A Perfect Christmas Surprise: A Clean and Wholesome Christmas Romance (Kringle, Texas Book 3) Read online

  A Perfect Christmas Surprise

  Kringle, Texas Book 3

  Lori Wilde

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Also by Lori Wilde

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  Rancher Caleb Sutton walked into the vet clinic, intent on picking up six dogs for his neighbors, Marjorie and Ted Miller.

  The Millers ran Kringle Kritters Rescue which butted up against the backside of his property, the Leaping Longhorn Ranch. They had dropped the rescued animals off that morning for their vaccinations.

  Ted had a doctor’s appointment in Fort Worth and they’d asked Caleb if he’d mind bringing the dogs back after they’d received their shots.

  He hadn’t minded. This was Kringle, Texas, where people looked out for each other, but glancing around at the chaotic scene, Caleb had a powerful urge to skedaddle.

  Dogs barked. Cats meowed. A parrot kept squawking out “Merry Christmas!” Kids chased each other around while holiday carols blared. Wall-to-wall animals packed the facility, all controlled by their owners with varying degrees of success.

  Dang, but he disliked surprises. Why hadn’t the Millers warned him something was afoot at the clinic?

  After a nomadic childhood as a military brat, his father’s career moving them from pillar to post with dizzying frequency, he’d come to crave security, serenity, and stability. Pandemonium threw him for a loop, and it was all he could do not to bolt for the door.

  What in the blue blazes was going on around here?

  At the back of the room stood his good friend and rancher, Zach Delaney. Zach was dressed as Santa, fake beard and all.

  Zach waved jovially. “Hey, there, Caleb, welcome to the madhouse. Ho, ho, ho!”

  Yikes. His friend was such a good sport. You wouldn’t catch Caleb wearing a Santa getup. No way, no how, no siree.

  Caleb strolled farther into the clinic, his eyes widening to take in the full scope of the hubbub. “What’s all this?”

  “Pictures with Santa,” called a cheery feminine voice behind him.

  Caleb froze.

  The pulse at his throat ticked hot and fast. He didn’t have to turn around to know who’d spoken. He’d once been engaged to that voice and she’d turned his life upside down.

  “Could you please scooch over a bit, cowboy? You’re blocking the shot.”

  Caleb swiveled to see Ted and Marjorie’s daughter, Ava Miller, standing behind a camera tripod dressed in a crazy candy cane costume. She gave him her patented, sunshine-infused smile.

  Once upon a time, that brilliant, unwavering smile had been his kryptonite. Once upon a time? The way his pulse pounded hard against his veins it still was.

  Double dang.

  Caleb curled his fingers into fists. How had he not seen Ava when he’d first stepped into the room?

  The candy cane suit. That was how. It hid her gorgeous body and cloaked her beautiful hair.

  The illogical way his stomach jumped, and his chest heated, startled him. Thanks so much for the heads-up, Ted and Marjorie.

  Was this some kind of setup? Were his neighbors playing matchmaker? He hoped not. Why would they? It had been ten years since he and their daughter had been high school sweethearts too quickly on the road to matrimony.

  “Cabe,” Ava said, calling him by the nickname only she’d ever used. She made a little shooing motion with her hand and deepened the hue of her smile. “Could you just step over a couple of inches? That’d be great. Thanks!”

  By nature, Ava was the cheery sort, but her perkiness seemed just a little too over the top. Wow, was she was nervous?

  Because of him?

  Right, like you’re the center of the universe. Get real.

  Caleb took a few steps forward until he was certain he was no longer blocking her shot of Santa Zach holding a regal-looking Pekingese. “How’s this?”

  “Super duper.” She gave him a thumbs-up and dialed the wattage on her sunflower smile to stun. “Thanks a million.”

  Two little boys, chasing after a small dog, smacked into his back and Caleb almost toppled over. Their mom corralled them, admonishing the boys to apologize, which they did, but he was rattled.

  Find a safe place to land and stick. His mantra from every first day of the twelve different new schools he’d attended as a kid.

