Mistletoe Magic (Paradise Place #6) - Natalie Ann Page 0,38

to try to find the perfect Christmas gift for Brian.

“Invite anyone you want,” Cooper said. “They are working up invitations that should be ready next week if you want to take some and hand them out.”

“I definitely will,” she said. “Maybe I’ll have Brian give some to his family and his office.”

“Brian?” Cooper asked, his ears perking up.

“My boyfriend.” She figured it might be best to get that out in the open now and it would stop the flirting. She had no problem being friendly with people, but she wanted people to know she was dating someone.

Even the girls at work had asked why she was smiling so much lately and she’d confessed she was in a relationship. They all had questions and she ended up being the center of attention that she hated so much.

She answered a few of those questions, got some sly looks over dating an attorney and then quickly went back to work. No one knew she was divorced there. There was no reason to say anything. All she’d said was she was single.

She didn’t even tell anyone where she bought her new house, just saying in Colonie. She was glad no one asked specifics. Since she kept to herself so much, plenty gave her that space.

“Oh. I didn’t know you were dating anyone. Sorry if I stepped on any toes,” he said quickly. “Didn’t mean to make anyone uncomfortable.”

“No,” she said. “It’s fine. I’m a private person.”

“Yeah. I like that about you. I am too. My biggest problem is I spend too much time with animals that I don’t always relate to humans as well. Or get signs or signals when they are right in my face.”

She laughed. Cooper wasn’t a bad-looking guy at all. Actually he was pretty good looking, but she always felt he was kind of cocky. But now she was wondering if he was just as awkward as her and trying to hide it.

Didn’t matter and she wasn’t going to belabor it either. Not her problem.

“I never noticed anything. No worries either way. So how many are we expecting today?” she asked.

“I think we’ve got two shipments coming so I hope you’re ready though I think it’s only five from one and eight from another.”

“That’s still a lot of dogs,” she said. Normally they only got about eight to ten with each shipment. And one shipment at a time though that wasn’t the case today. It was sad, but it seemed like more and more dogs were being abandoned. She was just happy they only dealt with dogs and not cats here.

She went in the back room where the bathing stations were and started to set stuff up knowing it could be a long day ahead of them.

“Wow you look beat. Hard day?” Brian looked over to where Robin was sitting on the couch looking like she just woke up. The minute the dogs heard his voice, they jumped off her lap and came running toward him hopping up on his legs.

He held the pizza up and out of the way even though the dogs weren’t anywhere close to getting it.

“Yeah.”

“Lots of dogs delivered today?” he asked. He put the pizza on the counter and started to get plates and napkins down. Robin finally got up from the couch and made her way over to him, leaning up on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss, then almost sinking back down to the floor.

“Yes,” she said. “I’m starving, but I’m almost too tired to even eat. There were thirteen dogs delivered today. Thirteen little balls of fur that wouldn’t sit down.”

“Does any puppy ever sit?” he asked. He moved her to the stool and put a piece of pizza on a plate in front of her. “Here. Eat.”

“Thank you. You take such good care of me.” She took a big bite of the pizza. “Anyway. Eight were a Jack Russell mix. Oh my, they were into everything. Everywhere I turned one was running in another direction. It was only Cooper and I and we were both exhausted by the end of the day.”

“Cooper the vet?” he asked. He’d heard the name one too many times to think the guy might have a thing for his girl.

“Yes. I found out there is a fundraiser in a few weeks. I made a comment about bringing some invitations home and giving them to you for your staff or family.”

“And what was his response? Yes, I’ll hand them out. Not sure if anyone will go,