Christmas In Mustang Creek. Maisey Yates

not to respond immediately. “Let’s take this slowly. I’d appreciate the hospitality, at least for tonight, because the alternative is either the hotel—if they have a room available—or bedding down on Nate’s couch. With his bloodhound, Rufus by name. I’m as fond of bloodhounds as the next guy, but they’re heavy and they drool a lot. A bed here would certainly be preferable.”

      Charlotte rubbed her forehead, looking beleaguered—and amused. “Go ahead and stay until you find something else. You should know, however, that I haven’t got the slightest idea what I’m doing with my life. That’s about as honest as I can be. I lost my job, for one thing.”

      “I gathered that from your online post.” Oops. He blamed his slip on the muffin; it was delicious. Beyond delicious. “I’m sorry about the job, but not sorry you left New York. Want a bite?”

      She plucked off a morsel and ate it. Her shoulders slumped. “I’m not sorry, either. I just want it understood that I have no idea where my plans are right now. Let me get through the holidays first.”

      He might argue with the assumption that he was there in pursuit of her, except that it was true. It made sense. If you lived in Idaho, met a woman in New York City and then showed up in someplace like Mustang Creek, Wyoming, your intentions were pretty unmistakable.

      Subtle, he wasn’t.

      “I’m planning to spend Christmas Eve at the clinic,” he threw out, in case she thought he’d need hand-holding over the holidays.

      “You’re in charge of the pet adoption thing this year? Aunt Geneva was telling me about it today. She still reads the weekly paper from cover to cover. Luckily, she’ll be home for Christmas. I’d find it hard to feel merry without her.”

      Mrs. Klozz came back in then, followed by the cat, his tail swishing. “I’ve been informed that cats need to eat, too.” Her comment was punctuated by a demanding feline yowl. “You see? Jaxon, would you mind getting Mutley out of here? If only they made dog food that tasted like cat food, then everyone would be happy. He shamelessly eats it in one gobble, and poor Can-Can is left in the lurch.”

      Another chance to be useful. At this rate, he’d be indispensable in a matter of days.

      “Thank you, Mrs. Kl—Millicent. For lunch, I mean. Mut and I will go up and check the bathroom door. Come on, boy.”

      He had to grin at the pensive way Mutley looked over his shoulder, as if he suspected somebody was about to break out a can of cat food, but he followed Jax out of the room.

      “We men have to stick together,” Jax told the dog as they climbed the steps to the landing.

      The dog barked. Jax took it as a sign of agreement.

      On closer examination, Jax discovered that the latch on the bathroom door was stuck because the handle mechanism no longer fit into the frame. With Mutley supervising, he took it apart, using the screwdriver on the pocketknife he carried all the time unless he was dressed up for some reason, which wasn’t often in his line of work. He tightened all the screws, then put the lock back together. It worked like a charm.

      Walk the dog. Fix the door. He put a mental check beside both items.

      He was getting a lot done; he’d checked out of the hotel and he was ready to move in.

      With Mutley at his side, he went out to his extended-cab truck to fetch his suitcase, shaving kit and laptop from the backseat. He’d checked out of the hotel, assuming he’d be staying at Nate’s. There were still a few boxes, but Jax decided to leave those where they were for the time being. The balance between him and Charlotte was delicate; he didn’t want to come across as pushy.

      Upstairs in his new bedroom, Mutley lay down, panting, to watch as Jax unpacked his clothes, hung up his shirts, stowed away his other belongings in the antique dresser. He set his laptop on the desk and plugged it in to charge.

      That done, he sat down on the edge of the quilted bed and dispatched a brief text to his dad. Just your basic update, a “hello, I’m fine, how are you?” kind of thing. This time of day “Doc Locke,” as the locals called him, would still be with his furry patients. Jax would call him later with his new—temporary—address and the phone number at the veterinary clinic.

      In the meantime, since he had the afternoon free, maybe he’d go out and do some Christmas shopping. Get a look at the town in the process.

      Now that he was acquainted with Mutley, who seemed a perfectly adequate canine, he was having second thoughts about presenting Charlotte with a dog. So he was back at square one when it came to buying her a Christmas gift. He’d bought gifts for his dad and various other family members online, so that was done, but he wanted to pick up a little something for Mrs. Klozz, for the vet techs and receptionist over at Nate’s clinic and for Charlotte’s aunt, too.

      There was one problem, though.

      “Hey, Mut, what do old ladies like?”

      The dog unhelpfully gave a small snore, sound asleep in a stray patch of sunlight coming through the window. He opened one eye when Jax went to the door, then closed it again. Evidently, old Mutley had had all the fun he could stand for one day.

       CHAPTER SIX

      HADLEIGH GALLOWAY CERTAINLY hadn’t changed much, Charlotte thought as she entered the quilt shop, and the bell on the door jingled. They’d seen each other last summer when their friend Bex Stuart had gotten married, but hadn’t had a chance to really talk amid all the bustle of the wedding. Not to mention that Hadleigh had a newborn then, so she’d been more than a little preoccupied.

      The shop looked festive with garlands along the ceilings and a wreath on the wall behind the desk. All the gorgeous quilts on display had a winter theme of pine trees or reindeer, most of them patterned in the traditional red and green, but there was a particularly lovely one in pale blue and ivory, picturing a church covered in snow.

      Festive music played softly in the background.

      “Charlie!” Hadleigh left her perch on the stool behind the counter and came around to hug her. “You’re home for Christmas. I was hoping to see you.”

      Charlotte hugged her in return. “I’m home for longer than just Christmas this time. I’ve moved back here. Guess I’m more of a small-town girl than I thought and, anyway, Aunt Geneva needs me. Other than that, I’m not sure what I’ll do next.”

      “We’ll have a girls’ night out with Melody and Bex and catch up soon. Make the men watch the babies and kids instead of football.”

      “Sounds perfect.” While she’d certainly made friends away from Mustang Creek, her roots were deepest here. They’d all gone to school together—she, Bex, Melody and Hadleigh.

      Hadleigh’s eyes sparkled. “So the new vet... What’s that story?”

      “How could you possibly—”

      “Mrs. Klozz sometimes brings me suggestions for new quilt designs. Like that one.” She pointed to a child-size quilt featuring a reindeer wearing a Santa hat. “She breezes in, usually with a treat, like those yummy tea cakes with white chocolate drizzle, and chats for a minute or two. She’s mentioned Dr. Locke more than once. And keep in mind this is Mustang Creek, where everyone knows everything.” Hadleigh stopped to take a breath. “Let’s see, Bex is married to Tate Calder, and Doc Cameron is Tate’s partner in the horse-breeding business. He acquired a new vet for his practice, so it was just a matter of connecting the dots. He followed you here, correct? Did I miss anything?”

      Seven years away from Mustang Creek was apparently too long. “I have so much to handle right now, I can’t even begin to figure out how I feel about Jax.”

      “Want some coffee? You can bounce your ideas off me.”

      “That would be great, if I had any ideas. I’d love a coffee, though.” Charlotte