  Better yet? Walk out. Ava was here, she could pick up the dogs for her parents.

  Ah, but Ava was clearly working, and he’d promised Ted and Marjorie.

  Right. Dang, his cowboy code of honor. When he made a promise, Caleb stuck to it no matter what. Unlike some people.

  His gaze strayed back to Ava.

  She was busy behind the camera, paying him no mind. He felt a tugging deep in his belly. Alarmed, he shook his head and turned away. Finally, he spied a small wooden chair tucked in the far corner next to the local librarian, Trudy Manfred.

  Caleb strolled over and plunked down beside Trudy.

  Two miniature pinschers wriggled in her arms. Trudy had dressed both dogs as reindeer, complete with brown felt antlers. In his opinion, they looked quite silly.

  “Hi, Caleb,” Trudy said. “Would you mind holding Buttons?”

  The question appeared to be rhetorical since she’d already deposited Buttons in his lap. Still, manners required an answer. “Sure.”

  “It’s nice Ava’s back,” Trudy said, happily patting her other dog. “Isn’t it?”

  Nice was the last word Caleb would have chosen. Stressful rose to mind. “Uh-huh.”

  Truth was, he breathed a lot easier when Ava stayed far away from Kringle. It might be her hometown and her parents lived here, but Ava Miller had caused him more worry than a coyote in a henhouse. She’d been his first girlfriend, his first love, and his first heartbreak.

  But that was a decade ago.

  Why was he reacting so strongly today? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her at all over the last ten years. She returned to Kringle to visit her folks two or three times a year and since the Millers were his next-door neighbors, it was impossible to avoid her completely during those visits. But it wasn’t as if he kept tabs on her or anything.

  He could count on one hand the number of times they’d had an extended conversation since their broken engagement. If they saw each other around town, they were civil and made small talk. They were grown adults. No reason not to be civil.

  Yet today, he was having an illogical physical reaction to her—galloping pulse, sweaty forehead, fluttery stomach.

  Why?

  He’d been caught off guard. That’s all it was. Or who knew? Maybe he’d caught the flu.

  The dog in his lap let out a small yip. Buttons was no happier about this hullabaloo than Caleb. He couldn’t blame the little fella. The mini pinscher looked ridiculous in that reindeer outfit.

  “Good boy.” He scratched Buttons behind his ears and glanced over at Zach, who looked about as happy as a rancher could look when dressed as Santa.

  Caleb would bet his favorite horse that some female had convinced poor Zach to put on that getup and his money was on Abby, the ten-year-old daughter of Zach’s widowed friend, Suzannah Owens. Suzannah worked as a receptionist at the vet clinic.

  Abby buz
zed around the room like an industrious little bee, talking to people and petting animals. The kid was a social butterfly, just as Ava had been.

  “You, me, and Zach are too agreeable,” Caleb told Buttons.

  The dog looked up at him with don’t-I-know-it eyes.

  “What was that?” Trudy peered at him over the rim of her glasses.

  “It’s your turn, Trudy,” Ava announced. “Please arrange Buttons and Thimble in Santa’s lap.”

  “Caleb?” Trudy asked. “Could you lend a hand?”

  “Sure, sure.” He helped Trudy get her dogs settled on poor Zach’s lap for their picture and then scooted out of the frame.

  He evaded Ava’s gaze. He didn’t need to see her. He knew what she looked like. Even after ten years, he still remembered every detail about her.

  She was beautiful. Always had been and always would be in Caleb’s eyes. She had a smile that lit up a room, soft honey-colored hair and amazing brown eyes that sparkled and danced with mirth ninety percent of the time. Ava liked to laugh, and she had a great one.

  He missed her laugh most of all.

  While Ava took the photos of Trudy’s dogs on Santa’s lap, Caleb sneaked a surreptitious peek her way. She was still the most stunning woman he’d ever seen. He had thought that from the moment he walked into freshman English at Kringle High School and headed for the back of the room.

