She shed her coat and hung it over the barstool next to him. “Is this for me?” She pointed at the cocoa machine.
Caleb had yet to unglue his tongue from the top of his mouth. Faith’s cheeks were rosy and her eyes bright. Her hair, up in a high ponytail, was disheveled. Man, he’d like to make her look that good. Burying his hands in her hair as he kissed that blush to her cheeks would be a treat. He shook himself. “Yep. All yours.” He lifted his own mug and took a sip of the slightly cooled cocoa. “You look happy.”
She threw a smile over her shoulder, and he about fell off his chair. Seriously—this woman had no idea how beautiful she was, and it was undoing him. “I forgot how much I like going out on ranch calls. The work is challenging, but there’s something about being with a herd of animals or working beside someone who respects their cattle.” She pulled the mug out and took a sip, her eyes closing in pleasure.
Caleb bit his cheek and thought of Dunder to keep himself from leaping over the counter and taking Faith in his arms. It appeared that absence did make the heart grow fonder, because she’d only been gone for a few hours and he was falling all over himself. “Would you want to move in permanently?” He did his best to keep the conversation casual despite the way his heart hammered out hope that she’d choose to stay. “After all, you already have a bedroom here.”
She smiled into her cup. “Dad and I need to clear up a lot of things. I didn’t get to see him today because of this emergency. I don’t think we are at a point where being business partners is a good idea.”
“Working with family is a challenge.” He lifted his mug in salute and then felt like an idiot, so he hurried and slurped a sip. “You just said you loved the ranch calls, and I haven’t seen you this happy since you got here.” If he didn’t know that she’d gone out to Old Man Miller’s, he might be jealous of the man who put the spring in Faith’s step.
She laughed lightly. “It was a great day. I almost got kicked by the bull, but he just missed me. I think my heart about jumped out of my chest.” She placed her hand over her heart even as her smile slipped. “My practice is in Grafton, though. I have a lot of money wrapped up in it, and I can’t just walk away. It’s impractical to even consider it.”
Well, there went that hope. If only Faith could see herself in Sleigh Bell Country. She’d realize how good this place was for her. Everything in her bright countenance said that moving here would be an improvement over the life she had in the city. Maybe she needed a big dose of this small town to change her mind. He stood, closing his book in the process. “Let’s go out.”
She half-choked on her cocoa. “But I just got in.”
He pressed forward. “Tonight is the sing-along. It’s a huge deal in town, and it’s one of the best traditions we have—second only to Santa’s ride on Christmas Eve.” He winked, hoping she’d take his pressure as friendly and not desperate.
Her brow furrowed. “What about Rudy?”
“Check on him—but he’s in good spirits when he’s awake. I’ll see if Pax can come sit with him. He doesn’t like crowds, so he’ll appreciate the excuse to get out of going with the family.” He hoped. It was true that Pax was an introvert—the only one in the whole family. If he didn’t look so much like a Nichollas, they’d think he was adopted. “Come on. You have to experience this at least once in your life.”
Faith chewed her bottom lip. “If you put it that way …” She glanced down at her layers and layers of clothing. “I’m not dressed for an occasion.”
“You’ll be the most beautiful woman in the park—guaranteed.”
Her rosy cheeks turned a dark shade of red. “Well, how can I say no to that?” she whispered hoarsely.
He broke into a grin. “Yeah?”
Her smile was almost as big as his. “Yeah.”
“Woot!”
She laughed at his fist thrown in the air. “First the reindeer.” She pointed towards the clinic. “If he’s struggling, we stay in.”
“He’s doing great.” Caleb held the door open for her. “You’re going to have such a good time tonight. It’s really