THE HOLIDAY PUPPY: a Christian Christmas romantic suspense by Roxanne Rustand

Author:Roxanne Rustand [Rustand, Roxanne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Christian romantic suspense
Publisher: Roxanne Rustand, LLC
Published: 2023-12-13T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Lucy expected a cluttered bachelor’s place with dishes piled in the sink and clothes kicked into a corner. Much like the one time she’d seen an apartment where Adam had crashed with friends.

She’d started second-guessing herself on the drive over here, about whether or not the neighborhood would be safe.

Expecting to walk in and then feel too uneasy about this whole situation to stay.

She was certainly wrong.

Nick’s place was on a nice, quiet, and well-kept street; a small, neat bungalow tucked among towering bushes that probably bloomed riotously with glorious color all summer.

Even now, she could see some random red and yellow flowers on the higher branches.

And this far from her Airbnb and that encounter with a thief, she felt safe.

“Thank you,” she murmured when he reached past her to unlock the front door and usher her inside.

“It’s—it’s lovely,” she breathed.

“I was lucky to find it.” He flipped on the lights, bathing the great room in a soft glow. “Most rental housing is incredibly expensive around here.”

Subtle, tropical-themed rattan furniture in soothing blues and greens filled the living area, while a hallway at the back appeared to lead to the bedrooms and bath.

At the left, she could see a small kitchen and eating area through a wide arched doorway.

“It came furnished, down to the kitchenware and linens, so I can’t take any credit. All of my things are in storage back in St. Paul.”

But everything was spotless, down to the kitchen sink, with no clutter in sight. “How long will you stay here?”

“There’s six months left on my one-year lease, with an option to extend it. Now and then I fly to another island for a few days or fly home to see my daughter, but I’m always happy to be back here. At this point, I think I’ll stay here for good.”

“I can see why.”

He grinned. “Let me give you a thirty-second tour. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen—sodas and juice are in the fridge, with deli meats and cheese in one of the drawers. Fresh fruit is in the other. The Keurig pods are in the drawer beneath it.”

“Do you mind if I let Sniper out into the backyard?”

He unlocked the back door and Sniper eagerly rushed outside, his tail wagging.

“He’ll be fine. The fence is solid and the only gate out there is padlocked.”

He led Lucy through the living area, pointing out the full bath, with his office and a guest bedroom to the right and his own bedroom and a linen closet to the left.

She lingered at the door to his office—the smallest bedroom—where he’d set up a desk and floor lamp in front of the window. A low bookshelf held a variety of books and a box of files. “So is this where the magic happens?”

He snorted. “That would be nice. But it’s actually a lot of work. Self doubt. Research. Second-guessing, and then sometimes starting scenes all over again.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun.”

A corner of his mouth lifted with amusement. “No one could ever pay me enough to do it, if it wasn’t something I love.

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