Page 109 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

“Definitely,” she declares. “And if you’re not careful, you might end up letting something good slip away because you’re too scared to go all in. You’ve done that before, right?”

Her words hit me harder than I expected. Claire’s not wrong. I’ve run from good things before, from things that scared me, things I wasn’t ready for.

But maybe… maybe this time, I don’t have to. Perhaps this time, I can take a chance.

I look at her, really look at her, and I feel a small but growing sense of gratitude. “Thanks, Claire. Seriously. You’ve always had my back. Even when I didn’t see it.”

She grins, that familiar mischievous spark lighting up her eyes again. “What can I say? I’m just here to keep you in check. Now, seriously, don’t screw this up with Sunny. I’ve got a good feeling about her. You both deserve it.”

I let out a quiet laugh. “I’ll try not to. I just?—”

She cuts me off, her tone playful but supportive. “No, just about it. Go for it, Ry. You never know what you’ve got until you really leap. And trust me, I think it’s worth it.”

I nod, her words sinking in deeper than I thought they would. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Sunny

December 22nd

You knowthose moments where you wonder if maybe the universe is trying to kill you slowly? It’s not the big things, but all the minor disasters that pile on top of each other until you’re standing there wondering if you’ve somehow pissed off a higher power.

Yeah, I’m there. Right now.

The ballroom is a total mess. I can’t even… I mean, what is this? Half the tables are set, but the other half are a complete disaster. The Christmas tree in the center is leaning like it’s just about had it with everything.

Honestly, I’m half-expecting it to topple over and take half the room with it. And it’s not even noon yet.

I can already feel the stress ball that is my life squeezing tighter in my chest. This gala? This whole event? It’s supposed to save us, to save the hotel, to save me.

And right now, it’s starting to look like it’ll be the thing that sends me into full-on, stress-induced, fluffy-pajama-wearing, locked-in-a-bathroom-crying meltdown mode.

Claire has done so much for us, but there’s still so far to go. Maybe too far.

“Sunny! Sunny!”

Marjorie’s voice breaks through my thoughts, and I look up to find her practically sprinting in my direction. Her face is already ghostly pale.

Oh, good. That’s what I need right now. Someone else is in full-on panic mode.

“What is it?” I ask, already bracing myself for whatever fresh hell she’s about to drop on me.

“The DJ just canceled,” she blurts out. “Like, gone. No warning. Just not coming.”

My brain stops for a full second. Canceled? “Are you…” I swallow hard. “You’re joking.”

She shakes her head, the panic creeping into her eyes. “I wish I were.”

Of course, the DJ bailed. Why wouldn’t he? It’s not like everything else has been going smoothly. And now I must find another one… immediately.

We don’t have weeks to work with. We have days. Two days.

I feel my heart rate pick up. I’ve just been handed an impossible math problem without a calculator.

My fingers grip the edge of the nearest table. I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, trying to silence the ringing in my ears.

This can’t be happening. It’s not real.