Page 64 of Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

Her eyebrows rose slightly, but her expression remained carefully neutral. “Define steamy.”

“Aunt Victoria! I am not giving you dirty details!”

“What? I’m old, not dead.” She grinned at my obvious mortification. “Besides, I’ve been wondering when something would happen between you two. The tension has been obvious to everyone but you.”

I buried my face in my hands. “This is so not a conversation I should be having with my aunt.”

“Who else are you going to talk to? You need perspective from someone who loves you but isn’t invested in the outcome.” She leaned forward, her voice gentling. “So tell me. What exactly happened that has you looking like you’ve been hit by a truck?”

I took a large gulp of wine for courage. “Whatever you’re suspecting… happened. We crossed a line.”

“And this is a problem because…?”

“Because it’s Cooper!” The words came out more forcefully than I’d intended. “Because he’s still picking up the pieces from his breakup with Lynn. Because I might not even be staying in town. Because⁠—”

“Because you’re scared,” she interrupted gently.

The simple truth of it stopped me cold. “Yeah. I’m scared.”

She nodded as if it made perfect sense. “Good. If you weren’t scared, it wouldn’t mean anything.”

I stared at her. “How is being terrified a good thing?”

“Because fear means you care.” She picked up another stocking, smoothing it flat against her lap. “You wouldn’t be this worked up about a casual fling, Joy. You’re scared because this feels like something that could be real.”

She was right. What I felt for Cooper wasn’t casual attraction or simple chemistry. It was the kind of bone-deep, soul-stirring connection that either became everything or destroyed you in the attempt.

“He’s not over Lynn,” I said, voicing the fear that had been eating at me since I watched him drive away that morning. “I mean, he’s not still in love with her or anything. But there’s a hole in his life where she used to be. Especially during the holidays. I can see it in his eyes.”

She was quiet for a long time, considering this. “And you’re worried about being a rebound.”

“I don’t want to be the woman who helps him get over someone else,” I admitted. “I don’t want to be a distraction or a fling or a way for him to avoid dealing with his feelings. If I’m going to pursue this—and God, I want to pursue this—I want there to be a real chance at something deeper. He told me I’m the first woman he’s been with since Lynn. That technically makes me the rebound.”

“Honey, you can’t control how someone else heals. You can’t force someone to be ready for love on your timeline. All you can do is be authentic about what you want and see if they’re willing to meet you there.”

“But what if⁠—”

“What if he breaks your heart?” Aunt Victoria shook her head. “What if he doesn’t? What if you spend so much time protecting yourself from potential hurt that you miss out on something beautiful?”

“I’ve been down this road before,” I said quietly. “Not with Cooper specifically, but with men who weren’t really available. Who wanted something casual while I was already falling hard. It never ends well.”

“This isn’t the same thing. Cooper isn’t some emotionally unavailable playboy. He’s a good man who’s been hurt, and he’s trying to figure out how to trust again. That’s completely different from someone who just wants to have fun with no strings attached. And you two have history. You know each other. This isn’t some random thing.”

I wanted to believe her. Wanted to trust that what I felt between Cooper and me was real and went beyond physical attraction.

“I’m probably overthinking this,” I said, picking up my scissors again and reaching for another piece of felt. “We shared one night. It might not even happen again.”

“It’ll happen again,” she said with certainty. “The question is whether you’ll let it develop naturally or whether you’ll sabotage it with all your worrying.”

I started cutting out a Santa shape, concentrating on keeping the edges smooth and even. “What if I’m not staying in town? What if I don’t get the job? I have to work. I don’t think there are many job opportunities here.”

“What if you decide to stay?”

Stay? I’d been thinking of this as a temporary detour while I figured out my next move. But lately, the idea of leaving had started to feel less like freedom and more like loss.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.

“Where does your heart feel settled, Joy?”