Page 99 of Under the Mistletoe with You

A deep, very alive breath.

‘Oh, thank Christ.’He clutches the puppy against him, but not too hard, worried he might disrupt its breathing again.

Still in his hands, Thelma looks the puppy over.‘She’s fine, the colour is coming to her.’

‘You scared the living daylights out of me, little miss,’ Christopher whispers.

As if in answer, the puppy yips and then farts.

‘I love her,’ laughs Nash.Finally, he has lost the smug-gleeful look, and instead there’s a softness.A smile, not asmirk.A look that Christopher could fall into if he wanted to.A look he wants to touch.

‘Good work, lad,’ says Thelma, patting him on the back.

Dai nods enthusiastically, but is unable to speak, his face streaming with tears.He gives Christopher a wobbly thumbs up instead.

‘Are you going to keep them all?’asks Nash.

‘Oh no, I’m too old for that.I might keep one, just for her.’

That’ll be Khloé then, Christopher imagines.

Dai smothers his face in Nessa’s.She gently licks the tip of his nose where tears have beaded.‘You’re such a good girl, aren’t you, my Ness?Look at all your lovely babies.’

Christopher hadn’t realised until now, but he’s still clutching the last puppy to his chest.She’s tucked her head against his Paddington Bear scarf, and her tiny pink nose is flushing with life.A yearning rumbles in his chest, but then, perhaps it’s quite a silly idea.After all, collies need a lot of time and energy and entertainment.More so than his parents’ dogs Stella and Luna, even, and they’re a pair of nightmares when they’re not asleep.This puppy in his hands is at least half collie, and depending on what the hiker’s dog was, she’s going to probably have that high energetic need.But then, maybe that could be a good thing for him?After all, he was thinking about bringing someone on to help out at the bakery, to take over some of the responsibilities.Perhaps a commitment like this puppy is a step in that direction?There’s no way he can have both.

And if this whole bakery dream falls apart ...well, he’d still have her.

Plus, he has been lonely without animal companionship.He couldn’t have a dog in London – he was in the office too often, which was strictly anti-dog.But here, he could.Here, in this new life he is shaping for himself.

When he looks up, Dai is grinning at him.‘She’s yours if you want her.I wouldn’t dream of taking her, if you want her.’

‘She should meet her mum first,’ Christopher says, replacing her back with her siblings, mentally memorising her pattern, the pinkness of her nose, the little black patches on her forelegs.‘But ...yes.Please.’

Dai nods, and the deal is done, he supposes.Wow.In two months, he’ll have a puppy.That feels like a good commitment towards keeping going, to finding joy in his life.A small, brand-new bit of meaning.

‘So, what’s the plan?’says Thelma with a clap of her hands.

‘Well, I can’t move her inside where there’s no heat.I’ll have to wait it out until the power comes on.’

‘You can’t stay in here forever.’

‘It’s fine!There’s a heater.’

Christopher thinks back to how cold Dai looked when they first turned up, and questions the efficacy of it.The room is warm now with all these warm bodies, but that’ll go soon.

‘Oh?And what are you going to do, eh?Piss in that corner, wash in the other?’

‘Well, where else am I supposed to go?’

Thelma fixes him with a stare.‘Dai, don’t be a twmffat.’

A heavy pause follows as they size each other up.

‘Thelma, really.I can’t.’

‘Why?’

‘It’s an imposition.’