Page 41 of Once Upon A Christmas Song

“What is that?” Darcy gasped, sounding both curious and horrified.

“It’s a rabbit. Can’t you see it’s a rabbit?” I snapped at her.

“Of course I can see it’s a—what is wrong with you?” she nearly yelled. “You were in a better mood when you left.”

I was not in a better mood when I left. I had been in flight mode, annoyed and uncertain.

Heading toward the kitchen, I suddenly veered off, thinking that if for whatever reason, we had a health inspector visiting, having a rabbit where food was prepared was a bad idea. I diverted toward the hallway leading to the offices.

“Are you mad about Otto?” Cami asked, and only then did I realize she was walking right beside me, on my right, Dawson on my left.

“No,” I grumbled.

“You sound mad.”

“I’m mad about something else,” I told her.

“About me?”

I stopped walking and turned to her. “No. When have I ever been mad at you?”

She thought a moment. “The time that man in the store kept following you around.”

“That was⁠—”

“What man?” Dawson asked her.

“I don’t know,” she answered him. “A stranger was following Uncle Chris and asking him dumb questions about this cheese he had.”

“I see.”

“I mean, my mama knows about cheese, not Uncle Chris.”

“Absolutely.”

“So I told the man he was wasting his time talking to Uncle Chris but he stayed anyway.”

“I’m sure he did.”

I groaned and started for my office again. Sadly, they didn’t stay there and talk but followed right along with me.

“He wouldn’t go away, and I finally told him that Uncle Chris doesn’t eat a lot of cheese because⁠—”

“Never mind,” I told her.

“See? That’s how his voice sounded that day too,” she informed Dawson. “But I told the man he doesn’t eat cheese because it gives him the toots.”

“Oh, for the love of God,” I grumbled. “Remind me to yell at your mother.”

“What did Mama do?”

Dawson was chuckling. “Did the man run away after that?”

She nodded.

“And your uncle Chris was mad?”

“Not mad, but he made a face like—oh, see, just like he’s making now.”