Page 3 of The Snuggle is Real
The guy smirked. “Not sure his talent is what you really appreciate.”
Marlene piped up. “Don’t you give Mason a hard time. He’s a sweetheart.”
He held up his hands. “No hard time given. I don’t see the appeal myself, but I’m open-minded.” His gaze flicked to my brochures and away. “I’m just here to help with the cleanup after the event. Gotta get work where I can during the winter months.”
“Oh, do you need an application?” I asked, hopeful.
I wouldn’t mind an excuse to see this guy again. Even if he was obviously straight and uninterested.
“Nah,” he said. “I live alone. Not much need to squander your funds on me when you could help out a family.”
“Well, there’s no family requirement. If you need help, then you do.”
His dark eyes met mine. “I don’t need any help. I get by just fine.”
The tree blazed to life, capturing my attention as red, blue, and green lights flickered over the park and the crowd cheered.
When I glanced back, he was already walking away.
“Don’t mind Ford,” Marlene said. “He’s a proud man. Wants to take care of himself.”
“We all need a little help sometime,” I murmured.
“I couldn’t agree more.” A sweet guy I recognized from the new chocolate shop, Jingle Bites, brushed his blond bangs out of his eyes. “Can you tell me about how this foundation of yours works? I can help spread the word.”
“Hey, Milo. Thanks for stopping by.”
He smiled. “Of course.”
I launched into an explanation of our services—the traditional winter coats and hats, holiday meals, toy drives, and gifting programs, as well as my plan to incorporate more business sponsorships so we could serve the community with more flexibility.
“Perfect.” Milo scooped up a couple of brochures and donation forms. “I’ll just take these in case I run across anyone in need.”
Traffic to my table had slowed down once the Christmas tree lights came up. The hot cocoa and cookie stations were getting all the action now.
But my friend Elias, who worked at the animal shelter, came over.
“Hey, Mason. I didn’t know you were working a table tonight.”
I smiled. “Yep. I was just telling Milo about our programs.”
Elias cast Milo a distracted look. “Right, sorry for interrupting. Love those designer truffles you do.”
I agreed. “That Irish Coffee one is freakinglife-changing!”
Milo lit up. “That’s so sweet. Thank you.” He cast a worried glance in Elias’s direction. “But are you okay? You look a little frazzled.”
Eliasdidlook stressed.
“It’s been a rough few days,” Elias admitted. “We had a pipe burst at the shelter, and now we need repairs. There’s so many insurance headaches. And I’ve been so busy trying to get the petsfostered and out of there that I haven’t had the chance to find a contractor.”
He handed me a flier that advertised pop-up pet adoption events.
“Maybe I can help,” I said.
“You want to foster a dog? I thought you’d never ask.”
I laughed. “Uh, well, I was going to offer to take some of your fliers. If anyone else comes by, I’ll hand them out too.”
