Page 13 of 10 Things I Hate About Mistletoe

“No, they’re mean.”

“Then why do you care what they think of you? You are smart. You are funny. You are kind. You are beautiful inside and out. Fuck those kids.”

“Mom!” Delilah’s horrified cry at her mother’s cursing dissolved into laughter. Her mom joined her and the two of them had an amazing time.

She’d returned from that weekend with some new clothes and, although she wasn’t bulletproof yet, a thicker skin.

However, she wasn’t twelve years old anymore, and her mother was right. If someone didn’t like the way she looked, they could fuck right off.

Holly pulled back with a sniffle and poured more wine into her glass. “Alright, then, let’s do this. Come on, universe! My friend needs a handsome, funny, intelligent guy to sweep her off her feet!”

“Which might be a tough find in good old Mistletoe.”

“Oh, no,” Holly said firmly. “I will support you in finding your bliss unless it means you are leaving me, and the only time I get to see you is over FaceTime.”

“I’m not saying I want to leave, but you have to admit, Mistletoe has a lot going against it.”

“Such as?” Holly asked.

Delilah started ticking things off on her fingers. “It’s cold for nine months out of the year.”

“That gives us all an excuse to cuddle and take more vitamin D,” Holly said with a salacious grin and an eyebrow waggle.

“The traffic during peak tourist season is ridiculous.”

“Please,” Holly scoffed, “don’t make me laugh. Ten cars backed up on one road in the evening does not traffic make.”

“It does when you just want to get home,” Delilah fired back. “To be honest, the only thing I like about Mistletoe is a handful of people. I’m not outdoorsy, so no recreational stuff appeals to me. I think the holiday events are over the top—”

“How dare you?” Holly interjected with a scowl.

“It’s true! And it takes packages two or more days longer to get here.”

“That’s just Idaho in general,” Holly protested. When Delilah gave her an “oh, really” look, Holly sighed. “Fine. I’ll admit, Mistletoe isn’t for everyone, but you’re selling this place short. I’ve heard the way you talk about the kids you sub for.”

“I can substitute anywhere for a lot more money.”

“Go on then, flee,” Holly said, waving her hands and pointing. “Go on, get! I’ll be better off without you.”

While Holly’s tone sounded lighthearted and teasing, Delilah heard the slight tremor and set her wineglass down. She circled the counter and hugged Holly tight. “Stop trying to White Fang me. We both saw that episode of New Girl one too many times.”

Holly laughed, returning her hug. “So, when do we start this search for the great, rare sex-god?”

“I’m thinking tonight.”

“Oh, dang,” Holly said, frowning. “We can’t go shopping tonight. By the time we got to Twin, all the stores would be closed.”

“That’s okay; I have something in my closet that might do the trick.”

Holly followed Delilah into her bedroom, and when she pulled out the hanger with the sparkling blue dress, Holly nodded. “That will freaking do.”

Chapter Four

Maybe this was a bad idea.

The thought popped into Anthony’s head as he sat with his friends at Brews and Chews Bar and Grill, listening to the loud music and the hum of conversations around him. Anthony had been looking forward to hitting the bar with the boys tonight, but his mood tanked the minute he crossed the threshold and spotted the large sprig of mistletoe hanging over the door. Pike’s rant yesterday about getting older and their shrinking group of single friends hadn’t been far from his mind. Now, the matchmaking plant of the holiday season was staring him in the face, reminding him that of all his friends, he was the only one who hadn’t ever come close to a long-term relationship.

His relationship status wasn’t from lack of interest, but he had no interest in bullshit games. Anthony tried dating apps, but every woman he’d gone out with had lied about something on her profile. Usually, he could spot the lie after a date or two, but the last woman he’d dated over the summer almost had him fooled. It wasn’t until he’d surprised her with a weekend getaway and she’d realized they were going camping over Couch Summit that she admitted her idea of camping was a twenty thousand dollar camper with all the bells and whistles.