Page 108 of Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

“I’m being realistic.”

“No, you’re scared. Last time, you got left at the altar. This time, you’re scared Joy will leave town.” She stepped closer. “Cooper, if you want her and don’t fight for her, you’ll lose her anyway. At least if you fight and she still leaves, you’ll know you tried.”

The logic was sound, but it didn’t make the prospect of potential heartbreak any less terrifying. “What if I’m jumping in with both feet while she’s only got a toe in the water?”

“Then you’ll find out how she really feels,” she said. “No relationship is guaranteed. People can screw you over. It doesn’t matter if she’s going to live in Calton Hill the rest of her life. Relationships are minefields. You just never know when you’re going to take the wrong step. Shit happens. You can move on with your life instead of living in this limbo of uncertainty.”

“What if she doesn’t want me to fight for her?”

Katrina reached out and squeezed my arm. “What if she does want you to fight? What if she’s waiting for some sign that you’re serious about this? Have you given her any hints about what you want?”

The possibility hit me like a revelation. What if Joy’s recent distance wasn’t disinterest but uncertainty? What if she was dealing with her own fears about our relationship, her own doubts about whether I was serious about her?

If I knew Lynn, and unfortunately, I did, Joy probably knew Lynn was back in town. The rumor were spreading and it was possible Joy had been hearing them all day.

“I need to talk to her,” I said.

“No shit. Tonight, after the market opens and things settle down. Have an actual conversation instead of dancing around each other like nervous teenagers. You’re so weird.”

“Stop calling me fucking weird. I’m a grown man and you’re making me sound like a teen.”

“Don’t act like a weird teen and I won’t have to call you that.”

She was really lucky she was my sister because I had plenty I would like to say.

“Thank you for the advice but go away,” I said instead.

She grinned. “Good luck.”

Katrina was right. I’d been letting old wounds dictate my behavior in the present, assuming the worst instead of just asking Joy directly what she wanted. We were adults. We could have an honest conversation about our feelings and our future without all the drama and speculation.

I spotted Joy near the information booth, her red jacket making her easy to locate even in the growing crowd of vendors and volunteers. She was talking animatedly with the mayor, gesturing toward the various booths and explaining something that was clearly important to the success of the evening.

I approached them carefully, not wanting to interrupt if they were discussing something critical. But as I got closer, Joy noticed me and her expression shifted subtly—not unfriendly, exactly, but guarded. It made my stomach drop. Whatever I thought I was picking up on was definitely real.

“Cooper Frost,” she said when I reached them. “Safety coordinator extraordinaire.”

The mayor smiled. “She was telling me about all the great work you’ve done on the festival. The town thanks you.”

I nodded, never knowing how to react to compliments. “Thank you, Mayor. Just doing my job.”

“Well, keep up the good work,” she said.

“Joy, could I speak with you for a moment? Privately?”

The mayor took the hint immediately. “I’ll let you two talk. Joy, everything looks fantastic. The town owes you a debt of gratitude for putting this together.”

She walked away, leaving Joy and me standing beside the information booth while the controlled chaos of final preparations continued around us.

“What’s up?” she asked, but there was something careful in her tone that suggested she already knew this wasn’t about festival logistics.

“I think we should talk,” I said. “About us. About what’s been going on between us and where we think it’s heading.”

For a moment, something vulnerable flickered across her face, quickly replaced by a professional mask. “You’re right, we should. But Cooper, I can’t do this right now. The market opens in like twenty minutes, and if anything goes wrong⁠—”

“I understand,” I said, though disappointment sat heavy in my stomach. “Later tonight, then? After things wind down?”

“Yeah. Absolutely. Later tonight.” She paused, and for just a second, her guard dropped completely. “I’m sorry. I know this isn’t ideal timing, but I can’t afford any distractions right now. Not when we’re this close to the finish line.”