“Okay, Mom.” She looks up at me with a big smile. “Merry Christmas.”
I just stare at her like there’s no more hope for humanity as she leaves with her flustered mom.
I put whatever-the-fuck-she-called-that-thing back on the rack and head over to the hunting section. All the bullets andguns are cleaned out. Instead, there are fancy table cloths and dinner plates and wine glasses. You’ve got to be kidding me.
“Boone,” Steve says, emerging from the crowd. “You got to wait in line, man. I can’t have you bursting in here like that. It’s not fair to the other customers.”
“Where’s the hunting gear?” I say, ignoring him. “And the fishing lures, and the usual stuff? What is all this crap?”
“Christmas is the biggest shopping season of the year, man,” he says with a shrug. “I gotta give the tourists what they want.”
“What about the locals?”
“It will all be back in January,” he says. “I got it stored in my barn. But listen, Boone, you can’t just barge in here. You have to wait in line like everyone else.”
“Why, so I can buy a freaking Lanewnew?”
“ALabubu,” he corrects. “And those Labubus pay my rent for the year.”
“Whatever,” I say, bumping him with my shoulder as I pass. “I’m out of here.”
My grizzly keeps jumping around all excited and that just pisses me off even more as I storm outside. The lady at the door gives me a nasty look, but I just ignore her.
God, there are so many people on the sidewalk. I just want to scream!
I put my collar up, shove my hands into my pocket and start walking, not looking at anyone. I have to get some canned food, but I’m already dreading going into the grocery store. It’s going to be filled with more idiots.
“Would you like to give a donation to the Fairweather Society?” a lady in a Santa hat asks, sidling up beside me as I storm down the sidewalk.
“No,” I grunt.
I feel my inner grizzly breathing in her scent, hoping she’s the one.
Nope, I tell him with a chuckle.Definitely not her, thank god.
I get to the crowded corner and a lady shoves a flyer into my chest.
“Come to the Christmas tree lighting ceremony tonight,” she says with a big smile.
“The what?” I grunt.
“Everyoneis going to be there,” she says getting excited. “It’s going to be a huge party with all the tourists and locals. There will be music and games and good food and at nine o’clock, we’re going to light the Christmas tree for the first time. It will be so festive and fun!”
I just stare at her with a blank face. That sounds like the opposite of fun. That sounds like my worst nightmare.
“I’ll see you there tonight!” She shoves the flyer into the pocket of my jacket and then moves on to the person behind me.
The grocery store is packed worse than I was dreading it would be. I get my stuff, wait in line forwaytoo long, and then head back to my truck with a headache.
I nearly blow when I see the empty snowbank where I parked.
“The city towed your truck,” the same stupid lady from before says with a satisfied smirk on her face. “That’s what you get for being a jerk.”
My big shoulders heave up and down as I take deep angry breaths.
Calm down, my upbeat bear tries to tell me.It’s Christmas.
I drop my bags onto the snowy ground and yank the flyer out of my coat as I glare up at the unlit tree in the middle of the town square.
