I knocked and strained to hear inside. Footsteps echoed on the floor, and a few seconds later, the front door opened.
Connor MacDowell scowled down at me. “Ivy?”
So, we were back to the scowls now.
Well, the problem with that was I no longer took such expressions seriously. Whether it was a lack of contacts or putting on a front, it didn’t matter.
“Connor. What’s going on? My dad told me you’re breaking your lease at the Sweet Shoppe. Why?”
He seemed to consider his answer before he spoke. “Look, it’s for the best, Ivy. For everyone. I never should have come to Jingle Junction.”
I tried to stop the tears that threatened to fill my eyes and to ease the sudden tightness in my throat. “How can you say that? Is it because of last night? Are you upset I tried to kiss you?” I was shaking again despite my resolvenotto do so. I kept my gaze locked on him, wanting the truth and willing to face it, no matter how much it was going to hurt. “I’m sorry if I crossed some boundary you set. But that’s no reason to leave here.”
He didn’t say anything at first, his face unreadable. I had no idea how he was feeling, but it didn’t stop me. Nothing was going to stop me.
Not now. Not ever again.
“I just can’t, Ivy,” he finally said. “I’m sorry.”
My heart felt like it was shattering. This wasn’t fair. And it was wrong. I was connected to him, knew it more now, in that very moment, than ever before. The thought of him leaving triggered a deep-seated pain inside me, and I gasped for breath when it struck.
“Don’t do that, your expression,” he growled, pain etched across his face. “You’re killing me as it is.”
Angus barked twice, and then the little scamp darted out between our legs and bolted for the road. Thankful for a reason to flee from this feeling and, frankly, from the way Connor looked at me with that broken grief on his face, I turned andsprinted after the little Scotty dog. It was icy in some spots, and I slid in a couple of places. I could hear Connor yelling my name, but I just couldn’t face him. I’d rather take my chances with the growling dog than the growling man.
I spotted Angus by the sidewalk in front of Connor’s house, but when I went to scoop him up, he shot out in the middle of the street.
“Angus MacDowell,” I scolded, my breath misting the cold night air. “Get back here, right now!”
The dog sat on the yellow line at the center of the street and barked. Sighing, I looked both ways before jogging into the middle of the road to retrieve him. I’d just scooped him up when bright headlights suddenly flashed in my face. A car had turned onto the dark road and was roaring directly toward me. I turned to hurry back across the street, but my foot slipped on a patch of ice. I was about to fall down in front of the car when strong arms snatched me up and carried both Angus and me over to the sidewalk.
When Connor dropped to his knees on the cold ground, still cradling Angus and me to his broad chest, I stayed as still as I could. I didn’t want him to let go.
To let me go.
I wanted to stay there in his arms… forever.
Angus reached up and licked my face, and I squirmed to duck my head. I’d expected Connor to release me, to berate me and tell me to leave, but he didn’t. In fact, his shoulders were shaking, and he was now holding me so tightly it was hard for me to fully inhale.
“Connor,” I whispered, “I can’t breathe.”
When he finally pulled back, tears were running down his cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” I cried. “Are you hurt?”
Connor rested his forehead against mine, then sighed. “I guess you can say that.”
“Let me up,” I tried to stand, but he refused to release me. “I need to see where you’re hurt.”
“It’s not something physical, lass.”
I frowned and stopped moving. “What do you mean?”
Our heads still rested together, and Connor closed his eyes. “This is how Sarah died. Just like this. In my arms.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered.
“She’d only had Angus for a couple of weeks. He was still a puppy. He’d gotten out without his leash and ran. She chased after him,” he swallowed once, hard, then continued, “into the road and…”
