Page 10 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

November 21st

So,here’s the thing: I didn’t expect to run into him again.

Like, at all.

I mean, we barely know each other. I certainly didn’t expect him to be standing across from me in a conference room. A corporate Viking in a suit that costs more than my entire wardrobe.

But there he is. Ryder Hale.

The silver fox from the bar last night.

The one whose name I didn’t even get.

And now, surprise, surprise: he’s also the CFO of the hotel I just inherited. How lucky am I?

Not. At all.

I do my best not to look at him, not to feel the flush creeping up my neck as I pretend to study the financial reports in front of me.

I mean, I can’t make heads or tails of them anyway. Who decided to make spreadsheets the size of novels?

“So,” I say, standing up from the chair and gathering my things. “This was productive, I guess?”

Ryder looks up from the papers in front of him, his expression still carefully neutral. But his gaze lingers on me for a second longer than necessary, and I feel a flicker of that tension again.

The kind that doesn’t belong in an office but seems to keep sneaking its way in anyway.

“Is there anything else you need?” His CFO mask is firmly in place.

I try to shake it off, but it’s harder than I expected. This is just weird.

“Not right now,” I say, taking a slow breath. “I’ll, uh, think about the plan. We can discuss more later. After I’ve had a chance to process everything.”

He gives a single nod, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. “Take your time. Just let me know what you decide.”

“Right,” I say, smoothing my dress down as I make my way toward the door. “Thanks, Ryder.”

The words feel stiff in my mouth. They don’t quite match the swirl of things I’m feeling.

Before I leave, I glance back at him one last time. There’s a moment, just a brief second, when I see something flicker in his eyes.

Maybe it’s curiosity. Perhaps it’s more. But it’s gone before I can figure it out.

I shake my head as I step out of his office, closing the door behind me.

What the hell was that?

I should be focused on saving the hotel, not whatever that was with Ryder. But every time I try to push it out of my mind, it comes back. His voice, the way he held me last night, the way he looked at me this morning.

And now, I’m walking away from his office, a mess of confusion and heat.

Well, Sunny, get it together. You’ve got a hotel to save. And a whole lot of people are depending on you.

I take a deep breath and try to focus as I step out of Ryder’s office. I might as well be moving through some corporate maze, but instead of paths to success, every turn just leads to more questions, more problems.

I’m the owner of a hotel. A hotel. And the only thing I’ve owned before now is Tinsel, who basically takes care of herself.

I make my way to the lobby, where the comforting scent of cinnamon and pine is a cruel reminder that Christmas is only a few weeks away, and my life is a complete disaster.