I do. I have a friend who would love a puppy for Christmas.”
Tom gratefully handed the fur-ball to Jess, and the tension was immediately defused. The puppy was two months old, Tom told her, and he was half Black Lab and half German Shepherd. Jess offered to pay, but the Halls were so grateful to have this particular disagreement taken care of, they wouldn’t hear of it.
Jess carried the puppy to her car, sheltering him from the wind and searching for a clue. All little black puppies looked alike, but if Jimmy named him Rudy...
She shook her head at the impossible idea.
With the map that was still in her glove compartment, Jess had no trouble finding her way to Jimmy’s ranch house. Of course the route was familiar. She’d traveled this section of the interstate many times, and once she was off the interstate, well, all these back roads looked alike, didn’t they?
But when she pulled into the driveway, her heart skipped a beat. A circular drive, a picture window, double doors. In her dream it had been nighttime when she’d approached, so the details were not exactly the same, but there was no mistaking the similarities.
Had Lorraine, after the barbecue, described the house to Jess in great detail, and she’d just forgotten? Had those details been planted in the back of her mind?
It was the only reasonable conclusion.
She sat in the driveway for a few long minutes, staring at the house. Had she come here all because of a dream? How silly. How stupid! A dream of a ghostly figure telling her to shape her own future, showing her what might be ahead, and Jess does something completely impulsive and out of character.
But she had to know, and besides... there was no room for a dog in her apartment.
Jess scooped the ball of fur off the passenger seat, and gathered what little strength she had left. The worst thing that could happen was that she’d make a complete fool of herself in front of Jimmy Blue and his family. Yeah, that wouldn’t be so bad...
Jimmy opened the door so quickly after her knock, she wondered if he’d been watching as she sat in the car trying to decide if this was insane or simply stupid.
No man had a right to look so good in jeans and a T-shirt that he took a woman’s breath away. She had to remind herself that this man was not her husband; he was just a nice guy who’d asked her out a few times. Still, she had an incredible urge to tell Jimmy she loved him and then kiss him right here in the doorway.
“Hi,” she said instead.
He stepped back and invited her in, and Jess stepped into her dream. The hat rack in the hallway, the entrance to the great room, the stone fire, place complete with blazing flames. There were unwrapped packages everywhere, and an almost bare tree at one end of the room.
“The tree should be in front of the window,” Jess whispered.
“Good idea.”
Her eyes fell on the chair, their chair, which was situated in the middle of the room.
“Great chair,” she said softly.
“Yeah. At the furniture store where I got it, they called it a chair and a half,” he said just a little bit too quickly. “They just delivered it last week. It’s really comfortable. You should try it out.”
“I will.” Her eyes scanned the room, the wrapping paper and boxes, tissue paper, ornaments and lights.
“It’s a mess,” Jimmy apologized. “My family doesn’t get here until this afternoon, and...” He stopped speaking when she looked squarely at him. “I didn’t really think you’d come,” he finished softly.
“I didn’t either,” she admitted.
The puppy squirmed, and she handed the black ball of fur with the big red bow to Jimmy. “Merry Christmas, Blue. I hope you like dogs.”
His grin answered her. “I love dogs. I’ve been meaning to get one ever since I bought this place, but I haven’t really had the time—”
“Name him,” Jess interrupted, her voice too sharp. It was suddenly important. If her dream had been a sign, or a gift, if it had
Tom gratefully handed the fur-ball to Jess, and the tension was immediately defused. The puppy was two months old, Tom told her, and he was half Black Lab and half German Shepherd. Jess offered to pay, but the Halls were so grateful to have this particular disagreement taken care of, they wouldn’t hear of it.
Jess carried the puppy to her car, sheltering him from the wind and searching for a clue. All little black puppies looked alike, but if Jimmy named him Rudy...
She shook her head at the impossible idea.
With the map that was still in her glove compartment, Jess had no trouble finding her way to Jimmy’s ranch house. Of course the route was familiar. She’d traveled this section of the interstate many times, and once she was off the interstate, well, all these back roads looked alike, didn’t they?
But when she pulled into the driveway, her heart skipped a beat. A circular drive, a picture window, double doors. In her dream it had been nighttime when she’d approached, so the details were not exactly the same, but there was no mistaking the similarities.
Had Lorraine, after the barbecue, described the house to Jess in great detail, and she’d just forgotten? Had those details been planted in the back of her mind?
It was the only reasonable conclusion.
She sat in the driveway for a few long minutes, staring at the house. Had she come here all because of a dream? How silly. How stupid! A dream of a ghostly figure telling her to shape her own future, showing her what might be ahead, and Jess does something completely impulsive and out of character.
But she had to know, and besides... there was no room for a dog in her apartment.
Jess scooped the ball of fur off the passenger seat, and gathered what little strength she had left. The worst thing that could happen was that she’d make a complete fool of herself in front of Jimmy Blue and his family. Yeah, that wouldn’t be so bad...
Jimmy opened the door so quickly after her knock, she wondered if he’d been watching as she sat in the car trying to decide if this was insane or simply stupid.
No man had a right to look so good in jeans and a T-shirt that he took a woman’s breath away. She had to remind herself that this man was not her husband; he was just a nice guy who’d asked her out a few times. Still, she had an incredible urge to tell Jimmy she loved him and then kiss him right here in the doorway.
“Hi,” she said instead.
He stepped back and invited her in, and Jess stepped into her dream. The hat rack in the hallway, the entrance to the great room, the stone fire, place complete with blazing flames. There were unwrapped packages everywhere, and an almost bare tree at one end of the room.
“The tree should be in front of the window,” Jess whispered.
“Good idea.”
Her eyes fell on the chair, their chair, which was situated in the middle of the room.
“Great chair,” she said softly.
“Yeah. At the furniture store where I got it, they called it a chair and a half,” he said just a little bit too quickly. “They just delivered it last week. It’s really comfortable. You should try it out.”
“I will.” Her eyes scanned the room, the wrapping paper and boxes, tissue paper, ornaments and lights.
“It’s a mess,” Jimmy apologized. “My family doesn’t get here until this afternoon, and...” He stopped speaking when she looked squarely at him. “I didn’t really think you’d come,” he finished softly.
“I didn’t either,” she admitted.
The puppy squirmed, and she handed the black ball of fur with the big red bow to Jimmy. “Merry Christmas, Blue. I hope you like dogs.”
His grin answered her. “I love dogs. I’ve been meaning to get one ever since I bought this place, but I haven’t really had the time—”
“Name him,” Jess interrupted, her voice too sharp. It was suddenly important. If her dream had been a sign, or a gift, if it had
Similar Books
