“Too bad I’ll have to close up tonight,” I said as I started rolling out the dough. “I’m going to miss out on the five shoppers I would have had.”
I stacked the two colors of dough on top of each other then carefully rolled up the red and green spiral.
“I’ll watch the shop,” Olivia offered.
I paused, about to roll the dough in the sprinkles.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Beats sleeping in the car, right, Louis?” she called over to her cat, who was lounging in the Christmas tree. He batted a paw at a hanging ornament.
“Unfortunately, you have to be out after closing,” I said, carefully slicing the cookie dough roll. “Otherwise, the Grinch will come and yell at you.”
“Oh, he’s totally going to come back again tonight just to catch you braless,” Olivia said cheerfully as she grabbed the gnarled end piece of the pinwheel roll. She took a bite of the raw dough. “When Matt shows up next time, ask him whether he wants to lick your cookies again!”
21
Matt
“Did Merrie even walk you?” I asked Kringle that evening. The dog had been antsy after I got home from work. I had taken the long way around to avoid the Christmas market—and, if I was being honest, Merrie.
You just need some time away from her is all.
But she was everywhere.
Part of that is because you seek her out.
That was once, one time.
Kringle barked at the door.
I looked at him. He panted, gazing up at me with pleading eyes.
“I am not going to the Christmas market,” I warned him, shrugging off my shirt to change into exercise clothes.
Fifteen minutes later,we were walking around the Christmas market.
“You only wanted to come here because you wanted snacks,” I scolded the dog.
He politely took a piece of bratwurst a little girl offered him.
“I like his antlers.” She giggled.
They had been another gift from a little girl. The dog was decked out in full Christmas regalia.
“Raffle tickets!” Dave, wearing a snowman costume, hollered. “Last chance for tonight’s raffle.”
I skirted away from him and got too close to one of the automatic elf trash cans.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS!” it shrieked at me.
Merrie wanted to offer you a Merry Christmas, my mind reminded me unhelpfully.
She wasn’t, she had just been…
Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair.Well, she clearly had just been trying to goad me.
But what if it had been a subtle offer?
