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“Maybe because I think you’re going soft on me.”
“Soft? Asking my TikTok followers to entertain you with holiday comedy is soft when I know how much you hate Christmas?”
“Little bit. Now, why don’t you come in here and harass me instead of tying up my line and disappointing all your fans.”
He watched her walk through the door and Declan hung up the phone as she approached, grimacing when it immediately blared to life.
“Mistletoe Hardware, Declan speaking.”
“How does a gingerbread man make his bed?” a child’s voice asked with a slight lisp.
Declan met Holly’s gaze. “I don’t know. How does a gingerbread man make his bed?”
“With a cookie sheet!”
Declan chuckled. “That’s a good one, kid.”
“Thank you. Tell Holly Gunner says hi!”
“Would you like to tell her yourself? She’s right here.”
“Really?”
“Hang on.” Declan held out the cordless phone. “Gunner would like to say hi.”
“Ummm…”
Declan mouthed “Kid,” and Holly took the phone without any more explanation needed. Declan studied her as she cheerfully said, “Hey, Gunner!” She paused briefly, that sweet, sunny smile stretching across her face. “I would love to hear it.”
Something inside Declan’s chest unfurled and warmth spread through him like a shot of whiskey. He’d felt it before, in smaller doses, around Holly but today, listening to her patient one-sided conversation with the kid was different. More intense.
Declan had thought Holly was self-centered and maybe a little fake after their first meeting, but the way people in town spoke about her had slowly changed his mind. Perhaps he’d wanted her to be too flawed to make him feel anything and that’s why he’d constantly put her on the defensive.
She ended the call and held the phone out to him. “Such a sweetheart. He definitely needs to win.”
“Win?” Declan asked.
“Yep. I posted a contest video this morning and I need to pick five winners,” she said, leaning across the counter. “Any jokesters that stood out to you today?”
“Not that I can recall.”
Holly propped her elbow on the counter and rested her chin on her palm. “Not a single one got even a chuckle out of you?”
“Only Gunner so far.”
“Welp, I guess I’ll check back then.”
Before she could retreat, Declan reached out and wrapped his hand gently around her wrist. “If I’m part of the deciding team on who wins, shouldn’t I know the details?”
“Who said team? I set this out to be a prank to drive you crazy.”
“I’ll admit the phone ringing off the hook doesn’t make for a tranquil environment, but it’s better than unwrapping my truck in freezing temperatures.”
Holly bit her lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think about you doing all that in the cold snow while I was setting it up. I guess I was too fired up at you to feel the cold myself. And it was earlier in the day.”
His thumb rubbed across the inner side of her wrist, and he thought Holly shivered but couldn’t tell for sure.
“It’s fine. It was funny after the fact. Clark got a kick out of it when he called while I was trying to free my cab.”
