Her gaze moved from the tree to Colin and back again.“Did you decorate the tree all by yourself?”
“Uh, yes.”He cast a worried look at the tree.“Why?Is it that bad?”
She shook her head.“It’s that good.”
Just then Tater and Spuds stopped in the middle of the room.They were fighting.Oh no!
Holly’s chest tightened.“Hey, stop!”
When she went to rush to his aid, Colin held out an arm, stopping her.“He’s okay.This is how they play.”
“Play?”That sure didn’t look like playing to her.
Poor Tater Tot was on the ground, belly-up, and it looked like Spuds was biting him.That wasn’t playing.
Colin lowered his arm.“I promise they’re fine.”
She glared at him.“I thought you knew all about dogs.”
“I do.”He nodded toward the dogs.“Look now.”
When she turned her head, she found Tater was standing, and it was Spuds on the floor with his feet in the air while Tater stood over him.It still didn’t look like playing to her.
“Trust me.They’ll let us know when the playing gets too rough.One of them will let out a squeal of pain.”
“I think that’s enough play for now.”She scooped up Tater Tot, who complained about being picked up.She ignored his protests as she held him safely in her arms.
She took a moment to take in the living room.It was very comfy.She could easily imagine curling up on one of the couches with the fireplace warming the room as she watched a Christmas movie on the large-screen television.And then Colin’s image appeared, and he was seated on the couch next to her.
She gave herself a mental shake.Where had that come from?Her crush on him had ended years ago—back when he left for college.He was yet another person whom she’d cared about and who had left her.
But she didn’t want to think about any of that right now.Colin was being her friend.He was trying to help her and Tater Tot.Their friendship deserved a second chance.
Chapter Eight
Thiswasamistake.
Holly was feeling overwhelmed from her worry over Tater Tot’s safety to the resurrection of old memories.And yet there was no graceful way to make a quick exit.
She was stuck there for the duration.She just needed to get herself together and stop thinking about the past.
Colin pulled out his phone.“I’m going to order from the Mistletoe Diner.Do you have a favorite?”
She shook her head.She didn’t have the extra money to splurge, but she wasn’t going to let him pay for her.The shop brought in enough to get by on, but she wasn’t rolling in money.And right now, every extra penny she got, she planned to put into the renovations of the apartment.
“Do you like rosemary chicken or pot roast?”he asked.
“The chicken sounds good.”
“Perfect.”He dialed the restaurant.
While he placed the order, she walked over to the bookcases that flanked the fireplace.There weren’t that many books.Most of the ones on the shelf were veterinary medicine reference books.Most of the shelves were filled with framed photos of animals: cats, dogs, a pig, a goat, a miniature pony, and a rabbit.
When Colin was off the phone, she turned to him.“Are these pictures of your patients?”
“No.Those are my furbabies.”
Her eyes opened wide as she looked around the room for some sign of them.“You have all of them?”
