Puppy Wishes & Candy Kisses (Kringle Falls #1)

23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Three

I t was time for goodbye.

Back in Cleveland, Candi sorted everything in her apartment. There were three piles: keep, donate, and garbage. Michael worked to pack up everything she wanted to take with her.

Originally, they’d been planning to rent a car to drive back to Vermont, but once Michael saw how much she had to take with her, they agreed to rent a small moving truck.

He’d offered to let her stay at his place until she found her own apartment. He didn’t seem to think finding a place for her to live would be too hard. He already had his mother looking into what was available.

This was the most spontaneous thing Candi had ever done. And even though she was nervous about giving up everything she knew and moving to a new town, she knew deep in her heart it was the right thing to do.

And now they were on their way to meet Bob to return the van. He was at the now-closed animal shelter. He was clearing the place out.

“You’re quiet over there.” Michael’s voice drew her from her thoughts. “Is everything okay?”

She nodded. “I was just thinking about Bob. He’s the one person I worry about leaving. He’s getting older, and his son doesn’t live close by. He’s been like family to me.”

“You could ask him to move to Kringle Falls.”

She nodded. “It’s an idea, but I don’t think he’ll go for it. He can be stubborn when he wants to be.” She saw the familiar building come into view. “That’s the place up ahead. You can just park in front.”

He pulled to a stop behind a blue SUV. They got out, and with Tank on a leash, they walked into the shelter. After more than five years of volunteer work, she couldn’t believe this was the last time she would be there. She hoped Merry would consider opening an adoption program in Kringle Falls. She planned to discuss it with her when they got back to Kringle Falls.

“Bob?” Candi called out. Nothing. She tried again. “Bob, are you here?”

“In the office.” His words were followed by a string of coughs.

He shouldn’t be here. It didn’t feel like the heat was on. If it was, it was turned way down. But she knew telling him to go home would be a waste of her time. The man was so stubborn.

But she wondered what he would say when she told him she was moving to Vermont. Would he even entertain the idea of going with her? She hoped so.

She reached out, taking Michael’s hand in her own. “It’s back this way.”

They walked past the empty front desk, through the open doorway that led to the area where they used to house the dogs and cats. Off to the side of the large room was a modest office.

For the first time since she’d volunteered there, she could see the top of Bob’s desk. “Looks like you’ve been busy.”

“You’re back.” He stood up and came around the desk to hug her.

When they pulled apart, she said, “Bob, I’d like you to meet Michael Bishop.” She turned to the man of her dreams. “Michael, I’d like you to meet Bob Hoffman.”

Bob shook Michael’s hand. “It’s good to meet you.” Bob looked down at Tank. “And it’s good to see you again.” After he fussed over the dog, his gaze rose to Michael. And teasingly he said, “I hope you’re not trying to bring him back. We have a no-return policy.”

“Oh, no. He’s become my shadow.”

Bob nodded. “Animals have a good sense about which humans they bond with. Tank is very particular, so I already know that you’re a good man.”

When Bob started coughing again, he sat back down. It was then she noticed his face was pale, and there were more lines on his face. It was as if he’d aged ten years overnight.

“Before I forget.” Candi reached into her purse and pulled out the keys to the van. She laid them on his desk. “I’m very sorry about the accident.”

Bob shook his head. “I’m the one that’s sorry. I sent you out in a snowstorm. I’m so grateful that you’re okay.” His gaze moved to Michael. “I hear that I have you to thank for that.”

Michael modestly shrugged. “Just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

“Bob, I have news.” Candi sat down in the chair facing his desk. “I’m moving to Kringle Falls, Vermont.”

“Vermont?” His eyes widened. “You must have had a really good time there.”

Candi glanced at Michael. “I did.” Then she turned back to Bob. “And now that you’re retiring, I wanted to know if you’d come with me.”

His bushy brows rose high on his forehead. “You want me to move to Vermont? With you?”

She nodded. “I do. I think you’d love it there. It’s a small town that celebrates Christmas year-round.”

“Hey, Dad.” A short man with sandy-blond hair stepped into the room with a golden dachshund under his arm. He stopped talking and glanced at her and then Michael. “Sorry. I didn’t know you had company.”

Candi was surprised. She hadn’t missed the part about this man calling Bob “Dad.” This was his son? The son that he talked about for years but who never came around?

“Candi and Michael, I’d like you to meet my son, Shaun. He’s asked me to move to Tennessee to be near him and his family.” Bob made the introductions.

Candi was surprised by this sudden reunion, but she was also very happy for both of them. She knew this was what Bob had wanted for years.

She turned to Bob. “I’m so happy for you. It looks like we’re both getting fresh starts.”

Bob nodded. “But at least my new home won’t be as cold as yours.”

“True. But now I have someone to snuggle up to.” She turned a grin toward Michael, who was smiling as he shook his head.

“I do have one last favor to ask of you.” Bob’s expression turned serious.

“Uh, sure.” She kind of owed him big time after wrecking his van. “What do you need?”

“Could you find a home for one more dog?”

She glanced over at the dachshund that his son had placed on the floor. Tank was now sniffing him. “You mean this little guy?”

Bob nodded. “Actually, it’s a girl. We’ve been calling her Sunny. We arrived this morning to find this little girl tied to the front door. I can’t believe someone would just abandon her. I don’t even want to think of what would have happened to her if I was still in the hospital.” He let out a deep cough.

Candi worried her bottom lip as she looked at the little dog. She was a cutie. She couldn’t imagine it would be hard to find her a home.

“Just give me a moment to make a call.” She stepped out of the office to call Merry.

The conversation was a little longer than she’d intended, especially when she took Merry up on the job offer.

Ten minutes later, she returned to the office. “Sorry about that. The answer is yes. We’ll take her.”

The lines on Bob’s face smoothed, as though he were starting to relax. “Thank you, Candi. You’re the best.”

His son handed over the dog leash. “Here you go.”

The four of them talked for a bit before Candi and Michael left. Once they were in the back of a ride share, Tank lay across Michael’s lap while Sunny settled on her lap.

She looked over at the man who’d stolen her heart. “Here we go again.”

“This time, can we skip getting lost in a snowstorm and going over an embankment?”

“Most definitely. We’ll just skip to the kissing.” She leaned toward him.

He leaned toward her.

And their lips met in the middle.