“Is this another one of those dragon baby things, Uriel? Because we’ve discussed—”
Uriel grabbed Joe and planted another kiss on him that would have really gotten the neighbors talking if they’d still been around to see it.
“Yoo-hoo! Joe!” Linus dashed from the inn and crossed the street to meet them. “I forgot to give you your costume for tomorrow night. Uriel, I brought yours as well. It’s so sweet that you didn’t want Joe on his own for his very first street parade.”
“There’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’m wearing—”
“What kind of costume?” Joe asked.
“Elves, what else?”
Joe gasped and turned to Uriel. “Elves.”
“No,” Uriel said.
“Absolutely.” Joe took the costumes from Linus who beamed and ran back to the inn.
“I’m not—”
“Oh yes, you are. It’s my turn to win, so you might as well give up now.”
Uriel sputtered. “Your turn?Your turn?”
“Ha. Finally managed to make you speechless. Well, almost speechless. Unable to talk. Oh wait, that’s not right either. You weren’t able to talk much last night, were ya?”
Joe looped his arm through Uriel’s and pulled him down the block until they reached Uriel’s house. York crossed his arms over his chest as red sparks danced in his eyes.
“He can do the sparkly eyes, too.Ohhhhh, you’re all elves. Cousins, I mean. Of course, you’d have to live in a Christmas town. Makes so much sense.”
“We are not elves,” Uriel bellowed.
Joe patted his arm. “That’s right, honey. You’re not an elf. You’re a grinch, and don’t you forget it.”
Uriel flopped down on the porch and groaned. He dropped a hand over his face dramatically, then removed it to glare at Joe. “Honey? Really? Veto.”
“Fine. It was your turn anyway. Now it’s mine again.”
Uriel stomped his foot on the porch step. “I cannot win.”
“You just did, you big baby. Now get up and let’s go inside. We’ve already made a scene for half the town. No need to cause another one. Unless—”
Joe looked around to see if any of their neighbors were running away from the big scary dog in terror.
“No one else saw it,” Leif said. “I’d forgotten our cousin’s ability to create illusions. Nicely done, Uriel.”
“He deserved it after that carrot stunt.”
Joe spun to look at York. “That was you! Why did you throw carrots all over town? And why carrots?”
“I…uh…well….”
“He wanted the proverbial carrot in Gabriel’s pants,” Edgar said. “His magic went haywire when he got it.”
“No way. Did your magic go wacky when you got my carrot?”
Uriel whimpered.
“And why are you still lying there? Inside. Let’s go.”
