Page 19 of Babies for the Christmas Grump

I grab my phone off the desk, scrolling to Marjorie’s name before I can talk myself out of it. If there’s one person who always knows how to pull me out of a spiral, it’s Marjorie James.

Loud, loyal, and borderline inappropriate in a way that could make a nun blush, she’s the kind of best friend you’d want in your corner, even if you’re knee-deep in a train wreck.

The phone rings twice before she picks up.

“Sunny! You are never going to believe the insane thing I just saw. They’ve put up the most gorgeous tree in the middle of the mall. You have to see it. Let me send you a pic.”

I can’t help but laugh, but there’s a twang in my heart. I’ve been excited about this opportunity, but I still miss home a little.

“Marj, it’s ten a.m. You’re already fired up about holiday decor?”

“Sweetheart, I was born fired up. You know this. But less about me. How’s the hotel going? You managing to keep it afloat, or have you lit it on fire and danced around it yet?”

“Don’t tempt me,” I mutter, slumping in my chair.

“Oh, honey. You can’t quit on me that easily. You know I’m coming to visit in a couple of months to stir some serious shit up. I can’t let you get away with this by yourself.” She pauses, and I can practically hear the wicked grin on her face. “But seriously, how’s it going? You sound like you’ve got a whole lot of stress on your plate.”

“You have no idea.” I let out a breath, tapping my pen against the desk. “I’m trying to pull off this Christmas event. ‘Tinsel and Toddy.’ You know, to save the hotel. But Ryder…” I roll my eyes. “Ryder’s pissed. I didn’t run it by him first. He’s worried about budgets, and he thinks I’m trying to sell hot toddies like they’re going to save the damn place.”

“Ryder?”

“Ugh, the most boring CFO I’ve ever met in my life.” I roll my eyes, even though she can’t see me. “I don’t know why Aunt Evie hired him.”

Marjorie laughs, and I can’t help but crack a smile.

“I’m already halfway to getting it organized. But now I’m at this point where I’m freaking out, and I’m trying to keep it together, but the hotel is hanging on by a thread. And Ryder’s been on my case about everything. He just doesn’t get it, Marj. He’s all numbers and no soul.”

“Well, he sounds like the human equivalent of a wet blanket at a stripper party,” Marjorie says, dripping with sarcasm. “Maybe you should just drop a glitter bomb on him and see if that breaks his business suit persona.”

“I wish.” I smile, but then the mood shifts. “But honestly, that’s not even the worst part.”

She’s quiet for a beat, probably reading the tone of my voice. “What’s going on, baby girl? Spill it.”

I hesitate for a second, biting my lip. “Well, I didn’t know who he was when I first got here. I just assumed he was some guy in the hotel. And?—”

“Did you…?” she gasps. “Oh no, you did.”

I wince, wishing I could take the words back before she can fully process them. “It’s not what you think, Marj. It was one night. And it wasn’t supposed to be anything more. I didn’t even know who he was until, well, after.”

“Wait, wait. Hold up. You hooked up with your grumpy, number-crunching, spreadsheets-are-my-lifestyle CFO?” She practically screeches the question, and I can feel the cringe all the way through the phone.

“Yes, but can you please not make this into athing?” I reply, lowering my voice in an attempt to keep my embarrassment contained. “It’s not like that. It was a mistake, okay? One bigmistake that I’m trying hard to move on from. But now I’ve got to work with him every day, and it’s just awkward.”

She lets out a dramatic sigh, the kind only Marjorie can pull off. “Girl, you are chaos, and I love it.”

“I’m glad one of us does.”

CHAPTER SIX

Ryder

December 1st

I’m notsure what I expected when I walked through those doors.

I told myself I was just checking in and keeping an eye on things—a professional survey of Sunny’s little Tinsel and Toddy experiment.

But here I am, standing at the threshold of the hotel lobby, dressed in my best coat, scanning a room full of holiday revelers.