B.J. tugged on his father’s sleeve. “Dad, guess what? I know what I want for Christmas. I was gonna tell Santa, but Emily thinks I should tell you, too.”
Boone looked amused. “Oh?”
“A puppy!” B.J. announced, bouncing up and down. “Emily says we should find one at a shelter, because those puppies really, really need homes.”
Boone lifted a brow. “Something tells me this is about more than puppies,” he said, holding her gaze.
She shrugged. “Okay, yes. I seem to be feeling especially sentimental about puppies and people who need homes these days. When B.J. mentioned wanting a dog, I thought of the shelter.”
“It’s a great idea,” Boone said. “And since this is going to be your dog, B.J., you should get to pick him out. First, though, you have to assure me that you’re going to take full responsibility for him. You’ll train him, feed him, walk him and play with him.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” B.J. responded excitedly. “I’ll take excellent care of him.”
“Then maybe we should go back home right after our meal and stop by the shelter,” Boone suggested as their food was served. “I think since Emily encouraged this, she ought to have a say in the final choice, too.”
“Do I have to share in the responsibility, as well?” she asked, a teasing note in her voice.
“You bet,” Boone said. “Which means you might want to consider at least a month off over the holidays. I imagine it’ll take at least that long to train a dog properly.”
“An interesting plan,” she said. “But you do know that some of the older dogs at the shelter are already trained. I think we should try to find one of those. How about it, B.J.? Older dogs definitely need good homes and a family who will love them. And it’ll be less work for us.”
Boone gave her an amused look. “Not anxious to stick around for so long?”
Though his tone was light, she thought she heard a critical note in his voice. “Boone, you know I can’t. A month is a long time, especially with the ski lodge opening coming up next week. There will be a lot of fine-tuning after the doors open. I’ll try for a couple of weeks, maybe from Christmas through the first week in January. How’s that?”
Another thought occurred to her. “Or, if you wait on getting the dog till after Christmas, you and B.J. could come to Aspen. We could spend a week there, then come back here. That would give us more time together.” She met Boone’s gaze. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s a terrible time for me to be away from the restaurant,” he responded without giving the idea even a moment’s consideration. “We’re booked solid for holiday parties.”
“And you don’t have a catering manager who’s in charge of those?” she asked, sensing not for the first time that all of the flexibility, all of the concessions in this relationship were going to have to be on her side.
“I do, but ultimately the responsibility for things running smoothly is mine,” Boone replied tightly.
Emily was about to push harder for compromise, but she spotted the bewildered expression on B.J.’s face and sensed their disagreement, mild as it was, was upsetting him.
“We’ll figure it out later,” she said briskly, giving a slight nod in B.J.’s direction.
Boone agreed at once.
“Okay, buddy, what else did you and Emily see when you were shopping? Is there anything else on your list for Santa?”
When B.J. didn’t immediately answer, Emily said, “What about the train we saw in that store window? Maybe we should take your dad to look at that. He used to talk about having a train under the tree when he was a little boy.”
B.J. stared at his dad. “You did? Awesome.”
Boone nodded, his expression turning nostalgic. “I wonder what happened to that train? It’s probably a collector’s item by now. I think it belonged to my dad when he was a kid.”
“Isn’t it funny how people who’ve never even ridden on a train in real life feel as if the holiday isn’t complete without a train and village under the Christmas tree?” Emily said. “It conjures up all sorts of images of an old-fashioned Christmas. I’m thinking of suggesting Derek put one up under the tree at the ski lodge. I think it will make the cozy, welcoming atmosphere he wants to create there absolutely perfect.”
“Well, all this talk about trains has convinced me,” Boone said. “Let’s go take a look at the one you two saw. Anybody want dessert before we go?”
Since they’d barely touched their food, both Emily and B.J. shook their heads.
“Then let’s do it,” Boone said. He paid the bill and led the way back to the street. “Come on, B.J., show me the way.”
B.J. ran ahead on the crowded streets, then stopped in front of a store window with a fabulous Christmas village on display. People were jammed in close to watch the train as it wove through the village. Lights sparkled over the snowy landscape the shop owner had created. B.J. had his nose pressed to the glass as Emily and Boone hung back.
“That does bring back memories,” Boone said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I hadn’t thought about that train for years. Thanks for reminding me.”
“You used to talk about it every Christmas,” she recalled. “When I saw this one, I thought it might make the perfect gift for B.J. He’s obviously as enchanted with this one as you were with the one you used to have.”
Boone turned her to face him. He tucked a wayward curl behind her ear as he looked into her eyes. “I know what upset you earlier,” he said quietly. “You don’t think there’s going to be any real give-and-take in this relationship, at least not on my part.”
“Sounded that way to me,” she conceded, surprised that he’d caught on so readily.
“Not so. I may not be able to change all of
