Page 20 of The Christmas Lodge
Dropping the rag with varnish onto his worktable, he peered through the window. Though it had only been a week, he would know that honey-brown hair anywhere. Lacy Preston was tromping through the snowy parking lot toward his shop, her head bent low against the wind. He looked a little closer, his brow furrowing. Her arms were wrapped around her middle, which looked oddly bulky and misshapen. Pulling open the shop door, he called to her and waved her in. Lacy barreled into the shop, her breath puffing out in vapors and her hair adorably windblown.
“I knew you’d come around,” he announced, tossing her a grin. “I assume you’re here for that free ride on one of my dogsleds?”
Lacy blinked, looking confused for a moment and then rolled her eyes. “Keep dreaming, pal.”
Derek clutched at his chest, pretending to be wounded.
“Relax,” Lacy laughed, “I’m actually here on important business.”
“Oh?”
She opened her coat, revealing the source of the odd bulk around her middle: an adorable baby husky was tucked inside her coat. As the light of the shop hit its face, it blinked and yawned, causing them both to laugh. Lacy pulled it out, settling it into Derek’s arms.
“I thought he—or she, I’m not sure which—might be yours?”
Derek shook his head. “This little one isn’t mine.” He quickly lifted it up and checked it out. “Where did you find this little lady?”
“She was curled up in a corner of my porch. You should have seen her.” Lacy shook her head, her eyes becoming sad. “She was just whimpering and whining but she took to me right away. I don’t know where she came from.”
He sighed. “Unfortunately, this kind of thing happens all too often, especially with huskies.”
Lacy leaned over and scratched behind the puppy’s ears. “Why with huskies?”
“They can be a difficult breed for owners who aren’t prepared for them. Huskies are energetic and they need a lot of exercise and stimulation. New owners who aren’t ready for that kind of commitment sometimes can’t handle it and either put the dog up for adoption or just abandon them.”
As the word ‘abandon’ left his lips, Derek noticed that Lacy visibly blanched and dropped her eyes, suddenly becoming closed off. Derek studied her face, noting how uncomfortable and pained she looked. There was a story there, something deep and painful, but he knew he had no right to ask.
“Do you think maybe she’s just lost?” Lacy finally asked, breaking the charged silence. “Maybe her owners loved her and she just slipped out of the house by accident.”
Derek’s heart broke a little at the fragile hope in her voice. “No,” he said gently. “I doubt it. She’s not wearing a collar, and I can tell she’s been out in the elements for at least a couple of days. I haven’t seen any signs posted around town looking for a lost dog.”
“Poor baby,” Lacy murmured, hugging her arms closer to her chest. “She was probably freezing.”
Derek finally cracked a smile at that. “Actually, that’s one spot of good news—huskies are built for the cold. The temperature could’ve been even colder than this and she still would’ve been just fine.”
Lacy gave him an incredulous look. “So does that mean I didn’t need to stuff her into my coat?”
“Pretty much,” Derek said with a laugh, “but it was still very sweet of you, and I’m sure she loved the human contact.”
“So, what happens now? Do I take her to an animal shelter?”
Derek looked at Lacy, noting the sudden anxiety in her eyes and the question she clearly wanted to ask but wasn’t asking. He had already made up his mind that he would take in the little dog, but he loved how much Lacy already cared about the fate of the puppy, even though she had just met it. For a woman who tried to remain tough and businesslike, this was a more tender side of Lacy that he hadn’t seen before, and he liked it. Anyone who cared about animals the way he did was a good person in his book, and it told him a lot about the character of the woman standing in front of him.
“What happens now is that she’ll stay with me,” Derek said and Lacy gave an audible sigh of relief, the tension in her shoulders relaxing. “Huskies make excellent sledding dogs, but she’s so cute I would’ve kept her either way.” He winked at Lacy as he said the last bit, grinning when her cheeks pinked up adorably. There was something about breaking past her guard that intrigued him—he had a feeling that she was worth the work of getting to know. “Hey, I’ve got to pick up a few things for the puppy—some puppy chow and whatnot. Want to come?”
Lacy hesitated, biting her lip.
“Come on,” he cajoled, “I’ll bet you’ve been working on that house all day. Take a break.”
“For all you know, I’ve been relaxing at The Snowy Pine.”
“In your coveralls?”
Lacy looked down and cracked up, realizing the ridiculous figure she must be making in her work coveralls paired incongruously with her fancy peacoat. Derek held up the puppy, giving her some puppy dog eyes as well so they both looked like they were begging. Lacy threw up her hands, laughing even harder.
“All right, all right,” she agreed. “You win.”
“Don’t sound so excited.”
