as musical as all of Gramma Finnie’s sayings being read out loud. Lucas did his very best to check each train car for the missing puppy.
As the train pulled away, they spotted the cameraman from the local TV station, walking along with one of the cars, filming the whole thing. He turned the lens to a blond woman who held a microphone and started talking.
“It’s Christmas Eve at the Vestal Village Mall and—”
Just then, Tor barked and pulled Lucas toward the train, yanking on his leash.
The cameraman shot a look at them.
“He wants to run after the train,” Lucas said, jogging a little to keep up with Tor.
“Just run with him.” Pru gave him a nudge. “Before we end up on the evening news.”
They took off with Tor, who caught up with the caboose, which had a bench running along the back car, facing backward. He batted at it with his paw, barking and trying to get on board.
With an exchange of a quick look, Pru and Lucas both shrugged, and when the train slowed to a crawl for some foot traffic ahead, they let Tor jump onto the train and climbed up after him, tucking into the tiny seat facing out to the mall.
The train picked up speed, and they just laughed while Tor got right between them, his paws on the seat, turning to look at the train cars.
“Nice RACK work!” Lucas said, looking over Tor’s back at Pru. “That’s gotta be worth some points.”
“I’m going to submit the pictures and video right now.” Pru tapped her screen, looking for the RACK IT UP app. “But weren’t we supposed to find that puppy?”
“I guess Tor got a little too distracted.”
After a moment, Tor gave up and stretched himself over Pru’s lap while Lucas lifted his backside onto his lap, both of them holding tight so he didn’t slide off.
“And now he sleeps,” Pru cracked. “The dog with no in-between mode. Off or on.”
Lucas leaned back, his whole body relaxing as the dog did, resting so that his shoulder and arm pressed against Pru’s. “But at least we did one random act. I know this day hasn’t exactly gone as you planned.”
She took a breath, the scent of leather and something very masculine filling her nose. “No, it hasn’t,” she admitted, smiling up at him. “But that was super creative.”
“Let’s see what the judges think.”
She eyed the scores on her phone and let out a sigh. “Dang. Bitter Bark is in third!”
“Really? Let me see that.” He put his hand on her phone, and their fingers brushed, and Pru tried not to react. At least not visibly. It was one thing to get a Christmas crush on Lucas Darling—it would be a whole new level of embarrassing if he figured it out.
“Jeez,” he blinked at the phone. “Fifty points behind Sweetwater Springs and seventy behind Holly Hills. Doesn’t look good for the old home team.”
She leaned back in the tiny seat. “So no Winter Formal for us. Not that you probably care, but I—”
“Why wouldn’t I care?” he asked.
“Oh, because you don’t seem, you know…” Like the kind of guy who’d give a hoot about a dance. But then, he also didn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d hand out Tor Tidings to a train full of kids. “I just didn’t think you knew that many people yet.”
He studied her for a moment, a little bit of a light in his eyes like he was about to say something flirtatious, but then he looked forward. “It’s never easy to drop into a school in the middle of a semester.”
“I would imagine,” she said. “It must have been difficult leaving your old school.”
“Not really. I didn’t miss my school. I missed…” He let his voice trail off, looking out at the stores. “I wonder where that puppy got to.”
“What do you miss?” Pru asked softly, crazy-curious about what made this complicated boy tick. Plus, it had to be that girl. Had to be.
He slid her a look. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.”
Waiting a beat, he let out a sigh, stroking the sleeping dog. “I wouldn’t tell this to just anyone.”
The butterflies that had gone dormant while they RACKed up points suddenly woke up, shook off, and dive-bombed in Pru’s belly. “Oh, okay. What is it?”
“I mean, I kinda trust you.” He held her gaze for a heartbeat or two. A noisy, hit-your-ribs kind of heartbeat.
“You do?” She sounded a little breathless, but couldn’t really help