The Snuggle is Real (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

Ford

Charlie vibrated with excited energy as we entered Season’s Readings, a cute little bookstore next door to the coffee shop, Jolly Java. It was one of the free festival events—though I probably wouldn’t escape without buying something.

Still, thanks to the Holiday Hope Foundation, I didn’t have to sweat the small stuff so much. I could buy Charlie a storybook and know that it wouldn’t mean I couldn’t afford to take her anywhere else the rest of the week.

Or month.

“Look, it’s the Grinch!”

Sure enough, kids buzzed around a fully grinched out guy who held the Dr. Seuss storybook under one arm.

He wore bright green tights, a red Santa coat and hat, and his face was painted green.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s…something.”

Something I’d never do. But then Eddie was a theater major. Judging by the playful scowls and hisses he was exchanging with the kids, he was happy as a Who in Whoville . Before the Grinch stole their Christmas, anyway.

Nick Morgan stepped out from between bookshelves, an Emerson Maxwell mystery novel in his hands.

I glanced behind him, almost expecting someone else to be there. But no. Of course there wasn’t.

“Hi, Ford,” he said. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Guess not.”

He crouched down. “Hey, Charlie. You might not remember me, but I remember you.”

She blinked wide eyes at him. “You do?”

“Yep, I knew you when you were itty-bitty. You see, I’m?—”

“An old friend,” I cut in, not wanting to delve into the truth here and now.

He glanced at me, face tightening slightly. “Right. Just an old friend saying hello.”

“Hello,” Charlie said, holding out her hand.

With a bemused smile, Nick shook it.

“Why don’t you join the kids so you don’t miss the start of the story,” I suggested.

Charlie looked up at me. “You won’t leave?”

“Nope. I’ll stay in the store. Don’t you worry.”

She nodded once, dark pigtails bouncing, and skipped toward the cozy corner set up with fluffy carpeting, bean bag seats for the kids, and a puppeteering stage off to one side.

Nick straightened. “So, it must be nice having Charlie for the holidays.”

“Real nice,” I agreed.

“I heard it came as a bit of a surprise.”

“You listening to the town gossip again?” I smiled tightly, wondering what else he might have heard. Did he know that Mason was helping me because I couldn’t help myself?

“Well, it comes with the territory as a matchmaker. I do a better job if I know who’s on the market.” He grinned. “What about you, Ford? You ready to find true love?”

I scoffed. “Because it worked out so well for the both of us?”

A flicker of pain crossed Nick’s expression.

“I could never regret the love I had with your sister.”

My chest grew tight. “I know.”

“She was the love of my life. I only want others to find the same happiness we did. Yes, I lost her way too early, but?—”

“Stop, Nick,” I ground out.

He sighed. It wasn’t the first time we’d had this conversation in the years since Nicole died.

Nick had gotten the fairytale with my sister, even if it didn’t last. But me? I was just a miserable bastard who got dumped.

“I should go make sure Charlie’s okay.”

Nick put a hand on my arm. “How about you? Are you okay with all this?”

“What, with Charlie?”

He nodded, warm brown eyes searching my face. Looking deeper than I wanted. “It’s a lot to take on this time of year. I know the roofing business gets slow.”

“I’m good.” Thank fuck Mason convinced me to accept his help. Now, I didn’t have to lie to save face. “I’m going to give Charlie the Christmas she deserves.”

“I’m sure you are,” Nick said. “You adore that little girl. I’ve always known that. But if you need anything…”

I tugged my arm from his grasp. “Seriously, Nick. Focus your energy on your love matches. Charlie and I are just fine.”

He let me go when I turned away, heart heavy and sinking.

Running into Nick around town wouldn’t be so bad, but seeing the empty space at his side, the space my sister used to occupy? It only reminded me that she was gone forever.

One minute, Nicole was my best friend, popping by to have lunch, shopping with LuAnne, taking Charlie for play dates so we could have alone time.

And the next, a surprise heart defect had killed her, and LuAnne and I couldn’t figure out how to talk without screaming. Nick and I were hollowed out, barely able to look at each other without the grief becoming so overwhelming we couldn’t function.

When LuAnne left, it was easier to lick my wounds in private. Nick and I didn’t know how to be around each other anyway. Not without Nicole to be our glue.

I crossed the bookstore, edging toward a corner where some of the parents congregated while the kids listened to the story.

“Stink. Stank. STUNK!” Eddie was yelling from the book pages while the kids gasped and giggled at his screwed-up face.

Their laughter loosened my chest and I took my first easy breath since seeing my former brother-in-law.

Eddie waggled a stuffed dog with overly large antlers affixed to its head.

“I hope they’re not selling those damn dogs,” Tony Menendez said, sidling up to me. “My whole brood will want them for Christmas.”

“Tell me about it,” I said with a chuckle. “How do you manage with three of them?”

“They keep me on my toes,” he said. “I honestly wouldn’t make it without their mom. She makes these amazing wreaths she sells over at the crafts fair.”

“Oh, yeah. I saw a couple. I didn’t know that was Marguerite’s work.”

“Yep. I’m so damn proud of her. Those sales get us through Christmas and then some.”

