Mistletoe in the Snow (New Hope Sweet Christmas Romance 1)

“What are you, about a large?” She stood from her desk and walked around it, considering his shape. “Maybe an extra large?”

“A large,” he replied hesitantly, suddenly uncomfortable with her attention. “Why?”

“Just a minute.”

She hurried out of her office toward Laurie’s desk where both girls were still waiting. They gave her doe eyes and leapt to question her, their voices coming out in strained whispers.

“Did you see him?”

“Isn’t he gorgeous?”

“What did he say? How long is he staying?”

“Aren’t you glad you’re suddenly single?”

Gemma hushed them with one sharp gesture of her hand. “That man is nothing but trouble. I want both of you to stay away from him. He’s an arrogant spoiled brat who has nothing better to do than distract us from our busiest season of the year.”

Their eyes grew wide as they stared at her. Gemma wasn’t the type of person to rush to quick judgment on someone. If she already felt that way, he had to be bad.

“Fine,” Chloe said with a pout. “But what are we going to do about the guy? We’re kind of stuck with him.”

“That may be,” Gemma replied, as she pulled the bottom drawer of Laurie’s desk open. Reaching into the mass of pink that appeared, she pulled out a few items. “But that doesn’t mean we have to make it enjoyable for him. I think we can give him a good lesson on getting his hands dirty. Ricardo might have a job or two worth his skill level.”

Laurie and Chloe snickered as Gemma gave them a knowing look. She headed back into her office and threw the items into Lance’s hands. He looked at her questioningly and then unraveled the gifts to find a pink t-shirt and a sparkling pink rhinestone leash.

“Um…what’s this?” He held the t-shirt up to his chest. In bold purple lettering, it said Ricardo’s Pet Shelter across the front.

“Your uniform for tomorrow morning.” She smiled to herself as she settled back into her office chair. Frankie was laughing at the pink leash as his boss held it up. “We like to have a hands-on policy at the foundation. Ricardo’s is one of our main grantees. We volunteer there every Tuesday.”

“I don’t do pink.” The shirt hung limply from the tips of his finger, as if it were going to infect him.

“And I don’t do babysitting,” she shot back with a tilt of her head. “But I guess tomorrow’s a new day.”

They stared each other down across the expanse of her office, not quite knowing what either of them had signed up for in that moment.

Chapter Five

Lance didn’t understand how someone so beautiful could be so evil. From the moment he’d pulled that pink t-shirt over his head that morning, he’d decided that she was trouble. As if a scalding hot coffee down the front of his suit hadn’t been a big enough clue. And now, here he was at New Hope’s little pet rescue on a Tuesday morning, getting ready to walk some flea bitten dogs.

He’d never been an animal person. His mother wouldn’t let him have a pet as a child. Not even a goldfish. Somehow, animals seemed to sense that about him. They liked to take advantage of his naivety and scratch or bite him when he was least expecting it. He had a few puncture marks on his ankle from a little rat of a dog to prove it.

“You remember meeting Chloe and Laurie at the office yesterday,” Gemma said to him, as she and her cronies huddled for warmth inside Ricardo’s kennels.

Lance nodded at each of them. This hadn’t been at all what he’d expected. Three beautiful and intelligent women working at the foundation - three women who he’d probably have to fire in a few days. Frankie had wished him good luck with the task last night, as if sending him off to his own death. He couldn’t even be bothered with volunteering to join Lance at the shelter. It’d ruin his Tom Ford denims, he argued.

“Hello, my beautiful muchachas!” A man with heavily moussed hair and sporting a matching pink t-shirt leapt into the room, pulling the three women into a warm hug. They returned his embrace and laughed, pulling apart only when the man noticed Lance standing there awkwardly. “And hello, man-candy. What heavenly host dropped you under my Christmas tree?”

Lance gulped and felt a flush run up his neck. He didn’t know how to respond.

“That’s no man-candy, Ricardo,” Gemma replied with a wry smile. Lance found himself grateful for her interruption, but slightly put out by the way she disagreed with him. He could be man-candy if he wanted to be. “That’s Lance Barkley. He’s here to learn what makes the foundation tick. He’s ready to get his hands dirty.”

Lance opened his mouth to protest, but the four of them had already turned to discuss the day’s work. Dogs needed washing and walking and kennels needed cleaning and sanitizing. The ladies of the New Hope foundation worked as an efficient team, pulling out supplies and readying the excited dogs. He loitered near the cage of a particularly shy dog, hoping to go unnoticed. Maybe if he kept quiet, they’d forget he was here.

“How are things with Scott?” Ricardo asked Gemma. “Your boy toy hasn’t been around much lately.”

Lance’s ears pricked up. So the evil woman had a man? Instantly, h

e felt sorry for the dude. He couldn’t imagine how the guy managed to get up every morning.