Page 42 of Moody's Grumpy Holiday

The baking aisle at the local grocery store probably wasn’t the best venue for probing conversations, but I was too curious and this woman knew Moody better than anyone.

“Moody told me his dad was literally Santa.”

Vicki grinned. “Yep. Milt looked the part, and that man embodied kindness and joy and…blessings. Can you believe I met him at a Vegas strip club?”

A woman pushing a drooling toddler in a shopping cart glanced up, immediately veering in the opposite direction.

“Is that so?”

Vicki waited for the young mother to clear the aisle and nodded. “It’s true. Milt came to my show every night during his two-week vacation. It was hard not to notice the guy with the bushy white beard and twinkling eyes. Santa at a strip club? The story just wrote itself. He was such a gentleman…always laughing, always able to find a silver lining. Like Moody.”

The “except in December” was inferred, but I let it go and refocused on the spice shelves.

“He sounds like he was an amazing guy.”

“The best.” She smiled sadly, motioning to the shelves of baking goods. “What are you looking for?”

“Allspice. Got any idea where I can find it?”

Vicki joined the search and found the allspice hidden behind a container of cumin. She dropped it into my cart, nudging my shoulder as she stage-whispered, “The decorations are crap here. You need to buy your supplies at the Candy Emporium in Christmas Town. If you give Sally my name, she’ll hook you up with the good stuff.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” she called out, stopping in her tracks at the end of the aisle. “Hey, Hudson?”

“Yeah?”

“Moody played ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ at the store earlier today. That’s kind of a big deal ’cause it’s a downright happy song, so…thank you.”

I furrowed my brow in amused confusion. “That’s great, but that’s not me.”

“Oh, yes, it is.” She waved and disappeared a moment later.

Okay, that was cryptic and odd, but also…sweet.

Buzz buzz.

Allspice is also known as Jamaica pepper or myrtle pepper. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a combination of spices, but its own distinct spice. Its flavor is reminiscent of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. If you’ve exhausted all options, we can make do with a homemade blend. However, my alchemy skills are rusty.

I took a photo of the allspice and sent it to Moody.Allspice, all good.

Smiley face emoji.Magnificent!

I snorted at the exchange, but I was grinning like a fool. I was doing that a lot lately. Was it regular sex with a beautiful, interesting man or was it something else? Hard to say. I just knew I was…happy.

I liked to think Moody was too.

13

MOODY

Hudson’s kitchen was definitely smaller than mine. He was short on prep space, and I had no idea where we’d assemble the gingerbread ranch. Maybe on the round dining table in the corner where the baby goat was munching a carrot and?—

I gasped and jumped a foot in the air, or at least a few inches. “There’s a creature—a critter…in your house.”

Hudson hummed distractedly as he bent to retrieve something from the refrigerator. “A critter? Oh, that’s just Nelly. I’ll introduce you in a sec. How about some eggnog? We can spike it with a little bourbon and?—”

“Uh…yes, yes, fine, just…Nelly?” I swiped my clammy palms on my shirt, scanning my internal databank for information about this particular animal. I came up blank. “You have a pet goat?”