Here Comes Santa Paws (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

11. Elias

Chapter 11

Elias

“Wow. That’s actually pretty impressive.” Roman stood with his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watched Murphy wield the chainsaw with ease.

We stood among a rapt crowd in the ballroom at the Christmas Falls Festival Museum. The loud growl of the chainsaw drowned out the din of the Arts and Crafts Fair around us.

A twinge of jealousy niggled in my gut as Roman openly gaped at Murphy. Can I get any more ridiculous? We hugged. Once . And okay, I’d claim it as an almost kiss. He could gawk at Murphy all he wanted. Anyway, Murphy had reconnected with his childhood best friend and the love of his life last year and was a happily committed man the last I’d heard. So why did I want to jump on the stage, rip the chainsaw from his hands, and try it myself to get Roman to watch me that way?

Chill out.

“It is.”

Roman turned toward me, sporting a shit-eating grin.

“What?”

His grin widened.

“ What? ”

Maybe I hadn’t been as subtle as I thought. When Roman turned back to the demonstration, I found myself grinning too.

When the demonstration ended, I turned to Roman. “Want to wander the booths with me?”

“Sure.”

I could’ve sworn I detected a hint of eagerness in the brief word.

We strolled the aisles and paused periodically to check out the handmade goods. The artisan tables stood in rows and a good-sized crowd milled between them. Roman and I joined the fray, passing a gift-wrapping station.

“Do you need to shop for anyone?” I realized I didn’t know if Roman had family in the area. I couldn’t remember seeing anyone visiting him since he’d moved in, but I hadn’t exactly been watching for it.

“My mom. Something small though.”

“For a stocking?”

We stopped at a booth with snowflake ornaments made with crystal beads. Roman placed several thick fingers behind the delicate piece and tilted it toward him.

“My parents don’t keep much stuff around.” He glanced at me. “They move a lot. The more shit you have, the harder it is to move.”

I thought about Roman’s clutter-free space. “Was it like that when you were a kid too?”

Roman shifted his attention to another set of bead ornaments in the shape of Christmas trees. “Yeah. I didn’t live in one place for longer than a year. Mom always said we were going off on another great adventure, and there was always something to be learned from each place we lived and every friend we made along the way.”

Roman’s words held an almost melancholy tone that tugged at my heartstrings. He locked eyes with me for a moment, and flutters erupted through my chest.

“Were your parents in the military?”

Roman shook his head. “My dad works in emergency recovery, so we always moved where people needed help.”

My brain finally did the math. “You lived in at least eighteen places as a child?” I couldn’t fathom that.

“Twenty-seven, actually.” He let out a humorless laugh. “If you ever need packing tips, let me know.”

“I bet you can do it with military precision.” I couldn’t get over how many times he’d moved. “I only moved once before college.”

We continued walking and approached Hank’s table, where he was selling his fantastic dog treats. He was busy ringing up a sale, so I waved at him as we passed. I’d be sure to swing by before we left.

“To Christmas Falls?”

“To a different house in town.” My throat burned. It’d gotten eas ier talking about my parents, but it was never eas y . “My parents died when I was young, so my grandparents took me in.”

Roman’s eyes widened, and he looked like he was trying to puzzle something out.

“After that, I only moved away for college in Chicago, then returned after graduation.”

I’d thought I wanted nothing more than to move to the city and start a new life. I hadn’t expected I’d itch to flee the city by the time I graduated from college. I wasn’t suited to be a faceless person among throngs of people bustling along sidewalks. Christmas Falls was my place, and I’d made peace with that long ago.

Roman’s pinky brushed mine and one side of his mouth ticked up. A fluttery sensation filled my chest.

“Have you moved that frequently as an adult?”

“Not quite as often. I’ve been here for over two years.”

“Is that the longest you’ve stayed in a place?”

He narrowed his eyes at a blinking ornament necklace worn by someone passing out kettle corn samples but accepted a sample anyway. “I tend to move on after a couple of years.”

My gut heaved like a boulder smashed into it. “Does that mean you’re planning to leave Christmas Falls soon?” I tried to keep my tone even. There was no reason to be invested in the outcome of what he said, but I felt invested. I was finally getting to know my mysterious neighbor, and I liked what I was learning.

“I’ve got some applications out, but I don’t know if anything will come of them.” His attention lingered on me.

Having his sole focus made my lips dry. It softened the impact of his words.

Instead of replying and risking saying something absurd like, “you can’t leave now that we’re actually talking,” I stopped at a booth of nutcrackers. One in scrubs caught my attention, and I grabbed it.

“It looks like you. Cranky expression and everything.”

Roman flipped me off but smiled. “My mom had a nutcracker. One of the only Christmas decorations we hauled around with us.” He took it from me.

