He returned his phone to his desk, then glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only eleven in the morning. Three thirty felt like a long way away.

Reggie told herself not to read too much into Toby’s invitation. The first day of Advent was a huge deal in Wishing Tree, with the calendar taking center stage. Family and groups of friends often went together. Plus, his son and her dog were coming along—it was hardly a date.

Yet she found it difficult to concentrate on work after he’d texted, and then she felt the need to put on makeup. She tried to be casual when she mentioned the outing to her mom. Fortunately, Leigh simply nodded and told her to have a good time.

At exactly three thirty, the doorbell rang. Burt barked from the family room, while Belle stayed safely behind Reggie until she determined who was at the door. When the Great Dane saw Harrison, she pushed Reggie aside to go greet her boy. She danced around him, licked his cheek, then placed her big head on his shoulder.

“I think it’s more than a summertime fling,” Reggie said with a laugh, waving them both inside. “I just need a second to get her in a coat and boots.” She grimaced. “Belle doesn’t mind the clothes, but she really hates the boots. Still, when it’s this cold, I worry about her standing in one place for too long. Her little toes could get frostbite.”

She told herself to stop talking, but it was tough. The second she saw Toby, she felt an unexpected surge of nerves. Being nervous always made her babble. Him looking all tall and manly in his thick coat and leather gloves didn’t help.

“She has dog boots?” Harrison asked, glancing down at her feet. “How do you keep them on?”

“They have a hook-and-loop closure system. You can help me with them, if you’d like.”

She turned to collect Belle’s warmest jacket, along with the booties. Burt came running into the room, his tail wagging. He sniffed Toby’s boots, then turned toward Harrison. Reggie realized a second too late that the little dachshund had gone into nipping mode. She reached for him. She couldn’t get there in time. But before he could sink his teeth into Harrison’s pant leg, Belle spun and shoved herself between Harrison and Burt. She pushed Harrison back a couple of steps, braced herself, lowered her head and growled at Burt.

The low, menacing sound startled all of them. Burt yelped and ran down the hall. Reggie stared at her dog.

“I didn’t know she could do that,” she said. “That was an impressive sound. Belle, you defended Harrison. Good for you.”

Belle straightened, looking a little sheepish, her tail wagging tentatively. Harrison flung his arms around her.

“You protected me!”

“You’re a good girl,” Toby said, petting the dog. “Thank you.”