I nodded. If only I were crafty, it might have been an option. I didn’t have the wood-carving skills of Murphy, the guy who made gnomes. And I didn’t have the eye for ribbon, ornaments, and color schemes that Marguerite must. Nor did I bake or sew or fucking…sculpt ice.

I was just an average Joe who made a living by shingling roofs, cleaning gutters, weather-stripping windows, and shoveling snow. Whatever I could find.

Charlie turned in her seat and held up the little baggie of Grinch M&Ms all the kids had received.

I flashed her a thumbs-up.

“I guess you’re joining the dad brigade this year,” Tony said. “How’s that going?”

“Charlie’s great.”

“Can’t be easy though,” Tony said. “You don’t have a Marguerite.”

“Well, that’s a fact. You’re a lucky man.”

“I am,” he said with a nod. “These guys keep me busy while their mamá is over at that craft fair, though. Being a single dad is no joke, even temporarily.”

“Yeah.” I hesitated. “Got any tips?”

“Just put your ni?a first.”

I nodded. “I will.”

“Nothing humbles you quite like being at the mercy of a little one.” He grinned as I wiggled my fingers in Charlie’s direction. “But then, I’m guessing you know that.”

“I’m a sucker for this girl.”

He laughed outright. “I see it.” He nudged me. “You hear that old Mr. Jones might hang up his ladder?”

“No. Really?”

The old guy had been the on-call handyman for the festival for years.

“Apparently, his son just moved out to California. He’s thinking of moving to be with his grandkids.”

“Makes sense,” I murmured.

“Could be your opening.” He raised his eyebrows. “Get in with him now. Help out on a few jobs. Maybe he passes the mantle.”

I hummed. “I’m sure the city has their sights set on someone already.”

“Well, then I guess you better get in there and get your hat in the ring.” He paused. “If you want, that is. I’m not trying to be pushy.”

“No, I appreciate the heads-up.”

Getting a regular gig with the festival could go a long way to providing more stability over the whole year. Not only would it fill the gaps during the slow months of November through February, but it’d give me the connections to pick up other jobs year-round.

Maybe I could leave roofing behind. Run my own business.

But that was putting the cart way before the horse. And even if it panned out, it didn’t solve my problems this season, while old Mr. Jones was still here.

How was I supposed to get in tight with him and the festival organizers and do the grunt work that might lead to a future job when Charlie needed me?

The kids erupted into applause as Eddie closed the storybook and took a showy bow. Then he had the stuffed dog take a bow as well, inspiring titters of laughter.

Tony and I joined in.

“Eddie committed to that performance, huh? Hard to believe it was just storytime and not theater.”

Tony chuckled. “This is Christmas Falls. It’s always gotta be extra.”

“Sometimes I wish it was less extra, but Charlie’s loving it.”

“There’s nothing like experiencing the holidays with kids,” Tony said. “They bring a whole new level of joy to it.”

His eight-year-old son ran up. “Can we get one of those stuffed dogs?”

“Nah, Carlos. Maybe for Christmas.”

“Aw, Dad. C’mon!”

His sister, Cynthia, joined him. “I don’t want to wait that long! There’s a cute little Grinch. What about that?”

“Please?” the youngest, Alex, begged. “Pretty please?”

Tony waved them all off. “Wrong number, who dis? You better go call your buddy, Santa.”

They stomped away, grumbling.

“That looked real fun,” I said with a smirk.

“Yeah, they’re full of joy and a real pain in my ass too. But what can you do but love them?”

Wasn’t that the truth?

Charlie came up with her hands and lips stained green. “Oy, you look like the Grinch!”

She laughed. “I know, and this is my Grinch dog!” She waggled the stuffed animal that Tony’s kids had begged for. “Can I have it?”

“I don’t know, Charlie. Maybe we should wait for Christmas…”

Her face fell. “Oh.”

“I’ll get it for her,” Nick offered.

Damn it. I thought he’d left.

“That’s all right. I got it.”

“Ford, I didn’t mean— It could be an early Christmas gift maybe? I’ve missed a few of them, so it seems only fair.”

“Thanks, but I said I got it,” I said gruffly. “C’mon, Charlie, let’s go check out.”

“It’s okay if we can’t get it,” Charlie said in a small voice. “I don’t mind.”

Damn. She’d picked up on my tone with Nick. I knew he intended well, but I didn’t want him swooping in to rescue me.

I hooked an arm around her waist and lifted her onto my hip. “Are you kidding? You can’t be a proper grinch when you don’t have a grinch’s dog, can you?”

“No,” she said with a giggle.

“Without that dog, you look like a Cindy Lou.”

“Nooo!”

“Yes!” I bounced her once before putting her down. “And we all know you’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch.”

She gave an impressive imitation of Eddie’s grinch scowl.

I slid the dog onto the checkout counter and only died a little when it was over twenty bucks.

I’d been reluctant to accept Mason’s help. But I’d take it a million times over if it meant I didn’t have to show my vulnerable underbelly to Nick.

He wanted things to go back to normal between us. To be like brothers.

But how could I do that? I wasn’t a brother anymore. I never would be again.

The sooner he accepted that, the better.