His eyes softened a tad. “Wrangler?”
She hit the “finish transaction” button and then ripped his receipt from the machine. “It’s what you are, isn’t it? A reindeer wrangler, if I remember correctly.”
He breathed in deeply. “Yes, ma’am.” He continued to look her over. “Your hair’s real pretty.”
Her hand flew to the top knot. “I barely had a second to do it this morning.”
He picked up his bag. “Doesn’t matter. When you’re beautiful, you don’t have to try hard.” He winked and then walked out of the store, leaving her with a rowdy round of “Jingle Bells” and a state of befuddlement.
“I like him.”
Carla’s voice startled Mitzi, and she jumped. “Don’t sneak up on me!”
“I didn’t.” Carla’s grin was infectious. “You were lost in your thoughts.” She lifted an arm and shook her hips side to side like Forest had earlier. “Can’t say that I blame you.”
Mitzi laughed.
The door swung open and Ely sauntered in. “How’s my ladies this blustery day?”
Mitzi’s laughter died in her throat, choking her. She refused to answer, because she wasn’t one of his ladies and would never be. However, Ely was Carla’s stepson and she doted on him. Mitzi had to tread carefully because, as a mother, she knew that bond was thicker than loyalty to an employee or even a friend.
“We’re doing fantastic.” Carla waved her hand in front of a dancing Santa. He started singing, and she started wiggling. “Come on, Ely, dance with me.”
He looked at her like she’d gone nuts. “You been drinking?”
Carla laughed and swatted at him. “You scrooge. I’m dry as a bone and you know it. Do you have time to work on that window? The draft is killing my heating bill.”
“Can’t you put some of that shrink wrap stuff over it for a while? I’m busy with my own home repairs.”
“I’ll make do. You do what you need to do.” She patted his shoulder fondly and headed back to the paints, where she grabbed a box off the floor and started hanging the brushes on the hooks.
Ely shrugged and made his way to the plumbing aisle. Mitzi busied herself at the counter, spraying the glass top and wiping away the fingerprints that accumulated faster than snow on the open fields. He came back through and waved the part he’d chosen at her. “I’m taking this.”
She nodded. He never paid for a thing in the store. Carla was fine with it, but it irked Mitzi that he never made time to help Carla. She’d do anything for him, but it didn’t go both ways.
“Isn’t it almost your lunchtime?” asked Ely.
She glanced at the clock. “I still have a half hour.”
He threw a look over his shoulder. “I bet I can convince Carla to let you off early—you know, if we were going out to lunch.”
Mitzi gritted her teeth and forced a smile. “Thanks, but I’m saving up for Christmas and need the hours.”
He nodded. “You’re smart with money. I like that in a woman.”
She held the smile in place with sheer willpower. When he’d gone, she forced her shoulders to relax. As soon as a new female moved in, Ely would forget all about her. She just had to wait him out.
In the meantime, she made a mental tick-list for the sleigh and pictured Forest hanging out in her garage. Not that she was looking for a relationship or even a date. But he was funny, and laughter was in short supply in her life.
Pretty soon, she was humming along with those Santas.
Chapter Thirteen
Forest threw the grocery bags in his passenger seat and slammed to door. He was taking a mighty big risk. Mitzi was a prideful woman—in the best way. She was strong and independent. She didn’t need or want his help with anything, not even paying for supplies to fix his sleigh. Still, he couldn’t stand by and watch her and Billy go without, not when he could do something about it.
Now … how was he going to get all this in her fridge?
His phone rang, and he answered it as he walked around to the driver’s side and climbed in. He wasn’t up for running much. If he did, his arm would throb something fierce, and he’d like to avoid that if at all possible.
