Page 47 of This Christmas

It felt… right.

The world outside was chaos, lawsuits, snow, fear. But here, in this small pocket of warmth, Ally and Charlotte were safe.

Joe tightened his arm around her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“I just wish it would stop,” she said, her voice barely a breath.

He wanted to promise her that someday her ex would forget about her. That he’d finally run out of ways to get to her and hurt her. But instead, he just held her tighter, watching the fire burn lower. He knew one thing for sure—whatever came next, he couldn’t walk away from them now. Maybe not ever.

“I have a surprise I have to pick up tomorrow,” he admitted.

She shifted and looked up at him. “What kind of surprise?”

He cupped her face. “The kind that comes with a collar and a leash and barks.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “A dog?”

“He’s more of a puppy at this stage. I caught someone dumping him on the side of the highway. He would have frozen had I not seen it.”

“Oh no.” She shifted slightly and sat up. “Is it okay?”

He nodded. “I dropped him off at the vet, which I found out is Aiden’s mother.” He smiled. “She’s keeping him overnight and getting him up to date on shots and making sure he’s okay.”

“What happened to the man who dumped him?”

“Hopefully, he’s sitting in a cell now. Aiden and his crew are taking care of it.” He pulled her back into his arms. “After picking up the dog tomorrow, I’m also planning on looking at a property that I might put an offer in on. Do you and Charlotte want to come with me?”

She frowned slightly. “A property?”

“Well, my lease on my apartment in Portland was up at the end of the month, and I’ve sort of been offered a job by Aiden, here in town.”

“You’re moving to Pride?” She shifted fully to sit up beside him.

“If it’s not too weird.”

“Why would it be weird?”

He shrugged. “Because the two main reasons I’m moving here are sitting right beside me and sleeping upstairs.” She was quiet for a while so he added. “Is it too weird?”

She chuckled. “No, it’s… a good thing. I just… I’m not sure…”

He cupped her face. “If you tell me you don’t want to see me like this, then it ends. No pressure. But for the first time in a long time, I feel comfortable somewhere.” He glanced out the windows. “This town has something…”

“Magical,” she finished for him.

He nodded. “I was becoming bitter and overstimulated in the city,” he admitted, leaning his head back against the sofa and closing his eyes. “I like the quiet. The slower pace.”

“You’re going to be a cop again?”

“Yeah, but not a city cop.” He smiled down at her.

“Where’s the property?” she asked after a moment.

“A few miles from here. Aiden says it’s a good place. It might need a few repairs but nothing I haven’t handled before.”

She ran her eyes over him for a moment. “What are you going to name the dog?”

He smiled. “Olaf.”