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He nodded. “I saw a pamphlet in town about The Peppermint Courtyard. It sounded like a nice place. Do you want to try it?”

“Sure. I’ll, uh, just go get ready.” When she turned to leave, Mochi rushed over to her side. “Hey, girl. You can stay here. I’ll be right back.” But every step that Leah took, Mochi took. “You are very insistent.” Leah turned back. “Do you mind if Mochi goes with me?”

He shook his head. “Her leash is by the back door. I’ll just put this stuff away before I get changed.”

“Okay. See you soon.”

He watched Leah and Mochi walk away. They looked good together. Something told him it wouldn’t take a lot of arm twisting to get Leah to take the pup.

The only problem was that he would miss Mochi—miss both of them. How had he let himself get into this position? And what was he going to do about it?

Chapter Twenty-One

Adate...

Every time Leah conjured up the words in her mind, her heart raced. It had been a while since she’d gone out with anyone, and when she had, they hadn’t meant this much to her. She wanted the evening to be perfect.

But there was a little voice in her head that warned her not to get hung up on Shaun, because he was leaving as soon as his SUV was repaired. An opposing voice said there was nothing wrong with living in the moment.

And so, she chose the only dress she’d packed. It was a little black dress and it fit her perfectly. Best of all, it made her feel confident.

She wore her hair down over her shoulders. She straightened it, applying a little bit of pomade to tame the flyaway hairs.

She took her time applying her makeup. She put on eyeshadow, eyeliner, and mascara to make her eyes pop. She applied pink shimmery lip gloss. And then she squirted on some body spray. It was a gentle floral scent.

Instead of heels, she put on a pair of black knee-high boots. It was the only really nice outfit she’d brought with her on this trip.

But now that she was seriously thinking of staying in Kringle Falls, she was going to have to fly back to California to empty out her apartment. It would be nice to have more clothes to choose from.

But she didn’t want to think about any of that now. Right now, she just wanted to focus on her evening with Shaun. The thought brought a smile to her face.

She turned to Mochi, who had made herself at home on her bed. “So, what do you think?” Leah turned the whole way around, not that she expected a response, but it didn’t stop her from asking, “Do you like the dress?”

“Woof.”

Leah’s smile broadened. “Thank you.”

She reached for her phone and let Shaun know she was ready to go on their date. She was so excited.

A few minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Mochi jumped off the bed, barking and running for the door. Leah followed the dog to the door. When she opened it, Shaun stood there, looking quite handsome in dark jeans, a maroon sweater, and his winter coat.

His gaze took her in. “You look... Wow! Gorgeous.”

A wave of heat washed over her face. “Thank you.”

“Are you ready to go?”

She nodded. “What about Mochi?”

“Give me just a moment to walk her, and then we can situate her in my room.”

“Or she can stay here.”

He arched a brow. “Are you sure?”

Leah nodded. “She likes it over here.”

“Okay. We’ll be right back.”