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Chapter 12
Brady pushed the door open for her, and Noelle went through, thanking him. Goldie didn’t seem encumbered at all, now that she was out in the fresh air. Noelle realized she hadn’t put her coat on and immediately wished she’d been thinking clearly. “Would you mind taking her leash for just a second?” she asked.
“Sure,” Brady said, his forehead wrinkling as he puzzled over what she was doing.
Quickly, Noelle took a few steps back into the building and grabbed an old coat from a hook near the door. She kept it there for occasions just like this one. Back in a moment, she took the leash from Brady who gave her a knowing nod. “Do you want to borrow my scarf?” he asked her as she zipped up the old black coat.
“No, it’s okay. It’s not that cold.” She smiled at him, glad for the offer but truly not needing it. She did slip her hands into some black gl
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City Hall, the building where the city council met, was built in the 1940s. Though it was evident the interior had been redone a few decades after that, as Brady sat beneath a flickering fluorescent light that refused to fully commit to its job, he had to wonder why Mayor Jenkins, who sat at the head of the oblong table, would rather spend the city’s budget on a parking garage he didn’t see the need for than a million other items--including the refurbishment of the building they were sitting in now.The rest of the board members seemed complacent with the way things currently were. Four men and one woman, one other woman absent, all of them older than Brady, all of them professionals of one sort or another, though two of the men had retired from their other careers, he could tell they hadn’t been particularly happy to be called in to meet with Mayor Jenkins on a Monday afternoon, but the mayor was so keen on getting things going with hi
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 14
Cleaning out the kennels was usually a job Noelle disliked so much, she’d do just about anything to get out of it. On days when Rhonda was volunteering, she didn’t need to worry because the older woman didn’t mind it one bit. That Tuesday morning, as Noelle went from stall to stall making sure everything was tidy, she wasn’t paying enough attention to the job to be too upset. Her mind was on other things.Brady would be bringing her lunch in just a few hours. It seemed strange to think of that as something special really. It wasn’t like it was a date or anything. He was actually coming by to see Pooch. Brady was just being nice, volunteering to bring her something to eat. He could probably see how hard she worked at her job and didn’t want to be rude, coming at lunchtime and not bringing her anything. So, being excited about it was probably pretty ridiculous.Yet, that morning, she’d put on a sp
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 15
“Hi!” Did she sound too enthusiastic? She thought maybe she sounded too enthusiastic.“Hi.” He returned her smile, though he didn’t seem to be quite as loud as she was. “How are you?”“I’m good. How are you?”“Good--thanks.” He stared at her for a moment, and Noelle fumbled for words, getting a little lost in his eyes. “Do you have a break room or someplace we can sit?”“Oh, yeah! This way.” She shook her head, trying to clear it, and then gestured for him to follow her. She hadn’t expected him to eat with her. For some reason, she’d thought he’d want to take Pooch for his walk while she ate, that he’d just been being nice when he offered to bring her lunch. She was right to be prepared, just in case.The break room was small--just a round table with two chairs wedg
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 16
Pooch was so excited to see Brady, he couldn’t help but laugh as the little guy squirmed in his arms and licked his face. He was glad he already had the leash attached to his collar so he could set him down. Even then, the dog jumped up and down, pawing at his leg, wanting so badly to have Brady’s full attention.He did--for the moment. Noelle was getting her coat and gloves on and said she was going to get Blacky from his cage to take him for a quick walk. She wouldn’t be able to be away from the front for too long since there were no volunteers to help anyone that might come in, but the fact that she was going to spend a few moments walking with them in the back of the shelter had Brady smiling widely as he stooped to pet Pooch.She sure had a way of helping him get his thoughts together. When he’d come into the shelter with her lunch in hand, he’d had an idea that there was something they could do to hel
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 17
“You want to do what?” Martha Davis asked, her eyes wide as she stared across her desk at Brady.“Bring Christmas back,” he said, infusing energy into his voice instead of the doubt he was feeling inside. He didn’t know this woman well enough to gauge her reaction, but he had the idea that she thought he was crazy, despite the discussion they’d had at the meeting the day before.She shook her head. “Brady, I understand what you’re saying, I do. And I agreed with what you had to say yesterday. But as my fellow council members said at the meeting, I don’t know how it can be done.”Brady flashed her his winning smile. “I think it can. Listen, you’re good friends with Doris Snow, right?”Martha nodded, her forehead crinkling. They were sitting in her office near the downtown shopping district. She worked as a therapist when she
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 18
It was dark by the time Noelle got home from work, but then, it was almost always dark when she got home from work, whether it was the dead of winter like it was right now or the middle of summer when the sun stayed up until almost 9:00. Still, as she got out of her car and headed toward her apartment, it just seemed like she had missed out on most of the day. She loved her job but hated the fact that she was at the shelter for so long, she often missed out on the fun parts of life, especially this time of year.A light snow had started falling not long after Brady had left the shelter. Though it had stopped, her feet crunched through a light dusting as she headed toward the stairs that led up to her apartment. She’d have to be careful in the morning in case it froze over.Once upstairs, she unlocked her door, wondering why she ever even bothered to lock it in Holiday Hills, and pressed inside, flipping on the lights and dropping
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 19
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
All I Want for Christmas is Pooch Chapter 20
Sitting across from Noelle in the little diner in Holiday Hills was a far cry from the fancy restaurants Brady used to take his ex-girlfriend to in the big city. Charlotte would’ve never thought this place was good enough for her. Not only was Noelle perfectly content to eat at such an establishment, she hadn’t ordered a salad and a glass of water, opting for chicken and dumplings, one of Brady’s favorites, instead.“So… what made you decide to become a city planner?” Noelle asked as she took a drink of soda.“Well, it’s always been a dream of mine,” Brady admitted. “I love architecture and engineering, but I also like finance and accounting. I figured this would be a good way to use all of those interests.” He smiled at her and then took another bite of his beef stroganoff. This diner had a wide variety of dishes to keep a person warm on a cold night, and he’d fou
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