“Shame it’s not wearing scrubs with little Santa faces on them.” I winked at him.

Roman’s face scrunched. “My coworker might stop giving me shit if I put this on my desk, but not sure I want to deal with the teasing if I brought it in.” He set it back down.

“Let me guess. Your desk is a barren wasteland for festive decor like your half of the duplex?”

Roman narrowed his eyes at me. I batted my eyelashes.

“I don’t need to decorate. You’ve got plenty for the both of us.” He leaned in close, and I got a whiff of sandalwood. “Not sure our electric could handle it if I added to the load.” There was a playfulness in his tone.

I really didn’t need to think about Roman and combined loads. The man had me getting worked up at a freaking arts and crafts fair.

He walked away before I could come up with a good retort. I’m sure it would’ve been killer too.

We moved on to a booth with handmade soaps and lotions. “Is this something that might work for your mom? It’s functional and wouldn’t be a permanent addition to whatever she needs to move.”

Roman studied me as a small smile bloomed. “Good idea.”

His smiles were addicting.

I began sniffing the tester pots of lotions. Nancy might like some of these too, but it didn’t feel like a substantial enough gift, given everything she did for me. Hell, a car wouldn’t be enough.

The lemon-lavender scent was nice. I stuck it in front of Roman’s face. “What do you think of this one? What scents make you think of your mom?”

He leaned forward and inhaled. “That’s nice. She likes lavender, but her favorite flowers are roses.”

I saw one with rose in it and held it up.

He leaned in and let out a small hum. “She’d like that.”

I beamed at him. “Looks like they have it in lotion, hand soap, and body spray.”

Roman asked the vendor for one of each before turning back to me. “You’re an enabler.”

I lifted my chin. “I’m a problem solver.”

Roman shook his head. I’d been paying attention to the language of his head shakes, and I would’ve bet money that one meant he found me charming.

“Speaking of enabling. Have you found someone to take Carol?” He kept his attention on the crowd ahead of us.

My heart galloped. “Not yet, but I’m not actively looking. I’m happy to keep her at my place during the holidays until the shelter empties a bit unless I find a better option. Like you,” I hedged.

He let out a prolonged sigh. I was learning to understand those too.

“You don’t quit, do you?”

“I have a feeling you asked for a reason.” I could play coy, but I didn’t want to when it came to the shelter animals.

He offered a single nod. “I’ve been thinking about your request.”

“Okay. Do you have any questions about what fostering entails?” I led us to the hot cocoa booth line. I had a feeling we could use sustenance for this conversation.

“What does fostering entail?” His voice was monotone, but he held eye contact.

I explained the basics but didn’t skimp on details. I had a feeling Roman wanted to weigh all his options. The way he actively listened and asked thoughtful questions made me like him even more.

“Think about it, and text me if anything else comes up.” I opened my phone, launched the contacts, and handed it to him. “I’ll text you so you have my number.”

A smirk that had no right being that sexy curved his lips, but he did as I asked.

“I’ll consider it.”

He and Carol would be so good for each other. I just knew it. I also knew he was done with the conversation.

“You did great with the photos today. I can’t wait to see them. Seriously, thanks again for saving my ass. Call in that dinner any time you want it.”

“All right, but the food better be good.”

I leaned close. “It’ll be the most delicious home-cooked meal you’ve had in ages.”

He licked his lips.

I fought a grin as I stepped forward to order our cocoas.

“My coworker who came this morning told me about a photo contest.”

I tried to tamp down my eagerness. I’d love to see him get involved and share his beautiful photos with the town.

“Are you considering submitting something?”

“No. I don’t know. Tell me about it?” He took a swig of his cocoa and licked his lips.

“You submit your favorite photo taken during the festival season. It’s supposed to capture the highlights of Christmas Falls this time of year. The rules are pretty broad, I think. The judges are a mix of locals involved with the festival. There’s a small prize, but it’s more bragging rights and getting your photo used in their marketing materials next year.”

“I knew it,” he muttered. “Does it have to be some super festive shit?”

I laughed. “Not necessarily. You don’t need to make sure there’s at least one reindeer, two Santa hats, and an ideal ratio of red and green or anything. I think it just needs to capture the joy and spirit of the season in whatever way that means to you.”

Roman nodded slowly as he stared into the distance.

“You could submit something you took today.”

His face scrunched. “Nah. Feels weird since they’re not my animals.”

“I’m sure if you found one you liked, the pet parent wouldn’t mind at all. It’s an option. I could always contact them for permission.” I wanted to encourage him without being overbearing.

“I’ll think about it.” He looked ahead. “What are your thoughts on fruitcake?”

“Disgusting.”

“Finally. We agree on something.” He aimed another small killer smile at me.