AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Now, that isna verra nice,” Holly said in an awful Scottish accent. “It’s just a little ho ho ho.”
“Santa must die. Can’t you have a chime like a normal shopkeeper?”
“I thought about it, but your reaction amuses me and I needed a laugh this morning.”
Her sister’s frown deepened. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t want to get into it.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’re getting married and have enough on your plate without listening to my first-world problems.”
Merry set her purse on the counter and leaned across it on her elbows, cradling her chin with her hands. “Listen, solving your problems is exactly what I need right now. Hit me, sister.” Merry held a hand over her face with a laugh. “Not actually, though, because this face needs to stay picture-ready through the honeymoon.”
“You’re a dork,” Holly said, smiling.
“I know but that’s beside the point. Come on, tell me all your troubles and maybe I can help you resolve them. Unless you want me to just listen and not try to fix, in which case I have enthusiastic responses at the ready.”
“Enthusiastic responses?”
“You know, like—” Merry gasped dramatically before reciting, “No! You don’t say. What a jerk! How dare they! I’ll cream her corn!”
“Fine, I’ll tell you, but don’t use any of those, especially the corn one. Gross.” Holly sat down on the stool behind the counter and continued, “I hired Declan Gallagher to set up my Christmas display and he keeps making stipulations. He’s pretty much the last person available so I don’t have a choice, but his attitude irks me.”
“I thought everything about Declan irked you?”
“I’m serious.”
“Maybe if you try not to needle him, the two of you can find common ground.”
“Believe me, I have nothing in common with that man. He also called a cease fire to our prank war in exchange for doing the job, and then he said that while he’s working on the house, I can’t be there.”
“Why not?”
“Something about me hovering and annoying him, but I wish I could tell him to shove it up his rear, you know? I don’t understand him at all. He’s all, like—” she deepened her voice to do a proper imitation of Declan—“Woman, you don’t know me. Don’t try to act like you do because I’m super mysterious and surly.”
“He seriously called you woman?”
“No, but it fit with the tone I was going for. Plus there’ve been several moments the last few weeks that have seriously thrown me for a loop.”
“What kind of moments?”
“The kind I can’t stop thinking about.”
“Intriguing. Tell me more.”
“Fine, but don’t get weird.”
“Me, weird? Pshaw.”
Holly didn’t believe her, but she was also dying to talk to someone, and Delilah was deep in deadline still. “So last week when he was on top of me—”
“Whoa, time out, back up and repeat! On top of you?”
Holly rolled her eyes. “Not like that. He dumped me in the snow, then lost his balance and fell on me.”
“You do realize how you made it sound, right?”