  On the way past her where she’d been sitting in the front row, his hip had brushed her elbow and he’d been a goner.

  “Caleb, can you help Trudy to her car?” asked Dr. Chloe Anderson, the young vet who operated the Kringle Animal Clinic.

  Caleb was a big fan of Chloe’s. She was one smart cookie and she was terrific with his livestock—calm, sane, and sensible. He and Chloe had even dated briefly when she’d first moved to Kringle, but as much as they admired and respected each other, they both agreed they were too much alike to make a suitable match and they’d ended up just staying good friends.

  “Sure thing,” he said, taking Buttons from Zach as Trudy tucked tiny Thimble in the crook of her elbow and shouldered her oversized purse.

  He and Buttons were becoming good pals. He looked down at the little dog. Buttons almost seemed to roll his eyes at the whole strange affair. Caleb chuckled at the Min Pin’s expression.

  “What’s funny?” Ava asked brightly. “I want to laugh too.”

  “Nothing worth mentioning,” he mumbled.

  He kept his focus on Trudy and her dogs, helping the senior citizen get outside and settled in her car. As he turned to go back in, Trudy leaned out the open driver’s side window and fixed him with a serious stare.

  “You watch out, Caleb Sutton,” Trudy said. “Lord knows, we all love Ava, but she’s flighty as a hummingbird. Please take care of your heart and steer clear.”

  Huh? Had Trudy picked up on his uneasiness around Ava? Before he could ask her what she meant, the older woman gave him a quick pat on the cheek and put up her window.

  Caleb watched her back out of the parking spot. Yeah, Trudy was right. No doubt about it. He agreed completely.

  When it came to Ava Miller, he was treading lightly.

  “Why don’t we get some shots of the rescue dogs now?” Dr. Chloe said after the paying customers had dwindled.

  The photography event had been about raising extra money for the clinic to offer free spaying and neutering, where the locals could have pictures of their pets with Santa.

  Chloe had contacted Ava months ago and recruited her as the photographer for when she came home for the holidays. Always up for a fun challenge, especially when the proceeds went to a noble cause, Ava had immediately said yes.

  “Sure, sure.” Ava blinked and turned from the window that looked out onto the parking lot where Caleb had gone with Trudy.

  “Pining over Caleb?” Chloe teased with a twinkle in her eye. “He is one tall drink of water.”

  “No, no,” she said, just a little too adamantly. “Just woolgathering.”

  “That’s some mighty fine wool.” Chloe chuckled.

  “Pfft.” Ava waved a dismissive hand. “Caleb and I were over a decade ago.”

  “You sure?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You don’t look so sure.”

  Really? What had Chloe picked up on? Could she tell Ava’s heart rate kicked to the rafters when Caleb had bent over to put Buttons in his backseat harness, giving Ava a magnificent view of his backside? Chloe was a doctor after all, even if it was in veterinarian medicine.

  “What’s Caleb doing here?” Ava asked.

  “Your parents brought in a couple of dogs for a comprehensive today,” Chloe said. “Caleb is doing them a favor and picking them up while they’re in Fort Worth at your dad’s doctor’s appointment.”

  “Oh,” Ava said. She hadn’t even known her dad had a doctor’s appointment until she’d woken up that morning in her girlhood bed and found a note on the nightstand from her mother, telling Ava they’d gone to Fort Worth for a consultation with a specialist, but not to worry.

  That made her worry even more.

  She’d gotten into Kringle so late that her parents had been on their way to bed and they’d had little in the way of conversation. She couldn’t help wondering why her folks hadn’t asked her to pick up the animals on her way home from the photoshoot rather than roping Caleb into the task.

  “Don’t you normally go out to Kringle Kritters for intake examines on the strays?” Ava asked Chloe.

  “Usually, yes, but I simply don’t have a spare moment this week.”

  “Anything I can do to help?”

  “Just take those brilliant pictures! I’ll take Abby and we’ll bring in the rescue dogs for their time in front of the camera.” Chloe winked and motioned for Abby to follow.

