Page 3 of Daddy’s Little Christmas Wish

“Nothing’s wrong,” I protested after chasing down a bit of food with a sip of black coffee. “I’ just starving right now. I feel like I haven’t eaten all day.” Kara looked suspicious as she raised an eyebrow at me.

“Didn’t you eat the puppy chow I gave you?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Mrs. Calvert was at the library today,” I admitted, and Kara nodded in response.

As much as Kara seemed to favor Mrs. Lanceton, she had a soft spot for Mrs. Calvert just like the rest of the town. Mrs. Calvert didn’t visit Moe’s Coffee Hut on account of an old rivalry with Kara’s father back in the day, but she still loved it when Kara made puppy chow. It was the only thing from Moe’s that she would actually accept when offered, and, when she saw people with the bag of puppy chow, she often asked if it was for her. No one in town, not even Mr. Calvert himself, ever had the heart to turn her away when she asked, either.

“How was she?” Kara asked as she turned her attention back to her food. “I heard rumors that she’s still having a hard time with Mr. Calvert’s death.” I nodded as I wiped my mouth on one of the complimentary napkins at the table.

“She’s the same as she’s always been,” I reassured her. “Mrs. Crane had been keeping an eye on her and leaving me to the work the two of them don’t complete. However, I think that, now that Joel’s back, she’ll be a lot happier.” Kara choked on her food a little, and I passed her a napkin as she cleared her throat.

“Did you just say that Joel’s back?” she asked, and I nodded in response. “Finally, the prodigal son returns.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Joel

The fact that Bella had even accepted my offer still had me reeling, and, as six drew closer, I found that I was growing more and more anxious. At first, I had made the offer in order to truly thank her for everything she did to help Mother, but, as the day progressed, I couldn't help but wonder if she would be willing to consider it a date. While her response had been fairly neutral on that ground, I still had high hopes.

Bella reminded me of the old photos of Mother that my parents kept around the house from when she and Father met and got married. She had the same honey colored hair, and her eyes were a light hazel color that looked like they switched from a golden brown to green in different lighting. She was short and curvy, just like Mother had looked in the photos, and, despite how weird people might think it was, she even smiled just like Mother did.

When I was a young boy, I used to talk to Father and tell him that, one day, I wanted to marry someone as beautiful as Mother had been, and he used to laugh it off and claim that no one would ever be as beautiful as Mother. After seeing Bella, I realized that father was right. In my opinion, despite the similarities, Bella was far more beautiful than Mother had ever been. The only question was if, like Mother, she was willing to be a Little.

She had all the qualities of a Little from the love for the holiday season all the way to the same glow every child got when they were out in the snow. Seeing her standing there with the bag of puppy chow made it all the more realistic. While some might find my kink a bit strange, I hoped that she was one of the few willing to accept it.

My day consisted of cleaning up Father's old shop, sorting out his tools, and taking inventory of the equipment. I needed to know exactly what items Father still had and see if anything needed to be replaced. So long as I kept up with my work, I suspected that I would be able to start operating from the shop by the following Monday.

"Hello?" called out someone from the garage door that I had opened up in order to get the shop cleaned. "Anybody there?" Turning to face my new visitor, I smiled when I saw Ethan, an old friend of mine from school.

"Well I'll be damned," I said as I approached him. "They said that you would be in town, but I didn't believe it." Ethan laughed and shook his head at me.

"You should have known that I would have been here," he reminded me. "After all, somebody had to look after the family business after Dad passed away." Laughing, I shook his hand.

"It's good to see you, my old friend," I told him. "You're looking really well." He nodded as he looked me up and down.

"So are you," he commented. "I couldn't believe it was you when I first saw you. However, we all knew that your father would have never let anybody else run the shop even after he was gone." A heavy silence fell between the two of us, and I shook my head.

"I still can't believe he's gone," I told him. Ethan nodded in agreement as he patted me on the shoulder.

"We all miss him, Joel," he told me. After a brief silence, he finally took a look around the shop. "I see that your dad's old shop is still in good shape. Have you decided what you're going to do with it?" Looking around, I smiled proudly and nodded.

"I'm going to pick up the family business," I told him. "It's the best thing I can do in honor of his memory." Ethan looked proud as he smiled at me.

"I'm sure it's what he would have wanted," he reassured me. After a few minutes, he raised an eyebrow at me. "So, what's this I hear about you being sweet with Bella?" Immediately, I winced and stared at him, confused by his strange accusation.

"Sweet?" I asked. "I wouldn't call that being sweet. I was just being polite, considering all the work she's done for my mother." Not seeming convinced, Ethan shook his head at me.

"I find that hard to believe," he told me. When I didn't say anything in response, he shrugged. "So, that's all it is? A thank you dinner?" Pausing to consider my answer, I shrugged.

"In all honesty, I don't know," I admitted to him. "I don't even know if I would have a chance with her, even if I did want it to be a date." Ethan shrugged and shook his head at me, looking lost for words as he stared me down.

"You better make up your mind on whether or not you want to take that bet,' he informed me. "After all, now that word's out that she broke up with her high school sweetheart, I already know a lot of people are going to be trying to win her over." Raising an eyebrow at him, I stared at him in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He looked surprised as he chuckled at me

"Oh, you didn't hear the talk?" he asked. "Doesn't surprise me since you just got back." When I didn't respond, he shrugged. "There's a lot of folks in town who believe that their sons would be a good match for Bella. She's practically considered the town's daughter, and everybody wants what's best for her." Confused, I shook my head at him.

"But why?" I asked. "Why does everybody look after her like that?" He raised an eyebrow and stared at me and shocked and disbelief for a moment before shaking his head at me.