled. “Are you sure you’re up for it?”
Ava swung around to meet his intense gaze. He’d been so quiet that she’d almost forgotten he was there. “I am.”
He snorted.
“What’s that sound about?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s something or you wouldn’t have done it. What’s on your mind, Sutton?”
“It’s just that you have a tendency to get caught in the moment's excitement, but when the going gets tough…” He trailed off and shook his head.
Ouch. That comment stung, but she understood how he might see things that way.
“I’ve got this.” To prove it, Ava rolled up her sleeve and flexed her bicep like Wonder Woman. The event could be a tremendous hit, and with her parents’ shelter almost at capacity, it would be nice to find homes for some of the rescues.
“I wanna help!” Abby said.
“Count me in.” Chloe gave a thumbs-up.
Ava turned to look at the laconic cowboy brushing Waldo into a fine furry fellow. “Caleb? You in?”
He glanced up from where he’d crouched beside the stray. He had the most amazing eyes and Ava felt her heart flip into her throat.
Caleb’s eyes were pale gray and paired with his coal-black hair, it was a devastating combo. He really was the poster boy for tall, dark, and handsome fantasy man. And even ten years later, she still wasn’t immune.
She didn’t know if she would ever be.
“Yeah, I’ll help,” he said, but his tone was flat. Perfunctory.
He was going to help because he was a good person. He would help because he felt it was the right thing to do, and Caleb Sutton always tried to do the right thing. Even if he didn’t want to. Even if he’d rather do anything else. Caleb was that kind of guy. He’d help because he was dependable.
She could work with that.
“Cool,” she said, taking Waldo’s leash and walking him over to have his picture taken with Santa. On the way, she shot one last parting glance at Caleb.
He was frowning, which oddly made him look even more attractive, and picking up the balls of loose dog hair he’d brushed off Waldo.
Yep, she definitely could work with dependable. It might take some time—and some concerted effort—but she would get Caleb to forgive her.
After ten years of trotting the globe, she realized the most important thing in the world was goodwill and good people.
And despite their differences, Caleb was one of the best she’d ever met.
Chapter 2
Would this day never end?
Once Caleb finished helping at the animal clinic, he drove the dogs back to Kringle Kritters Rescue. The only bright spot? He’d left Ava—and the complicated feelings she’d stirred in him—in his rearview mirror.