  A few minutes later, Chloe and Abby brought in six dogs from the kennels. They were all on the scruffy side, as were most of the strays when they first arrived at Kringle Kritters Rescue.

  “Let’s give them a quick makeover,” Ava said. “Glamour shots will increase their chances of getting adopted.”

  “Great idea!” Abby sang out and immediately started gathering scissors, combs, and brushes, along with handkerchiefs and bows to spruce them up.

  “Hey, Caleb, wanna help?” Chloe called to Caleb, who’d ambled back inside.

  Ava couldn’t resist peeking over her shoulder. So far, Caleb had done a magnificent job of avoiding her. Did he feel as awkward around her as she felt around him?

  Caleb looked uncomfortable. “Um, I’ve got—”

  “Oh, please, please, please,” Abby begged, pressing her palms together. “We need all the help we can get. These dogs are shaggy!”

  No joke on that score.

  “Twenty percent off your next vet bill,” Chloe wheedled.

  With a quick glance in Ava’s direction, Caleb shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

  “Yay, yay, yay!” Abby danced around the room.

  Caleb met Ava’s eyes directly for the first time. “This kid’s unbridled enthusiasm reminds me a lot of you.”

  A compliment? From Caleb? Knock her over with a feather.

  “Great!” Ava waved the FURminator grooming tool at him. “Why don’t you brush the big guy. He’s just your size. Make him handsome and debonair.”

  Caleb arched an eyebrow and looked down at the unkempt mixed breed whose mismatched appearance suggested a heritage from German shepherd, collie, pit bull, and Labrador stock and then back at Ava. “That’s a tall order, peanut.”

  Peanut.

  Her heart stuttered. Wh-what? Caleb hadn’t called her peanut since she’d returned his engagement ring and told him that at eighteen, she was simply too young to get married. The term of endearment was the last thing she expected from him, and he seemed equally surprised by his slip of the tongue. A brow-cleaving frown quickly replaced his impish grin.

  “Tall order is an understatement.” Chloe chortled. “While Waldo here is a fine fella, he’s known more
for his personality than his dashing good looks.”

  “Luckily, hard-luck cases are my specialty.” Caleb held out his hand. “Brush?”

  Ava extended the grooming tool designed for massive hair removal. For a whisper of a second, their fingers touched.

  And Ava’s nerve endings lit up. Just like that Ava was back in high school, feeling giddy, giggly, and girlish. Back when the slightest touch from Caleb was enough to send tingles dancing throughout her entire body. She’d been hopelessly in love with him back then, and for a while at least, he’d been hopelessly in love with her too.

  But she’d killed that love dead when she’d broken his heart.

  If Caleb felt anything from the touch of their hands, he didn’t show it. Instead, he dutifully set about brushing the dog. He’d always been methodical and trustworthy, the dependable sort that you could rely on to complete a task well and on time. His plodding ways had been one of their key problems as a couple. She was a “get ’er done” type who liked to keep things moving.

  She looked at the Chihuahua in Abby’s arms. This dog had short dark fur, so she didn’t need much grooming, but she was quivering all over and looked positively terrified.

  Ava took the little dog from Abby and cuddled it against her chest.

  “You’re going to be just fine,” she promised. Glancing over at Chloe, Ava asked, “What’s this one’s name?”

  “That’s Juliet.”

  Ava kissed the top of the Chihuahua’s head. “Juliet, someone great will adopt you. I just know it. Let’s take a super glamorous picture of you with bows and a Christmas doggy sweater.”

  She dressed up Juliet, then took her over to where Santa and Mrs. Claus had just returned from a brief break. Zach and Suzannah were good sports to pose with the dogs, freely giving their time as she was.

  “Santa, Juliet is very nervous and maybe a little cold,” Ava said, taking off the red-and-white-striped candy cane hat she’d been wearing, and with Suzannah’s help, posed Juliet in Zach’s lap so it looked as if the dog was popping out of the hat like a perfect Christmas surprise.