Page 38 of Chasing Cheer
“I can take him for a walk. I’m going anyway,” Holly offered, and Comet’s tail thumped loudly on the floor.
A weight lifted from his mental load. He’d felt guilty about not having a ton of time to walk Comet lately. Though he still tried to throw the ball for him each night, their morning walks had been getting less and less frequent.
“Really? He would love that. He doesn’t usually use a leash with me, but you should probably have one just in case he tries to run off. Here.” Ash reached behind the lobby desk and pulled out a long blue leash. Snowflakes were engraved in the fabric. “Are you sure you want to take him? That’s really nice of you.”
“Of course. It’s no problem.” Holly took the leash from Ash and clipped it on Comet’s collar. “We’ll probably be back before you. Where should I take him?”
“Oh, he’s free to wander around the lobby. Thanks, Holly. You’re a lifesaver. And be careful out there. It’s a little icy this morning. We’ve put down salt on most of the paths, but we may have missed some areas.”
“Come on, Comet. Let’s go,” Holly said, gripping the leash and opening the front door.
Comet trotted eagerly in front of her. Holly turned and gave Ash a little wave then headed down the path in front of the house.
He watched for a moment, making sure she seemed steady on the slippery ground. She looked perfectly fine, but he made a mental note to do an extra pass with the salt on the path she tended to take to the woods.
He glanced at the spot in the lobby where the Christmas tree usually went, kicking himself for having put it off so long. He would have to make that a priority the next day. Maybe Holly would even want to help. The thought had him smiling as he grabbed his truck keys and went to open another bag of salt.
* * *
“All right, Comet,”Holly began as she and the shaggy dog made their way down the icy path. “Last time, you barked at the reindeer, but let’s try to be cool this time, okay?”
The slick ground, which would be treacherous for most people, was no different from walking on a grassy field or dirt path for Holly. Her steps were steady, and soon, they had reached the clearing where the reindeer were waiting for their morning treats. Comet tried to bound toward them, but Holly held firmly on to the leash.
As they approached, Comet didn’t bark but instead began to sniff incessantly. Holly cautiously let him approach each reindeer, and mutual sniffing occurred between the five animals. Holly didn’t think the reindeer had had much, if any, interaction with dogs, though they were always friendly with the penguins at the North Pole. At last, all parties seemed satisfied to be around one another without going crazy, and Holly doled out the oranges and magic lichen.
“What’s on the agenda today, Dasher?” She scratched the face of her most senior reindeer. “Are you tired of Emerald Hollow, or are you enjoying it here?” Dasher nuzzled his face into her hand, and Holly took it as a sign of contentment.
“Yeah, me too.” She let out a breath.
As she conversed with the two elder reindeer, Comet was busy making friends with Ivy and Clove. She looked up to see the three of them chasing one another playfully in the clearing.
“Would you look at that. Ash would get a kick out of this.” She wondered what errands he had to run that morning and if there was anything she could do to help.
“Dash, Gale, for once in my life, I’m getting to live completely in the moment.”
Gale wiggled her ears, and Dasher blew out a little whinny.
“I don’t even know what to do with myself other than try to be productive while I’m here. I guess that means more prepping for the Christmas faire.” Holly’s mouth relaxed into a smile as she thought of all the dusty boxes of decorations in Ash’s workshop. She didn’t have to sit around and wait for his instructions. Instead, she would surprise him by tackling a few projects on her own. The thought of lightening his load made her smile even wider, and she straightened, seeking out Comet’s leash. He was still jumping and running playfully with Ivy and Clove.
“Come on, boy. We’ll visit them again soon.” She clipped the leash back onto his collar and started up the trail.
ChapterThirty-One
Later that evening, Ash returned to the Emerald House through the side door and headed straight to his apartment for a shower. The vineyard meeting had gone on longer than he’d expected, pushing back everything else he’d needed to do into later and later time slots.
He’d managed to finish all his errands, but he was arriving back at the house later than he’d intended. Though grateful that he had a reliable staff, he still felt guilty when he was out all day. The sun had already been down for a few hours.
Comet rushed down the hallway to meet him as he unlocked his door.
“Hey, buddy.” He knelt and gave Comet a thorough scratching behind both ears. “Have you been roving out here all day?” Then he remembered that Holly had walked him that morning, and he’d told her she could leave him in the lobby. Comet jumped in front of him and went into their apartment, heading straight for his food bowl. Ash looked at the clock on the microwave. His stomach twisted in guilt again.
“Sorry, boy.” He usually fed Comet an hour earlier. He scooped an extra-large serving of the dog food and placed it in Comet’s bowl, hoping that would make up for the late feeding. Comet scarfed down his food, just like always.Dogs. They can forgive you for almost anything.
He showered, played tug-of-war with Comet, then went to the restaurant for dinner, leaving Comet in the apartment.
When he arrived, he was surprised to find Holly sitting in her usual booth. Her plate was nearly empty, and she had her hands wrapped around a mug. So he wasn’t the only one having a late dinner.
She smiled when she noticed him, and he slid in across from her. “Hey, I was hoping I’d bump into you. I wanted to say thanks again for walking Comet. He didn’t try to run off, did he?”
