“I don’t have a leash, which means I’ll have to carry you.”
Higgins panted.
“No, I don’t trust you not to make a run for it.”
The dog tilted his head.
She slipped on her boots. “Don’t play innocent with me.”
Carefully, she picked him up and carried him toward Elias’s house. A scraping sound filled the air.
Elias shoveled the walkway to his next-door neighbor’s house. He wore boots, snow pants, a hat, gloves, and a heavy-duty parka she hadn’t seen before. His cheeks were pink from the cold. Mountain men had never been her type, but he looked as gorgeous as ever.
Do.Not.Go.There.
She couldn’t. He’d apologized, but he hadn’t asked for a second chance or even to see her again. Besides, weather willing, she wasn’t staying in town much longer.
Tasha came closer. “Hey.”
“Higgins?” Elias glanced at his house and rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “He’s supposed to be inside. How did he end up with you?”
“No idea.” She appreciated the dog not squirming. Higgins might be small, but he was solid. “I heard scratching at my door. When I opened it, he ran inside the cottage. I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Thanks. I had no idea he’d gotten out of the house. It must have been when I came outside.”
“Do you usually shovel while snow is still falling?”
“No.” He half laughed. “My neighbors are retired. Their snowblower broke, and they were worried about the snow getting too deep for a family member who uses a walker. I offered to help.”
Of course, he did. That was what nice guys did.
A good thing she held Higgins, or she would have brushed the snow from Elias’s shoulders.
“Here…” Elias leaned his shovel against the house. “I’ve cleared enough for now. I’ll take Mister Escape Artist.”
She handed over Higgins, fighting the urge to bump her arm against Elias’s, if only for some contact. Okay, getting over him wouldn’t be easy, but seeing him drove home that realization.
“What am I going to do with you?” He hugged Higgins close to him.
Tasha caught a sigh before it escaped. The two were meant to be together. She hoped he realized how good Higgins was for him before tomorrow. Elias would regret returning the dog to the rescue.
He looked at Tasha. “I’m sorry you had to come out in the snow.”
The way the snow surrounded them made her think of being inside a snow globe someone kept shaking.
“No problem.” Talk about awkward. She reached into her pocket, pulled out the envelope, and handed it to him. Well, she slipped the note between his left hand and Higgins. “I wanted to drop off a thank-you note for the gift. The ornament will be the perfect keepsake. I’ll treasure it forever.”
Ugh.Way to pour it on.
This wasn’t the first time she’d rambled around him, and the way his gaze held hers made Tasha wish she was the one in his arms.
Elias’s smile widened, taking her heart with it. “I hoped you’d like it.”
“I do. A lot.” More snow settled on his hat and shoulders. Hers too. “I’m thinking of leaving today. Driving to Seattle to eat dinner with my family.”
He stared at her with his lips parted. He didn’t even blink. “I thought you were staying until the thirty-first.”
“It’s Christmas.”
