“Oh.I see the problem.”The thought of spending more time with Felicity was tempting.“Why don’t we drop Sunny off at my place?I’m sure she could use some kibble and a nap, and then I’ll give you a ride back out there.”
Felicity hesitated.“Are you sure?I mean you’ve already done so much for me.”
His thoughts briefly turned to his manuscript.The words floating around in his imagination were waiting for him to type them out.They could wait a little longer.
“I don’t mind at all.”Strangely enough, it was the truth.
Once back at the apartment building, Felicity accompanied them to his place.Sunny walked between them back to his apartment.He unlocked and opened the door a crack.He stuck his head inside and gave the place a quick glance to make sure it was presentable.It was.
He stepped aside and swung the door wide open.“Come on in.”He kept walking into the galley kitchen.“I just need to get Sunny her dinner.”
Felicity closed the front door.“No problem.What should I do with Sunny?”
“If you don’t mind, you can take her collar off.I don’t make her wear it around the apartment.It bothers her.She’s always scratching at it.”
“I can’t blame her,” Felicity said.“It doesn’t look the least bit comfortable.”
As he washed up Sunny’s bowls, he glanced over his shoulder and found Felicity looking around.
“Nice place you have,” she said.“But there’s something missing.”
As he dried a bowl, he turned to face her.“What’s that?”
“You don’t have a Christmas tree.”
He shrugged.“I don’t need one.It’s just me.”
“But it’s the holidays.This place needs some holiday cheer.”
“All you have to do is walk outside and look around.This whole town is decked out for Christmas.”
“Are you sure we can’t get you a tree too?”She sent him a pleading look.
It was so hard to say no to her when she looked at him that way.Still, he mustered up an “I don’t think so.”
Felicity picked up one of Sunny’s little balls from the floor, and they began to play.Sunny hadn’t fully figured out the concept of fetch.Instead of giving the ball back, she liked to keep it and chew on it.
He couldn’t help but smile as Felicity tried to cajole Sunny to give the ball back.It was then that he realized his apartment no longer felt as though something was missing.It wasn’t a thing that he had been missing.It was a who.Between Felicity and Sunny, the place was warm and full of life.
He wondered what it would take to get Felicity to stay in Kringle Falls.Was big city life all that she’d wanted it to be?Did she ever miss her hometown…miss him?
No.He had to stop this line of thought.
He carried the slow-feeder bowl and water bowl into the living room, where he’d set up a mat for Sunny to eat and drink.After he placed the bowls, Sunny ran over with her tail swishing back and forth.She never met a filled food bowl that she didn’t like.
He turned his attention back to Felicity.Only he didn’t spot her right away.And then he saw her backside sticking up next to the couch.
He stepped closer to find her on her hands and knees.“What are you doing?”
“Her ball rolled under the couch.”She wiggled around and groaned.“I almost have it.”
“Get up.Let me try.”
She didn’t move.He pressed his hands to his waist as he waited for her to give up.But to his surprise, she sat back with the yellow ball in one hand and a white sheet of paper in her other hand.
“I found this,” she said.
Oh no.Heat immediately pulsed up his neck and set his face aflame.He must not have picked up all of the pages after Sunny pulled them off the desk the night before.Maybe she wouldn’t notice what was on the page.
