Page 53 of Moody's Grumpy Holiday

Fuck.This was going to take a while. I clicked my blinkers to signal a U-turn when Moody strolled into view, head bent on his way to the bookstore.

And there went my heart.Boom, boom, boom.

My instincts kicked into triple gear.Move fast, now, don’t wait, don’t let the real thing slip away.I pulled my truck into a red zone behind the van and jumped out.

“Moody!”

He did a double take, adjusting his glasses as he squinted, and my God…he was beautiful.

Boom, boom, boom.

I knew what this was. I could be brave and give it a name.

He was twenty feet away, ten feet, five feet…

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk in front of Rudolph’s Fudge Shop, tipping my Stetson, my heart tripping over itself as he neared.

“Moody,” I said with a reverence reserved for prayer.

He widened his eyes, peering left and right before closing the distance between us. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Colorado.”

“Yeah, but it’s Christmas Eve.”

“I know. Are you sick? You look pale and kind of dopey.”

I smiled. “I do?”

“Mmhmm. Did you take an antihistamine? Oh, I hope not. My cousin, Flo, got in a doozy of an accident after mixing mouthwash and cold medicine…and probably vodka, though she swore she?—”

“I’m not sick, baby,” I said with a laugh. “I’m just…”

He cocked his head curiously. “What is it?”

I licked my lips and opened my arms in surrender. “I love you.”

“You—”

“Yes, and fuck it. Maybe it’s too much, too soon, but when you know, you fucking know. And I know that you’re the coolest, kindest, sexiest, most amazing person in the whole damn world. You need to know that there is someone who will put you first, look out for you when you’re feeling low, and celebrate every win. That someone is me, Moody. Me. I’m your guy.”

Moody blinked like an owl. “I-I love you too.”

I swooped him in my arms and spun him in a circle, kissing him breathless. My Stetson fell off, but who cared? “Merry Christmas, my love.”

“Merry Christmas.”

I bent to pick up my hat, then set it on Moody’s head, loving his sweet chuckle. I cupped his chin and traced my thumb along his smooth jaw. “By the way, I’m staying home for the holidays…with you.”

“But your mom…”

“She’ll understand, and she’ll be happy for me. For us. She knows I’ve been lost for a while…looking for escape, looking for change. I just saw your dad’s statue and read that quote and—he was fucking right. I made a detour, and I got my second chance…with you. I’m not going to blow it. I won’t waste a single day. Fuck January. I want you now.”

Moody’s eyes sparkled and welled with tears. “You have me. Always.”

If life were a rom-com, gentle snowflakes would drift from the heavens and a band of carolers would sing “Holly Jolly Christmas” or something everyone knew the words to right then and there. Real life was better.

We swayed together on a bustling street, oblivious to the traffic, the long lines in front a few shops, and the skinny guy in an ill-fitted Santa suit with a cell glued to his ear as he paced on the corner.

It all faded to nothing. Just a steadyboom, boom, boom.