Page 25 of Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

“Frost, you’ll be meeting with the new coordinator.”

Something told me I was not going to like what he said next.

“The new coordinator?” I repeated the words slowly.

The chief nodded and grabbed a paper from the table behind him. “Apparently Victoria Murphy is retiring. She’ll be training her replacement.”

I swatted at my ear. There was nothing there, but it felt like there were a hundred bees… no, mosquitoes. Obnoxious fucking mosquitoes buzzing near my ear.

I knew what was coming.

“Who would that be?” Matt asked. He was pretending to be all innocent but I knew otherwise. He had put it together already.

“Joy Murphy.”

I groaned and tried to sink into the chair.

“Oh shit!” Tony laughed. “That’s the lady from the school thing, right?”

Some of the others in the room knew who she was. Matt knew my history with her. Not all of it, but enough of it. There was good-natured ribbing and joking about me going up in flames.

They had no idea.

The memory of her stepping out from behind that snowman flashed in my mind. She had only gotten more gorgeous. But underneath the attraction was the same old bruise. She was just another woman who had left. Another heartache I never really got over.

This assignment wasn’t just a curse. It was a double curse. Christmas and Joy Murphy.

“Settle down,” Chief said, holding up a hand, and the laughter died. “Doesn’t matter if our safety officer’s feeling the Christmas spirit or not. This isn’t about decorations and holiday cheer. It’s about safety. Making sure the people who are celebrating can enjoy themselves without incident. Got it?”

Everyone nodded. I crossed my arms and scowled. I could already imagine the next several weeks. I was going to be submerged in Christmas cheer. Some people imagined hell as fire and brimstone.

My version was red and green ribbons.

“Dismissed.”

I was halfway out the door when Chief called out. “Frost, hang back a minute.”

My gut tightened. Great. What now? Did the princess call and complain I was mean to her? That would be just like her. A fucking tattletale. Well, she was in the wrong. I was only doing my job.

When the others had cleared, Chief leaned against the table, looking me square in the eye. “I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t a punishment.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” I muttered.

He ignored that. “Truth is, I’ve been looking at promoting someone into a lieutenant position. Supervising a full shift. It’s a big responsibility. And I need to know whoever gets it can handle more than just running into burning buildings. They need to manage, coordinate, keep things steady when there’s a hundred variables flying around. Handle people. You’re an excellent fireman, Frost. But it’s not just about how well you handle the flames. It’s about handling people and situations.”

I blinked. “You’re saying…”

“I’m saying, if you do well with this fest assignment, Frost, the job is yours. I know you’ve already taken the tests and have been waiting for a spot to open up. We don’t want to lose you. One of those big city houses would jump on you in a heartbeat if you asked. I want to keep you here.”

For a moment, the world tilted. Lieutenant. It was what I’d been working toward for years. A bigger role. More responsibility. More trust. And Chief was dangling it right in front of me—if I could just survive gingerbread contests and Christmas choirs without losing my mind.

And her.

I could probably deal with Santa. Joy was going to be the issue.

But I could do it.

“You’re serious?” I asked.