A Miracle for the Flirtatious K-9 Handler (Love in Sweet Bloom #10)

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Emily stared at the slight slip of paper in her hand, her heart pounding. Paul’s name was written in Laura’s delicate script, and she couldn’t believe her luck—or misfortune—in the Secret Santa draw at work. She knew it would be a challenge to find a gift for him, especially since she didn’t want to accidentally reveal any deeper feelings she might have. She wasn’t even sure how to process it herself, so the last thing she wanted was for her feelings to become apparent to Paul, let alone all her co-workers.

“Hey, Emily, what’s the matter? You look like you just saw a ghost,” Cora said, approaching her with a concerned expression on her face.

“Or maybe a hot guy,” Natalie chimed in with a grin, glancing around the coffee shop as she took a seat at the table with Cora right behind her.

“Very funny,” Emily replied, rolling her eyes. “I drew Paul for our office Secret Santa, and I have no idea what I’m going to get him. I’ve been looking all over the internet, but everything seems too personal or too thoughtless.”

“Ooh, that’s tricky,” Cora agreed, nodding sympathetically. “But also a great opportunity to show him how funny you can be.”

“Exactly. Everyone loves a gift that makes them laugh,” Natalie agreed. “And we’re going to help you find the perfect one to do just that.”

“Really?” Emily asked, relieved. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”

“Of course,” Cora answered. “What are best friends for?”

The three women made their way to the mall, determined to find something that would make Paul laugh but also show how much thought Emily had put into it. They wandered from store to store, considering various options and discussing potential gifts.

“Hey, what about this?” Natalie suggested, holding up a book titled ‘How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse with Your Partner.’ “It’s hilarious but also kind of relevant to his job, right? We could add K-9 above partner to make it even funnier.”

“True,” Emily mused, flipping through its pages. “I think he’d appreciate the humor, and it’s not too personal.”

“Perfect,” Cora agreed. “Now, let’s find something for Maddox, too.”

After a bit more searching, they found a durable chew toy shaped like a miniature police car. Emily thought it was adorable and knew Maddox would love it.

“All right, let’s get these wrapped,” Natalie said, leading the way to the gift-wrapping station.

As they waited in line, Emily couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and anxiety. She prayed silently that Paul would like his gift and that he would know how much thought she put into it.

Just as Emily handed over the gifts to the wrapping attendant, her heart nearly stopped—the unmistakable brown hair and trim figure of Paul entered the mall, Maddox trotting faithfully by his side, all thoughts of gift-wrapping vanished as panic set in. How could she explain these gifts without revealing they were for him and Maddox?

“Emily, you okay?” Natalie’s voice broke through her hurried thoughts.

“Yeah, I just—look over there,” she whispered urgently, nodding subtly toward Paul, who seemed preoccupied looking at a store display.

Cora followed her gaze and grinned mischievously. “Time for Operation Distract and Evade. Let’s keep it cool.”

Paul glanced their way, his face lighting up with a surprised smile. “Hey, Emily. Fancy running into you here.” He approached, Maddox’s tail wagging in friendly recognition.

“Hey, Paul,” Emily stammered, then quickly added, “We’re just doing some...er...early holiday shopping for the church’s charity event.”

Natalie chimed in, “Yeah, gotta get these things wrapped so we can get out of here and get to dinner.” She shot Emily a supportive glance.

“Charity event? That sounds great.” Paul’s genuine interest brought a warm but nervous smile to Emily’s face. “Anything specific I can help with?”

Cora, who had been quiet so far, jumped in smoothly. “Actually, we’ve got it under control. But thanks. It’s mainly about gathering some fun and useful items together—nothing too crazy.”

“Yeah,” Cora added with an ease that amazed Emily. “Just trying to make it special, you know?”

Paul nodded approvingly. “That’s really thoughtful of all of you. If you need anything, though, just let me know.”

“Will do,” Emily told him with a wide grin.

The tension eased, and before she knew it, Paul was moving on with Maddox to explore other parts of the mall after a few more pleasantries.

Emily let out a deep breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “That was close,” she murmured to her friends, who were all smiles now.

“Don’t worry,” Natalie reassured her, putting an arm around her shoulder. “We got your back.”

The wrapping attendant called them next, bringing them back to the task at hand but with lighter spirits. As the group watched Emily’s selected gifts being swathed in shiny paper and ribbons, they exchanged looks of relief mixed with excitement about both keeping the secret safe and imagining the look on Paul’s face when he eventually opened them—a moment they all knew would be worth every bit of today’s drama.

