Page 3 of Healed By the Grumpy Elf

“Oh, you’re a real lifesaver!” I almost inhale my first sip of piping hot, perfectly prepared coffee. Just a dash of milk, no sugar. Harriet knows me too well.

She should. She’s my bestie, after all.

“Speaking of reading a room,” Harriet continues, ignoring my persistent moans of pleasure as more caffeine fills my belly. “You need to carve time for yourself, girl. And not just to eat your lunch in peace.”

Harriet lifts her brows at me in that ‘teacher knows best’ way she has. “This is something you need to do. Go out. Have fun. Be selfish for once.”

I know she’s right. Can’t pour from an empty cup and all that.

“I’ll be selfish when I find the time to be selfish.”

Harriet scoffs and shakes her head.

I groan, sinking back into my chair, then I bend to the side to retrieve my carefully packed lunch. Anticipation pulls my lips up in a smile as the delicious smell of fresh bread and pesto reach my nostrils. It’s nothing special, really. Just a bit of French baguette, some pesto, seasonal arugula fresh from the farmer’s market and a few slices of mozzarella.

A Green Goddess sandwich, with a twist from my father, Curtis Callahan. The twist is a little dash of lemon juice and some sun-dried tomatoes.

I always make sure to pack something I know I will enjoy for lunch and I’m always glad I do. It’s the one self-care routine I never skip on.

It doesn’t hurt that my dad is a chef. I truly learned from the best.

Harriet leans over the edge of my desk, picking at her own lunch while eying mine with obvious jealousy. I make her wait a full minute before pulling another sandwich from the drawer and she makes a happy little dance in her seat before sinking her teeth into it.

Hey. School nurses have a right to indulge themselves, and cooking is my one and only hobby.

"Busy morning?"

"Three skinned knees, one case of fairy wing strain, Zinnia's hair, and now Gromm's loose tusk." I tick off the incidents on my fingers. "Plus, I'm pretty sure the Sanderson twins are faking their stomachaches to get out of their math test."

"They absolutely are," Harriet confirms, popping a piece of carrot in her mouth. "Performance anxiety. I've seen it before."

"I'll talk to them about some breathing exercises." I make a mental note, then take another blissful bite of my sandwich. "How about you?"

Harriet rolls her eyes, a strand of ash-blond hair falling from her messy bun. "Millie Primrose convinced Bellamy Otterton that krakens can turn into sharks during the full moon. I spent twenty minutes trying to reassure him that it’s just a silly joke and that the Saltwater Ocean Camp he will go to this summer is perfectly safe."

“That child is going to be the death of us all.” I snort into my water glass. "Just like her great-aunt."

"Speaking of people who don’t know how to mind their own business," Harriet says with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Are you sure you want to help Principal Braggstone for parent-teacher night tomorrow?"

I stop mid-sip. This is one complication I don’t need in my life.

“He asked about you. Wanted to know what restaurant in Saltford Bay you like best.”

“What did you tell him?” I swallow, careful to keep my face neutral. Harriet knows how I feel about this. About him.

Principal Orlin Braggstone has been attempting to court me for the better part of a year, despite my increasingly desperate efforts to politely deflect his attention.

I know troll males are stubborn, but this is getting ridiculous.

“You need to tell him no, once and for all.”

I hate that I’m staying holed up in my office just to hide from my new boss.

"He’ll get the message in time." I push away my half-eaten lunch. "He cornered me by the punch bowl and spent fifteen minutes telling me about his rock collection."

“Was that at the Christmas party?”

Harriet wrinkles her nose at the thought.