Page 28 of Grumpmas

“Someone is slacking this year.” Jack rubbed the back of his head.

Christ. This was embarrassing. For both of us.

“I didn’t have time to get a tree with everything going on and—” Jack took two strides toward me, and I lost my train of thought.

Jack plucked the safety glasses off my face. “I’ll take you out, and we’ll chop an evergreen down.”

“Seriously?” I scrunched up my nose in surprise. “Why?”

“Faith deserves presents under a tree.” Jack tapped my nose softly. “We’ll cut one down tomorrow.”

I blushed.

“Thanks, Jack. That’s sweet of you.” I pushed at his shoulder to hide my reddening cheeks. “Didn’t know you had it in you.”

Hurriedly, Jack spun me around and pushed me back in the direction I had come from. My legs had to keep up with his long strides as he opened the gate wide and shoved me out of his backyard. He did a complete one-eighty. One minute he was kind, and the next he was back to his old grumpy self.

“I don’t,” Jack grumbled.

Jack closed the gate in my face.

I stood there for a few seconds with a gaping mouth. I had wanted to argue with Jack and hit a nerve with his grumpy attitude, but I refrained and shut my mouth. His bitter behavior only came out after I had experienced a thaw in his frigid walls. I’d seen a nicer side to my neighbor, and he left me with a smile on my face as I exited his property.

FOURTEEN

Snap Decision

Jack

Iclicked the gate closed, axe in my hand, and I was ready to go next door. No. I wasn’t truly prepared to encounter the neighbor I couldn’t stand. I dreaded going to her place and wanted to head straight back inside the safety of my home, but my cell phone rang in the frosty still air.

“What now?” I grumbled out loud and pulled the device out of my pocket.

Gabriel Evergreen lit up the screen.

Great. My best friend. I loved the guy, but my heart skipped a beat at the idea of answering the damn phone.Why?Because I had gotten far closer to his daughter than I cared to admit, and Gabriel would snap my fucking neck if he found out.

I sighed, slapped a hand on my cheek, and ran it over my mouth. This was a call I couldn’t ignore. I slid my finger over the screen to answer.

“Hey, man!” I sounded way too enthusiastic when I’d normally be losing my motherfucking shit. “What’s good?”

“Uh-oh... What’s wrong?” Gabriel asked. “Is Noelle okay?”

I had to give Gabriel credit. He was a great dad and looked out for his daughter as if she were his one and only princess. Elle was his pampered everything.

“Elle? Yeah. She’s fine.” I waved a hand in the air and hid my frustration by kicking a lump of fluffy snow. “She’s decorating the house and being her bright, cheerful self.”

Far too cheery and annoying for me. Goddamn it. I needed to move.Little Elle would fucking love that, wouldn’t she?She’d have a damn party to celebrate the occasion as soon as my ass was gone.

“Good.” A few seconds of silence. “How did babysitting duty go? I hope Faith wasn’t too much trouble?”

No, but your daughter has been a pain in my ass.

Elle’s skin was far too smooth, and her delightful cinnamon eyes shimmered brightly under her colorful Christmas lights. Her lips were too fucking tempting. I wanted to kiss them.No.

What the hell was I thinking?

Elle was insufferable. She behaved like a damn child in need of a spanking. One I’d love to deliver.