Chapter 17: Chapter 17

Once Noelle had her coat on, Brady opened the door for her. Noelle took her keys, wallet, and phone and headed out the door.

The snow was coming down again, catching the light and twinkling as it fell all around them. Noelle locked up and then headed down the stairs. Brady stayed with her, one hand on the railing, the other out in case she should fall.

The steps were slick already. Had it gotten so much colder in just the few minutes she had been inside that ice had formed? She hadn’t realized how cold it had become.

Noelle had just reached the bottom step and was crossing onto the landing when her foot slid out from underneath her. Having already released the handrail, she felt herself shooting up into the air and then careening backward. The idea that she was about to collide with the ground had her holding her breath, but it wasn’t the icy walkway that met her back.

It was Brady’s firm grip, his arms stretching out to embrace her and prevent her from falling. She looked up into his eyes, the twinkling stars above his head creating a backdrop of illumination that seemed to give him a halo. He was certainly the most handsome angel she’d ever seen.

His eyes were wide with concern. “Are you all right, Noelle?” he asked.

She inhaled, the scent of pine and bergamot hitting her lungs. “I’m okay,” she assured him. Her eyes were locked on his, and the feel of his embrace around her seemed to block out everything else--the cold wind, the falling snow, the embarrassment of nearly wiping out in front of him.

Brady held her gaze for a long moment. The way he was cradling her, their faces were only about six inches apart. It would be easy enough for her to close that distance, wouldn’t it? What would he do if she leaned up and pressed her lips to his?

Noelle shook her head to clear it. Now was not the time to be kissing Brady--not when they were embarking on a project together. She realized she was starting to develop feelings for him, and she thought maybe there was a chance he liked her, too, but finding out she was wrong about that right now would not be cool.

Carefully, Brady set her on her feet and let go of her, which immediately made her feel the cold around them. “Thank you,” she muttered, no longer looking at his green eyes.

“Sure thing,” he said. “Those steps are dangerous.”

“Clearly,” she agreed.

“We can take my truck if you like,” he said, gesturing toward the far side of her parents’ yard. She could see it now, parked down the street a little bit.

“Great,” she said. “You don’t mind bringing me back?”

“Nope. In a town this small, nothing is ever too far,” he said with a chuckle.

They crunched through the snow on the way to Brady’s truck, his hands ever ready in case Noelle should fall again. Despite how nice it had been to find herself in his arms, it was still a little embarrassing that he clearly thought she was a bit of a klutz now.

Opening the truck door for her, Brady offered his hand. She took it, even though she didn’t really need it, and wished for a second he hadn’t been wearing gloves. The idea that it would be nice to hold Brady’s hand had her blushing as she settled into the seat, and he closed the door.

A moment later, Brady climbed behind the wheel. They both fastened their seat belts, and he started the truck. The short time in the snow was still enough to give Noelle a chill. When the warm air from the heater hit her, she smiled, a cozy feeling overcoming her.

Brady pulled away from the curb and headed toward the diner. They admired the Christmas lights as they went, pointing out the prettiest houses to one another. When Brady saw a huge inflatable dog, they both oohed. It was black and white, much like Pooch. “Do you think that could be Pooch’s house?” Brady asked with a chuckle that indicated he was joking.

“Maybe I should go knock on their door and ask,” Noelle replied, also joking. “I don’t know. It seems so odd. I really don’t feel like he’s from Holiday Hills. If he was, I would think someone would’ve come to the shelter looking for him by now.”

“And it’s not like anyone would just let him go and decide they didn’t want him anymore. Not Pooch.”

Noelle wanted to agree with him, but that wasn’t always the case. Some of the best dogs were abandoned for reasons she couldn’t explain. She had considered that possibility, but even then, she thought, if Pooch had been abandoned by someone who lived in town, someone would’ve recognized him. He wasn’t the sort of dog people forgot. “I’m not sure how he would’ve gotten here from out of town, but it does happen sometimes.”

“Really? Brady asked. “They run that far?”

“Not usually.” she said. “Most of the time, they jump out of a vehicle, like when they stop for gasoline or something like that.”

“That’s so sad!” Brady said, shaking his head. “Does that happen a lot?”

“No, I don't think so, but it does happen.” There’d been a few dogs reunited with their families who happened to stop to refuel or for other reasons in Holiday Hills since Noelle had taken over the shelter, but not a lot. “Most of the strays we get in are people who dump their dogs because they don’t want them anymore, or just accidents where a dog gets out from a door left open or digs under the fence.”

“And… when it’s a case of those escapees coming into the shelter, do their families usually come back in and get them?”

“Sometimes,” Noelle said, trying to sound hopeful. “Not always. Sometimes people aren’t too worried about their pets. They’re glad to be rid of the responsibility or they think their dog will just come back and when it doesn’t, they get busy and forget.”

Brady shook his head. They were almost at the diner. Noelle hoped they could talk about something else over dinner. Granted, her mother had wanted them to discuss the craft fair, so she supposed they’d have to talk about that, but she felt like she was always talking about herself with him and never even asked him questions. There was a lot to know about Brady Rogers, and she wanted to discover it all.