Here Comes Santa Paws (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

26. Roman

Chapter 26

Roman

I watched the slow drip of the office coffee machine refill the pot and tried to shake my morose feelings. A wilting poinsettia on the counter matched my mood. The heaviness had settled in my chest at the coffee shop with Elias, and it hadn’t left.

The worst part was that Elias and I were fine . We’d left the coffee shop after Mason excused himself, and Elias had chattered like nothing was wrong, but things were wrong. I could tell he was sad. Hell, I was sad. We’d gone on another walk with the dogs yesterday but had parted ways after. I couldn’t tell if he was pulling away. I didn’t want that, but how could I blame him? It was one thing to say we were casual, just a little fun, but we were human. Feelings always fucked stuff up.

How had I let myself get so wrapped up in someone when I knew I planned to leave? Impatient, I filled my mug when the pot was only half full.

Elias had every right to pull back, but I might not even get the job. Yeah, but what about all the other ones you’ve applied for? Something will come through. It always does.

No matter how much time I had left in Christmas Falls, I wanted to spend that time with him. If he’d let me.

“Uh-oh.”

I turned toward Anisha as she eyed the coffee machine suspiciously.

“Uh-oh what?”

“You make the coffee too damn strong when you’re upset. It smells like tar. Are you dying?”

I glanced around to make sure we were alone in the break room and no one was passing by. “I’ve got a job interview in Tucson.”

“Arizona?” The word came out loud and shrill.

“Shh. I don’t think the rest of the office heard you.”

Anisha dropped onto the nearest chair, which wobbled since it was the one that had one leg too short. The raw devastation on her face caught me by surprise.

“I can’t lose my work husband.”

As I processed her words, I filled her mug, grabbed her favorite peppermint mocha creamer from the fridge, and set it next to the cup before sitting opposite her at the break room table.

“I’m your work husband?”

Her stare, which had been off in the distance, snapped to me. “You sure as hell piss me off like my real one.”

I’d worked with dozens of people over the years and had seen work spouses in action, but I had never been remotely close enough to someone to be bestowed with the title. I’d never thought I was that important to any coworkers.

Anisha glared at me like I should’ve known and should’ve run the whole applying for jobs thing by her. Then she gave her head a shake. “Let me pout for a minute, then we’ll talk.”

I didn’t know what to say to that, so I waited.

“Okay, spill.” She wrapped her hands around her mug and leaned forward.

So, I did. I told her about the clinic, the PT director role, and what they wanted the new hire to help implement.

Anisha whistled. “Damn. I might apply. That sounds like a great job.”

I chuckled. “Not sure how your family would feel about that.”

She waved her hand. “They love sunshine. It’d be fine.”

My shoulders relaxed from my ears. “It is a great job.”

Anisha frowned. She hadn’t missed the dour tone of my words.

“I know moving is hard, but if it’s right, it’s right.” She shrugged.

“It’s not the moving.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “Then it’s something else?” Understanding dawned on her face. “The cute elf next door.”

I let out a rough sigh.

“What are you going to do about that?”

“I don’t know.” I really didn’t.

Her smile was kind. “Is it serious?”

“Not if I live in Arizona.” I dodged a direct answer, but Anisha’s eagle eyes studied me. I should’ve known she wouldn’t let me get away with it.

“Why are you leaving then? If it could be serious, why not stay?”

I straightened a stack of sugar packets. “I might not get the job.”

Anisha snorted. “We both know that’s bullshit. You’re damn good at what you do.” She softened her voice. “That job sounds great, but are you sure it’s a good fit?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? PT director is the next step.”

“Sure, but you love the in-home visits. It sounds like you wouldn’t get to do that in the new role.”

I frowned. “True.” She was right. The appointments I got to have in patients’ homes were always the best. I’d miss that part of the job, but sacrifices were necessary for advancement.

“You hate admin work too. You glare at your computer whenever you have to do it. This new job would be mostly admin work and meetings. Is that worth the title and pay bump?”

I sat back in my chair and rapped my knuckles on the table. She raised some good points, but I didn’t want to stay at the same level forever. If I wasn’t working toward the next level in my career, then what was the point?

She reached over and placed her hand on mine. “You don’t have to leave, you know.”

“But I never stay.”

Her sad smile hit me like a jab to the gut. “You haven’t stayed yet , but you could.” The “you should” went unspoken but as loud as if she’d shouted it. “That’s the beauty of being an adult. You get to make your own choices.”