Page 36 of Puppy Love & Snowflake Kisses
He finished fixing up the couch with a blanket and pillow. He turned to her. “Here you go.”
She was touched by his gesture. “Thank you. But you take the couch.”
He arched a brow. “Where are you planning to sleep?”
She pointed to the navy-blue oversized armchair with a matching ottoman. It was her cozy spot where she liked to get lost in the pages of a good romance. “It’s my favorite spot.”
“But it’s a chair.”
“A very comfortable chair.” She always kept a red and white log cabin quilt hung over the back of the chair.
His gaze searched hers. She stared directly back at him. Her gaze was unwavering as she crossed her arms.
He sighed. “You aren’t going to change your mind, are you?”
She shook her head. “You’re the one with your head stitched together. Not me.”
“Fine. But I’m doing this under protest.”
With only the soft glow from the light above the kitchen sink, they both settled in for what was left of the wintry night. Belle found herself grateful for the quilt because once she sat down, she noticed the cold seeping into her bones. If she remembered correctly the forecast said the temperature was supposed to dip down into the single digits.Ugh.And this was only the beginning of winter.
She was determined to stay awake and watch over Parker, since he had a concussion. Yet, the darkness called to her, and her eyelids grew heavy. At one point, they drifted shut. A few moments later, she opened them. She yawned. This was going to be the longest night of her life.
She listened to his deep, even breaths. At least one of them was getting some rest. She knew if she just sat there in the dark doing nothing, she would be fast asleep in no time.
She reached for her phone. She curled up in the chair and pulled up a book on her phone. It didn’t take her long to get lost in the words. The only problem was that her eyelids were so heavy, and she was having a problem staying focused on the words. And every minute or two a yawn would plague her.
Still, she persisted. She wouldn’t fall asleep. She yawned again. The words on her phone blurred. She blinked, and they came back into focus. And then she began to read again.
Chapter Twelve
Hisheadhurt.
His neck had a crick in it. And his back ached from the lumpy couch. Even so, he wouldn’t be anywhere else.
The following morning, Parker glanced over at Belle. She was curled up beneath the red and white quilt. She had a peaceful look on her face. He was grateful she was able to rest and not have nightmares about the break-ins.
She must have been exhausted, because she didn’t move when he got up. He grabbed a shower and put on fresh clothes from the duffel bag he’d grabbed at his place. When he came downstairs, Belle was still asleep, but she appeared to have a frown on her face. He thought of rousing her but decided that her sleep took priority.
He grabbed his coat and cell phone. Out on the back porch, he rang the sheriff’s office. The conversation was brief. The ATV was reported stolen a couple of days ago from a nearby town. His deputy talked to the owner, but they didn’t have a clue who had taken it.
The prints matched the prior ones. It would appear there was only one suspect. As before, the prints didn’t get any hits in AFIS (Automated Fingerprint Identification System).
Most career criminals would have been in and out without wasting their time tearing the house apart. A professional would know the longer they were in the house, the greater the chance they’d be caught. This person was a novice, which meant they’d make more mistakes. That was how they were going to catch them.
His people had also checked with local ERs and veterinarian offices to see if anyone showed up in need of stitches in their hands or arms. So far, they didn’t have a lead.
He stepped back inside the cozy warm kitchen. After ditching his coat and boots, he washed up. Then he glanced in the fridge. When he closed the door, he noticed the colorful invitation to the Kringle’s party. This must be how the suspect knew Belle had planned to attend. That answered one of his many questions.
He continued searching through the cabinets. He was trying to come up with an idea of what to make for breakfast. When he saw the syrup, he knew what to make…pancakes. Everybody liked those, right?
With the flour, sugar, vanilla, eggs, butter, and milk on the counter, he set to work. But with it being the holiday season, he felt as though he should do a little extra. He wanted to bring back a little holiday spirit for Belle.
A little bit later, he had a stack of pancakes. Feeling pleased with himself for not burning any of them, he walked back into the living room.
He really didn’t want to disturb her, but he had to leave to head to the office. There were reports he needed to review. He didn’t want to leave her alone, but he also wanted to catch the person who had been tormenting her.
He knelt down beside her. He couldn’t resist moving a long lock of her silky auburn hair from her face. “Belle?”
