Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 44474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44474 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
It was busy too, as in parking was scarce, the sidewalks were crowded, and there were lines out the door at Donner’s Diner, Comet’s Christmas Collectibles, and Vicki the Vixen’s Coffee Café and Soup Cantina. Also, a lot of folks were wearing hats. Elf hats, Santa hats, reindeer antlers…you get the idea.
I circled the block twice and found a parking spot on Frosty Drive in front of a Spanish-style hacienda with a lawn filled with an entire troop of Santa’s reindeer…life-sized. Their neighbors had Santa gnomes, blow-up snow globes, and mechanical elves assembling toys. I was…transfixed, amazed, and feeling even more festive than I had been ten minutes ago.
My heart soared with almost childlike joy and anticipation. For the holidays…and the prospect of seeing Moody. Only now, I let go of my doubts. I’d built up seeing him again as if it were a life-or-death meeting that might change our lives, and that was silly.
We were just a couple of guys who’d fucked around once. We’d had a one-night-stand and it had been fun, but that was all it had been. Fun.
However, we could be friends. Even in December.
I nodded to a cheery group of tourists and paused to listen to the carolers in Victorian dress harmonizing to “Good King Wenceslas” on the corner. This was nice. Very nice.
My holiday spirit was firmly intact, and my smile was so big it hurt my cheeks as I pushed open the door to Moody’s Marvelous Bah Humbug Bookshop.
“Ugh! People!” a grouchy voice grumbled loudly from the back of the store.
A woman wearing a gaudy Christmas sweater with Rudolph’s face complete with a glowing red nose and ubiquitous Santa hat winked from her post as queue-police-slash-greeter. “Don’t mind Moody. He’s our resident grump. Welcome to the Bah Humbug Bookshop. I’m Stella, one of Moody’s elves for the day. There are a few of us here to help. If you’re looking for anything in particular, let us know.”
“Thank you.” I tipped my Stetson and wandered the periphery of the line zigzagging in front of the register.
Moody’s Marvelous Bah Humbug Bookshop took its role as the black sheep of Christmas Town very seriously, but it wasn’t quite an anti-holiday store. Charlie Brown twig trees and spindly black plastic ones dotted the shelves. There was a section dedicated to the Grinch and Scrooge, and black paper snowflakes were cut into garlands and strung with fairy lights from the ceilings. Oh, and vaguely depressing holiday music was piped through the overhead speakers. Honestly, it was kinda cool. The darker theme was a refreshing contrast to the relentless cheer everywhere else in town. Good gimmick.
I hummed along to “Blue Christmas” as I walked the aisles, hoping for a glimpse of the owner. And if possible, I hoped to catch him on my own.
No such luck.
“May I help you, sir?” A college-aged girl with freckles, long brown hair, and a “Rudolph Didn’t Run Over Grandma” T-shirt popped up out of the blue.
“Uh…no. I’m just browsing,” I replied. “Actually, is Moody here?”
“Yep, he’s in the naughty section.”
I widened my eyes comically. “Excuse me?”
She snickered merrily. “Not that kind of naughty. We have a great selection of unique gifts that are crankier than the normal holiday stuff. It’s hard to miss, but you’ll see the sign. And Moody should be there. If you can’t find him or if you need anything else, I’m Katie, and I’d be happy to help you.”
“Thanks.”
I headed for the rear of the store and stopped in my tracks, hands on my hips as I took in the array of grumpy gifts. There were keychains, notepads, cell phone cases, costume jewelry, clothing, socks, ornaments, and more. Some were plain black or a neutral color, others had sayings, like, “Ho-Ho-No,” “Merry Grumpy Holidays,” “Is This Jolly Enough For You?,” and of course, “Bah Humbug!”
My lips twitched in amusement as I fingered the collar of an “I Can Get You on the Naughty List” sweatshirt. It was very Moody and—
“What are you—ah-choo—doing here?”
I spun on my heels and smiled.
Christ, he was beautiful. Angelic, even, with soft golden hair and rosy cheeks. I stared at his mouth a beat too long, but that couldn’t be helped. I’d kissed those lips, damn it, and I still remembered how sweet he’d tasted.
“Moody.”
“Yeah, it’s me. I belong here, I’m stuck here. You’re not. So I repeat—ah-choo—” He pulled a tissue from his pocket and blew his nose. “Why are you here?”
“So this is December Moody,” I drawled.
“Oh, honey, he’s worse than ever this year.” The redhead I remembered from the soup place next door stepped out from behind a Grinch display. Vicki the Vixen. Her rhinestone Christmas tree earrings swayed wildly as she shook her head and massaged Moody’s left shoulder affectionately. “Poor boy has a c-o-l-d and he won’t rest. I’m Vicki, by the way.”