Page 26 of Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges

“What exactly did he win?” I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

“Nothing!” Max said quickly—too quickly—while Levi snickered, and Ronan shot them both death glares.

I looked between the three of them, feeling like I was missing something obvious. “Okay... well, if the judging is done, I should probably start walking home.”

“Walking?” Ronan’s head snapped toward me. “Absolutely not. I’ll drive you.”

Now it was my turn to be stunned. “You will?”

“I won,” he said simply, as if that explained everything. “Get your coat.”

I grabbed my coat and followed Ronan to his car, still trying to process this unexpected turn of events. His SUV was exactly what you’d expect from someone like him—sleek, black, and probably worth more than I’d make in three years. The leather seats were heated, which was a welcome relief from the December chill.

He slid into the driver’s seat but didn’t start to drive immediately. Instead, he gripped the steering wheel, staring straight ahead with an intensity that made me wonder if he was trying to solve world peace in his head.

Finally, he cleared his throat. “Would you like to get something to eat?”

I opened my mouth to refuse—my pride and empty wallet forming the automatic response—but my stomach chose that exact moment to remind me that ramen for the fifth night in a row wasn’t exactly living my best life.

I hesitated, weighing my options. On one hand, my first real paycheck was still days away, and I was trying to be responsible with what little money I had left. On the other hand, if my grumpy boss was offering to feed me actual food that didn’t come in a Styrofoam cup, would it really be responsible to refuse?

“It’s a simple yes or no question.” His tone lacked its usual edge.

“Yes.” I tried not to sound too eager. “Food would be nice.”

He nodded once and pulled out of the parking lot. As we drove into downtown, I noticed the streets were unusually busy for a weeknight. Then I saw the twinkling lights strung between buildings and the crowds of people bundled up against the cold.

“Oh!” I pressed my face against the window like an excited kid. “Is this the Winter Night Market?” I’d seen flyers for it around town but hadn’t thought I’d be able to go. “They have tents set up with local vendors and hot chocolate and-” I caught myself mid-ramble, remembering who I was talking to. “Sorry. I get a bit excited about holiday stuff.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” Ronan said dryly, but when I snuck a glance at him, I could have sworn I saw the ghost of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

He found a parking spot—something I was pretty sure qualified as a Christmas miracle given the crowds—and turned to look at me. “Do you just want to find something to eat here?”

“Yes!” I practically bounced in my seat, feeling a rush of childlike excitement bubble up inside me before I forced myself to settle back against the leather upholstery. “I mean, yes, that would be fine,” I added in a more measured tone, though I couldn’t quite keep the smile from my voice.

The thought of wandering through the market stalls, surrounded by twinkling lights and the scent of holiday treats, was making it hard to maintain my composure.

“You don’t have to do that, you know.”

“Do what?”

“Try to contain your excitement.” He unbuckled his seatbelt but didn’t move to get out of the car. “It’s refreshing.”

Coming from anyone else, it might have sounded condescending. But there was something in the way he said it, something almost wistful, that made my heart do a weird little skip.

“Refreshing enough that you won’t judge me if I want to try one of everything?” I was only half-joking as I fiddled with a button on my coat. The scents of cinnamon and roasted nuts already wafting into the car weren’t helping my growing appetite.

He turned to look at me fully, those dark eyes held mine with an expression I couldn’t quite read, but it sent a warm shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the car’s heater. “I won’t make you choose.”

Oh. Well. That was... something. My heart did another one of those annoying little skips, and I had to remind myself to breathe normally. Maybe I needed to get my cardiovascular health checked because it was doing an awful lot of weird things lately.

“Come on.” He opened his door with a soft chuckle that practically had me going into cardiac arrest. “Before you spontaneously combust from holding in all that Christmas spirit.”

His teasing tone warmed me more than any cup of hot chocolate could have, and I bit my lower lip to keep from grinning too widely. “You say that like it’s a bad thing.”

He shut his door and came around to my side of the car, opening my door before I could reach for it. “With you? I’m thinking it might not be.”

Chapter Thirteen

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