Page 10 of A Cuddly Christmas
"Right." She rolls her eyes. "So? Any matches then?"
"I haven't checked." I kind of forgot about it. When I got home, my mind was on Paxton.
"Do you want to check?" I shrug. "Is it because you want Paxton?"
"I told him he should download the app." I'm still mad at myself about it. I think I’m partly scared to get on the app and see he’s on there.
"He's not downloading the app. He doesn't need to."
"Thanks, but I don't need the reminder that every girl in town wants him."
"That's not what I meant. He hasn't shown interest in anyone. No dates or anything,” she says, and I've been wondering about that. "He doesn't need the app because he wants you."
"He hasn't asked me out." Not that I want him to, but I don't want him asking anyone else out either.
"He might be building up to it."
"Maybe." I sink my teeth into my bottom lip.
"Hey." Molly steps closer. "Talk to me."
"Okay, I'm scared. You know me. I'm an all-in or all-out girl. I would fall hard, and if it didn't work, I'd have to burn down his clinic and run him out of town."
"But what if you don't break up? I mean, think about it.” Molly cocks her head, smirking. "You two kind of fit. Paxton isn't a city vet. He came out here to the country, and that means he's putting down roots. You think some fancy city girl is going to want to roll around in a barn with him?"
"I think anyone would roll around in a barn with him," I admit, and Molly laughs. I’d probably have to burn down the barn too if that’s the case.
"That’s not what I meant. Take me, for example. I can't roll around in a barn." This is true. Molly has never met a bug that didn't make her scream. "I'm just saying maybe open yourself up. See what happens. He might give you the ick, and then you're the one dropping him."
Doubtful. The man is perfect. He hasn’t done one thing I don't like, and I've been looking. In fact, he's sweet, and at times, I think, a tad shy, which is endearing if it’s real and I’m reading him right.
"I'll think about it," I tell her before we say our goodbyes. "What do you think, Paprika? Should I try flirting with your daddy?"
Do I even know how to flirt? I suppose there's only one way to find out.
Chapter Six
PAXTON
With the storm on the way, I call my last two patients of the day and have them come in early. From what everyone is saying, this is going to be a big one. This is my first winter in Cheerful, so I don’t know what to expect, but I know my car isn’t made for snow. I was going to buy a truck, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet. Plus, I kept thinking if I had a truck, I wouldn’t need Tilly to do deliveries to my house.
Once I’ve seen the last two animals, I tell Wyatt to head on home and I’ll close up shop. He lives nearby, but I’d rather be safe. After checking my schedule to make sure there aren’t any animal emergencies and everyone is doing regular check-ups, I close the clinic and head across the street.
I’m still feeling a little embarrassed about this morning, but I’ve managed to convince myself that it’s not a big deal. I told her she’s pretty. It’s the truth, end of story.
The chime on the hardware store door rings, and Tilly’s grandfather is behind the counter.
“Looks like your dad is here to pick you up,” he says to the sleeping kitten in his arms. “Since your mom ran out on you.”
“Tilly isn’t here?” I look around, hoping she’ll pop out from the back.
“She went to do some deliveries.” He glances out the window and watches the snow come down. “It’s going to be a big one.”
“Damn, I wanted to get here sooner and tell her not to worry about my order.”
I was thinking about her looking around my house yesterday, and I realized I didn’t have anything set up for Christmas and I was running out of time. I thought it would give us something to do together when she came over, but now that the storm is coming, I feel awful sending her out in this.
“Yours was the last one, so I’m sure she’ll be back soon.” Gramps puts Paprika in the travel carrier, and she doesn’t wake up. “She’s had a big day exploring the store and saying hello to people. She finally went to sleep about ten minutes ago, so I’m sure she’ll be out for a while.”
