Page 114 of Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

“Batman’s gonna help them heal faster,” Dylan announced, showing his mother the bandages with obvious pride.

She laughed, the relief evident in her voice. “That’s wonderful, honey. What do you say to the nice firefighter?”

“Thank you for fixing me up,” Dylan said solemnly, then brightened. “And for the cool bandages.”

“You’re very welcome, buddy. Remember what we talked about. Sometimes it’s better to look with our eyes, especially around the animals, okay?”

Dylan nodded seriously. “I’ll remember.”

I glanced over and saw Joy watching. She was silently asking if everything was okay. I nodded once, letting her know there was no crisis. She flashed a smile and then rushed over to the nativity scene.

She had been so worried about messing something up and disappointing the town or failing to live up to expectations. But from what I could see, the festival was an unqualified success. I had been keeping an ear out for complaints or problems, and all I had heard were compliments.

It was a shame there was such a dark cloud hanging over the celebration for me. Joy deserved to have this moment be pure triumph, unmarred by relationship drama or small-town gossip. Instead, we were both walking around with this tension between us.

I spotted movement in my peripheral vision that made my stomach clench. It was that sixth sense we all had when a dangerous predator was in our midst. And then I saw it. Blonde hair moving through the crowd with malicious intent. Lynn was here, dressed to stand out like the attention seeker she’d always been. She was, of course, overdressed for a simple night out for a Christmas market. She was looking around like she was in search of something specific. Or someone. I had a sick feeling I knew exactly who that someone was, and it wasn’t baby Jesus.

I couldn’t let her get near me. Not here, not in front of half the town, not when Joy and I were already dealing with enough uncertainty. Lynn would try some kind of bullshit. It was just her way. She’d manufacture a scene or create drama where none existed, all in service of getting what she wanted.

I did a quick circuit of the market grounds, checking in with vendors and double-checking some of the electrical connections that had been giving us minor trouble earlier. Everything was running smoothly, exactly as Joy had planned it.

Satisfied that things were in order from a safety standpoint, I grabbed two funnel cakes from Maxine and went looking for Joy. I had promised to buy one for her, and she could probably use a little break. Despite all the awkwardness between us lately, I wanted to see her. We might be saving the serious conversation for later, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t hang out a little bit. Plus, she really needed to taste Maxine’s funnel cake.

I spotted her near the hot cider stand, talking animatedly with the vendor. Even from a distance, I could see her focused expression.

I headed directly toward her, wondering if she might want some cider too. We hadn’t eaten dinner together in days, and I missed those simple moments of shared comfort food and easy conversation.

I was maybe twenty feet away when Lynn materialized out of nowhere, intercepting my path with the precision of a heat-seeking missile.

“Cooper!” she exclaimed loudly enough to draw attention from everyone nearby. “There you are! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

Before I could run, she grabbed my arm and pressed way too close to me as she kissed my cheek. Her grip was like an iron claw that I couldn’t shake off without creating an even bigger scene.

“Lynn, back the fuck off,” I said quietly, trying to extract myself without making a spectacle.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” she purred, her voice carrying clearly across the space between vendor booths. “Can’t old friends catch up at a Christmas festival?”

She was making a show of our interaction, playing to an audience I hadn’t asked for. Her body language screamed intimacy and familiarity. Anyone watching would think we were having some kind of romantic reunion.

Which was exactly what she wanted them to think.

I glanced toward the cider stand and saw Joy looking in our direction. Even from a distance, I could see the moment her expression shifted from professional focus to hurt and betrayal.

“Joy—” I started, but Lynn yanked me back.

Joy walked quickly in the opposite direction, disappearing into the crowd. She was fleeing and I couldn’t blame her. Lynn had that effect on people.

“Lynn, I’m not playing this game with you,” I said more forcefully, finally managing to pry her fingers off my arm. “Don’t ever touch me.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked with fake innocence. “I just wanted to talk to you. Is that such a crime?”

“Your very existence is a crime,” I replied, anger finally overriding my desire to avoid a scene. “Stay the hell away from me, Lynn. Now and forever.”

I didn’t wait for her response. I pushed through the crowd, following the path Joy had taken, but she had vanished like smoke. I checked the information booth, the storage area behind the main market, even the parking area where vendors had left their vehicles. Nothing.

She was nowhere to be found. Lynn’s little performance had just destroyed whatever fragile progress Joy and I had been making toward that conversation we needed to have.

I found myself standing near the ice tree feeling more frustrated and helpless than I had since this whole mess started.