Page 27 of Puppy Christmas

He said it the way he said most things—a magnanimous man making a magnanimous gesture—causing all of her hackles to rise. But then he added, “I’m also here to apologize.”

“Apologize?” All three Vasquez sisters turned his way with a shared look of incredulity.

He chuckled, though his attention remained riveted on Lila. “I know. It shocked me, too. But I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong, and I was wrong about you. I’m sorry, Lila.”

Lila couldn’t have felt more dazed if the chef had come by and knocked her across the head with a cast-iron frying pan. Once upon a time, in the manner of all fairy tales, she’d thought her happily ever after was within reach. For four months and thirty days, she and Patrick had been an unstoppable force, sharing long philosophical discussions over eggs Benedict. They’d done all the things respectable couples were supposed to do: brunches and lunches and working side by side to complete the SundayTimescrossword puzzle every week.

And they’d done it, too—that was the thing that bothered her the most. Lila had been doing that blasted crossword puzzle for the majority of her adult life, but she’d never managed to finish Sunday’s by herself. But Patrick and his esoteric knowledge of historic military campaigns and Latin root words had done the trick. What she couldn’t figure out on her own, he’d supplied with that beaming smile and some hastily scrawled penmanship. Honestly, it was enough to drive a woman out of her mind with desire.

It had been enough to push Lila that direction, anyway.

Until, of course, the fourth month and thirty-first day.Thatwas when he’d pulled the plug without a hint of warning.Thatwas when he’d blamed her for driving him to it.

Because she was too perfect. Too demanding. Too reserved. Too cold.

In other words, she was a lizard person. Cut her up and measure her out, and she’d be the perfect handbag—with or without the matching shoes.

“You’re sorry?” she echoed, blinking at him.

“Yes.” His hand shot out and covered hers, his grip heavy. “I only meant the best when I warned Anya that you weren’t ideally suited to working with kids.”

“Oh, hell no—” Dawn made a motion to get up out of her seat, but Lila stilled her with one raised, shaking hand. It suddenly seemedveryimportant that Patrick be allowed to finish.

He continued, unabated and unabashed. “Of course, that was before I heard about the way you wooed Emily Ford by dressing up as a princess.”

Lila didn’t bother correcting him. At this point, she was almost willing to pretend that had been her intention all along, provided everyone stopped talking about it. Instead, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew that was one of the things Patrick disliked about her—the way she was slow to speak and careful to act—but it was better than releasing the hysteria building up in her chest.

“I’m not sure I understand,” she eventually said. “You told Anya Askari that I shouldn’t be around children?”

He winced apologetically. “Not in so many words, no. But the subject of service dogs came up when we were discussing Emily’s case a few weeks ago, and I felt it prudent to mention that you aren’t exactly an…affectionate woman.”

Lila’s hand clenched under his as Anya’s words rang loud in her ears.I did have my doubts about you, especially after meeting with Emily’s medical team. The truth is, I was rather hoping you’d have Sophie or Dawn handle the juvenile cases.

“That was you? You’re on Emily’s medical team? You’re one of her doctors?” The full weight of his confession sank in. “You tried to get this job taken away from me?”

“Come on, Lil,” he said softly. “It’s not like you can deny it. All that warm, fuzzy stuff is hardly your style.”

Unlike the last time he’d leveled that insult at her, he spoke without malice or rancor, his smile striking that perfect balance between condescension and kindness. Seeing it—how calm he was, how sincere—Lila felt as though she’d been sucker punched from inside her rib cage.

Technically, everything he said was true. She wasn’t warm or fuzzy. She wasn’t the soft, maternal type. She was the last woman anyone would turn to for a comforting embrace.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t have feelings. It didn’t mean she couldn’tlove.

Her sisters must have realized how close she was to losing it, because they intervened before she could make the mistake of saying any of this out loud.

“Oh, would you look at the time?” Sophie said with an obvious look at her wrist. “If we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late.” As she wasn’t wearing a watch, not even Patrick Yarmouth at his most obtuse could fail to pick up the meaning.

“So late, so late, for a terribly important date,” Dawn added. The rhyme was playful, but her voice was not. “We won’t keep you any longer, Patrick. Thanks ever so much for stopping by.”

Patrick opened his mouth as if to argue but wisely closed it again. No man on earth was strong enough to fight that pair when they went into full protective mode. Lila watched, somewhat dazed, as her sisters slid out of the booth and strong-armed Patrick to his feet. She knew she should say something—apologize back to him or fly up in her own defense or even ask never to see his face again, thank you very much—but she was having a difficult time processing it all.

In the end, the only words she could muster were ones she had to borrow from someone else. “Wait, Patrick. Before you go…”

Her sisters each had one of Patrick’s arms in their own as they propelled him toward the door. At the sound of her voice, all three of them halted and looked back.

“I just want to know one thing. Do you gargle with bleach, or do you use that new charcoal toothpaste everyone is going on about?”

Patrick’s heavy—and square—eyebrows snapped together. “What?”

“Your teeth,” she said and made a gesture in the general direction of his mouth. “A friend of mine wants to know. What do you do to make them so bright?”

“You can’t gargle with bleach, Lila,” he said in his best doctor voice. “The soft tissue damage alone would be unthinkable.”

He sounded so earnest, so concerned about the state of her oral health, that Lila actually found it in her to laugh. It sounded brittle and felt tight, but it was a laugh all the same.Sheesh.She might be not be warm and fuzzy, but at least she knew a joke when she heard one.

“I’ll keep everything you say in mind, Dr. Yarmouth,” she said and ignored the clenching in her chest. Some of the things he’d said had been real doozies. “As always, your wisdom knows no bounds.”