Brody bent over and picked up his Santa, then his scissors, then happily went back to cutting. He immediately cut through one of Santa’s eyes, then overcorrected and cut a huge chunk out of his nose. But he was quietly working, and nobody was crying. And it was fine. Everything was fine.
I’d just have to quick marry Sam so I could survive the next week and a half until Christmas break. No big deal.
CHAPTER 11
Snow and Mistletoe
“Goodbye,” I called cheerfully to Polly as she gave me a tight hug, then ran off to jump in her mom’s minivan. “Farewell,” I told Javi as he gave me a fist bump, then ran to meet his dad outside their giant truck. “See you tomorrow!” I singsonged to Amaya as she waved shyly before skipping off to meet her nanny—who was waiting to walk her home.
“Rough day?” Monika asked as she shivered violently next to me in the Mistletoe vestibule as we watched the kids leave at the end of the day.
“What makes you say that?”
She snorted a jaded laugh. “I’ve learned the more you sound like a Disney princess at the end of the day, the bigger the glass of wine.”
I smiled, and it was genuine. “It was a day, okay? I have never been happier to say goodbye to those hooligans.”
She nodded knowingly. “Brody Perkins is the cutest and naughtiest kid I’ve ever met.”
“It’s his big eyes! I’m helpless!”
“You’re not the only one. He’s an adorable menace,” she agreed. “I think he comes by it honestly, though. His uncle Sam is so fucking hot.”
My cheeks immediately flamed, assuming she’d somehow been able to listen in to the Sam Autry fueled riot that happened only forty-five minutes ago in my classroom. It was probably best to change the subject. “Well, is that it? Are they all picked up?” I looked around, actively searching out forgotten kids so Monika would have to leave and go call their parents.
A big white truck pulled into the pick-up circle. It was decked out for Christmas. Reindeer antlers were affixed to the windows, there was a full wreath swathed in lit Christmas lights on the grill, and the doors had been wrapped in decals that made them look like presents. It wasn’t until it rounded the loop that I could see the side panels, though and amidst the plaid wrapping paper and big gold bow was the Holiday Brights logo.
Um . . .
“I should probably go—” I mumbled. To no one.
“Oh, my lord, is that Sam Autry?” Monika grabbed my forearm and dug her nails into my poor skin. “He’s so freaking hot. He’s, like, stupid hot. Like, illegal hot.”
“Erm—”
“Do you think he’s here about the lights? Not gonna lie, sometimes I think about breaking them just so I have to call him. Or Cooper Meyers. Cooper Meyers is my dream guy. Like literally the hottest guy on the planet. I just want to—”
“It’s Meyer.” I could not take any more of this. Not least of all because Cooper was an asexual being to me. Not hot. Not ugly. Not anything but Cooper in an adopted brother sort of way. But also it annoyed Teagan to no end when people said Meyers and not Meyer.
“Huh?”
“Cooper Meyer.”
“What about him?”
Sam stepped out of his truck and strode over to us. He was dressed to impress, despite the work truck. He wore black dressy joggers, a white dress shirt, and a trendy sort of quarter zip—no logo in sight. He was sexy and mature and still kind of cool in his Air Max’s. And all I wanted to do was lock him in a bathroom again.
He stepped up to me, his green eyes pinning me in place. “Hey.”
I tried not to smile. Tried and failed. “Hey.”
“Can I park there?” He gestured over his shoulder to his illegal parking job.
“No,” I told him seriously. “That’s a fire lane.”
‘Oh, shit. I’m sorry. I’ll move it.”
“What are you doing here?” He should move his truck, but school was out for the day and honestly parents parked there all the time.
