Page 10 of Grumpy Santa

“You’ve got this, Garrett,” I encourage from across the store. “Everyone in town loves you. You’re sweet and funny and smoking hot.”

I hear Jared’s growl from here.

“Get to work, Audrey. I don’t pay your ass to flirt with the customers.”

I roll my eyes. Someone took their asshole pills this morning.

Jared is still muttering to Garrett, but I can’t hear him since he’s all the way in that back room. Then he stomps back out carrying two mugs of coffee.

Well, maybe not all of his asshole pills. Just one.

He sets a mug in front of me, and judging by the color of it, I know he made it just how I like it. Way too much cream and sugar.

“I’ve loved this woman since I was fifteen,” Garrett says. “I didn’t fight for her the first time around. I won’t make that same mistake again.”

“You’re getting on my last fucking nerve,” Jared barks. “Stop panicking. You’ve got this.”

“You just said I was going to fuck it all up,” Jared says.

“Motivational speaking doesn’t seem to be your forte, big boy,” I quip.

Jared growls in response.

And my damn nipples tighten. Just another reminder that sleeping with my grumpy, sexy boss might not have been my smartest decision.

“I’ve seen you run into a burning building without blinking. How is this the thing that gives you a panic attack?” Jared asks.

“Completely different,” Garrett says. “I have years of training and practice for burning buildings. I know exactly what to do when that happens. I know the plan.”

“So make a plan,” I say.

Garrett nods. “Yeah. Okay. I can do that. I can make a plan.

“Which is the exact same advice I gave you,” Jared grumbles.

“Well, maybe if you’d stop glaring and growling at people, they’d listen to you.” I stare at him above the lip of my coffee mug.

chapter six

Jared

I’m bent over at my front counter refilling the vintage brand chewing gum when my cousin, Felicity, appears at my elbow.

“I need a huge favor,” she says.

“What's that?”

“I need you to pretend to be my fake boyfriend,” she says so quickly I nearly miss her words.

I stand upright. “Do I even want to know why?”

“The why seems irrelevant. Either you’ll do it or not.”

“Have you been gone from here for so long that you’ve forgotten we’re related?" I motion between us. “Felicity, you’re my cousin.”

"This is a small town,” she waves a hand dismissively. “People don't care about stuff like that.”

“Stuff like incest?” I ask. “Pretty sure they do. I know I fucking do."