The next afternoon, Emily stood in the corner of the conference room, clutching Paul and Maddox’s gift nervously. The Sweet Bloom Sheriff Department had transformed their mundane meeting space into a festive wonderland for the Christmas party. Strings of twinkling lights danced along the walls, and a small artificial tree stood on one of the tables, proudly displaying Secret Santa gifts beneath its boughs. She gingerly placed her own gifts underneath with the rest.

“Hey, Emily,” Shay called out, waving her over to join the trio of dispatchers gathered around the punch bowl. “Who’d you get?”

“You’ll just have to wait and see,” she told the group.

“Come on, it’s time to exchange gifts,” Deputy Horton called in an eager voice as he entered the room.

Emily took a deep breath as everyone filed into the room. “I hope they like these,” she thought, trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach.

“All right, let’s get this started,” Sheriff Hart announced, picking up a gift from under the tree and reading the tag. “This one is for...Paul, from his Secret Santa.”

Emily’s pulse quickened as their boss handed Paul the wrapped present. In short order, he tore off the wrapping paper. As soon as he saw the book, he burst out laughing. “This is great. ‘How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse with Your Partner,’ but K-9 is added right above Partner. I’ll definitely have to give this a read.” Looking around the room, he asked, “Who thought of this?”

Emily wanted to take credit, but paused, wondering if she should just let it go. Before she could make a decision, Laura stepped forward, saying, “I’m glad you like it.”

What on earth? Why was Laura acting like the gift was from her? Emily tried to hide her anger as the gifts continued to be given out, and Laura cozied up to Paul. She tried to ignore it while the rest of the gift exchange went on.

“All right, next up,” Deputy Horton continued, picking another gift from the tree. “This one is for...Sheriff Hart.”

The rest of the gift exchange went smoothly, filled with laughter and good-natured teasing as each person unwrapped their present. The atmosphere was light and festive, and Emily genuinely enjoyed her coworkers. Well, other than Laura, who couldn’t stop flirting with Paul after taking credit for her gift.

“Merry early Christmas, Paul,” she said, forcing a smile.

“Merry early Christmas to you too, Emily,” he replied with a lopsided grin.

“Here, this is for Maddox,” Emily said, handing Paul another gift that she had pulled from her purse. He quickly unwrapped it and handed the chew toy to the German shepherd. Maddox eagerly snatched it from his hand and wagged his tail vigorously, clearly delighted with his new plaything. “That’s really thoughtful of you.”

Emily patted the canine on the head. “Well, I didn’t want him to be left out.”

“By the way, I wanted to thank you for my gift,” he told her with a smile.

“You knew it was from me?”

He nodded. “I recognized your handwriting from some of your notes on the search and rescue cases.”

Emily blushed a little. “Oh, really? I...well, I’m glad you liked it.”

“Yeah, it was perfect,” Paul said warmly, his eyes crinkling with genuine amusement. “Really shows you know what this newbie and his partner would enjoy.”

“I just thought it would be fun,” she admitted, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Looks like Maddox is enjoying his toy.”

Paul chuckled as they both watched Maddox happily gnawing on his new chew toy. “Yeah, he seems to think Christmas came early.”

Emily’s cheeks tinged with pink as she watched Maddox, feeling an unexpected swell of happiness at Paul’s appreciation. She was about to make another light-hearted comment when Laura’s voice cut through the pleasant moment.

“Isn’t Maddox just the luckiest dog?” Laura cooed, stepping closer with a too-wide smile, her tone dripping with saccharine sweetness as she glanced between Paul and Emily.

Emily forced a smile, nodding. “Yes, he’s definitely spoiled today.”

Laura laughed, a hint of insincerity underlying her tone. “Well, we all know who spoils him the most, don’t we?” Her eyes flickered briefly to Paul before returning to Emily. “Anyway, I better get back to work. Those files won’t organize themselves.” With another pointed look at Emily, she sauntered off toward her office.

Feeling suddenly irritated and needing space, Emily turned to leave. “I will talk to you later, Paul.”

“Are you okay?” Paul asked with concern in his voice as he reached out to stop her.

She nodded. “I’m fine. Just need to use the restroom before getting back to work,” she excused as she gently pulled away and hurried out.

Once inside the cool solitude of the restroom, Emily allowed her facade to slip for a moment, leaning against the tiled wall with a deep sigh. She knew she shouldn’t let Laura get under her skin, but the way she behaved with Paul got to her in a way she couldn’t explain.

The sound of running water startled her out of her thoughts. Laura had just arrived at the sink, meticulously washing her hands and checking her reflection in the mirror.

Taking a deep breath, Emily faced her. “Laura, can we talk about earlier? About the gift for Paul?”

Laura turned off the tap and dried her hands on a paper towel, eyebrows lifting questioningly. “What about it?”

“The gift was from me,” Emily said calmly but firmly. “It wasn’t right for you to pass it off as if you were the one to get it for him.”

Laura tossed the used towel in the bin and faced Emily with a smirk. “Oh, come on,” she scoffed lightly. “It’s just a secret Santa gift, Emily. You’re being overly sensitive.”

“I don’t think I am,” Emily countered, feeling her pulse quicken slightly. “It’s not about being sensitive. It’s about honesty and...”

“And what?” Laura interrupted with an impatient sigh. “Look, everyone appreciated what you did—putting the party together, but it doesn’t mean you get to run around like you own the place.”

“That’s not true,” Emily responded sharply. She took a steadying breath, striving to keep her voice even. “Please don’t do that again. Just...stay out of my interactions with Paul.”

Laura rolled her eyes dramatically but then leaned in closer as if sharing a secret. “Honey, if you think there’s something more than friendly chatter between you and our new K-9 handler,” she hissed softly, “then you’re fooling yourself. Maybe it’s time you stopped meddling and let those who can handle things take charge.”

Her words stung more than Emily cared to admit. Clenching her jaw tightly for a moment, she straightened up and met Laura’s gaze head-on without faltering.

“Laura,” her voice was steady despite the churn of emotions inside her, “you need to back off and stop making a fool of yourself by throwing yourself at Paul.”

There was a tense silence as their eyes locked in a quiet battle of wills.

Finally breaking eye contact, Laura huffed dismissively and pushed past Emily toward the door. “Whatever,” she muttered under her breath as she glided out of the restroom.

Emily stood rigid, her heart hammering in her chest as the restroom door clicked shut behind Laura. Her cheeks burned with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, the air around her stiff with the residue of their confrontation. Every sharp word Laura had dropped echoed in her mind, rattling her composure. She leaned back against the cool tile wall, trying to regain her bearings.

“Why does she have to be so difficult?” Emily muttered to herself, squeezing her eyes shut. She felt a headache brewing as the stress knotted tighter within her.

Taking deep breaths, Emily counted slowly to ten, trying to dissipate the boiling frustration. But it clung stubbornly, clouding her thoughts and tightening her chest. This wasn’t just about today; it was the accumulation of countless snide comments and undermining jabs from Laura. She hid it well around the sheriff, but when he wasn’t present, she was a different person.

In a moment of weakness, her eyes watered slightly. Glancing up at the flickering fluorescent lights, she wiped away a solitary tear that dared escape. She wasn’t going to let Laura see how much she had gotten to her.

“I need help,” she whispered, pushing off from the wall and moving to the privacy of a stall. Locking the door behind her, Emily finally allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. She folded her hands together tightly, bowing her head.

“Dear God,” she began softly, trembling slightly as she sought the right words. “Please give me strength. Help me not to be overcome by anger or hurt. Guide me in kindness and patience. I trust You to handle what I cannot.”

The quiet intimacy of prayer brought a wave of calm over Emily. Slowly but surely, her racing heart calmed, and the tightness in her chest loosened. She felt reassured, grounded once more in faith rather than swayed by fleeting emotions.

After a few moments basking in serene silence, Emily stood up straighter within the confines of the stall. She could handle this; she was not alone.

Emerging from the stall, she splashed cold water on her face at the sink, watching as droplets cascaded down and splattered against porcelain. The coolness was refreshing and bracing—a physical splash back to reality.

Checking herself in the mirror—her green eyes clearer now, resolute—she smoothed back a stray strand of brown hair and adjusted her blouse. With one last calming breath, Emily stepped out of the restroom.

Just as she arrived back at her desk, the phone rang, cutting through the merriment like a knife. Emily’s heart sank, knowing it could only mean one thing—an urgent call for service. “Sorry, everyone,” she said, rushing to answer the phone. “Duty calls.”

As Emily listened to the frantic voice on the other end, she felt a familiar wave of trepidation wash over her. “Okay, team, listen up,” Emily’s voice rang out over the chatter in the room as she pulled her headset on. Her green eyes were focused and determined, the merriment of the party quickly replaced with professional resolve. “We’ve got a sinkhole at a nearby factory. Several people are unaccounted for. We need to move fast.”

“Roger that,” Paul responded over his radio, immediately shifting into action mode. Maddox, sensing his partner’s urgency, whined softly and pawed at the K-9 vest waiting by the door. “Emily, we’ll need the exact location and any additional information you can get about the factory layout or possible hazards,” Paul added.

“Sure thing,” she told him, already on the phone with the factory representative.

“Paul, be safe out there,” Emily said quietly over the radio.

“Always,” Paul replied. “See you when I get back.”