Page 55 of The Grumpiest Elf

Crossing her arms, she glares at me. “You’re just being a little shit for the hell of it now, aren’t you?”

I can’t help laughing. “It’s okay, Nora. We both know you don’t really care about my life and preferences unless it affects you.”

“You make me sound like a selfish bitch,” she mutters, and I shake my head.

“No. I don’t think that. Mom sets the schedule. We generally leave it unless there’s an actual reason to change it, and we both know the convenience of getting off at the same time as Lydia isn’t enough.” I hold up a finger when a wicked grin breaks out across her face. “Shut up. Don’t go there. I heard it as soon as I said it. I donotneed my little sister discussing me getting off with my girlfriend, though.”

She cackles. “Good. I didn’t really want to. But when you lay it out there like that …”

“Right, right,” I nod, gathering up as many chairs as I can. It’ll take me a couple trips to get them all outside, but I’ll do my best to keep it to only two.

But Nora grabs the ones I can’t quite manage, following me out to the garage. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

“Are you only helping me so I’ll say yes?”

She huffs a sigh and rolls her eyes. “Obviously.”

Laughing, I nod. “Yeah, sure. We can trade.”

* * *

Even though I don’t open the next morning, I still wake up like I have to, heading out to the kitchen while everyone has breakfast. It’s more crowded with the addition of Ty and Olivia, but it’s festive and welcoming despite the need to choreograph our way around the kitchen.

Mom’s standing at the stove making eggs while I slip in and pour myself a mug of coffee. I lean down and give her a kiss on the cheek.

“Morning, sweetheart. Did you sleep well?” she asks me, expertly flipping the over easy eggs she’s cooking.

“I did. Is that your breakfast, Mom?”

She shakes her head. “No, it’s for Olivia.”

“I offered to make my own breakfast,” Olivia puts in from her spot at the round dining table. Ty has his chair pulled up close to hers, his hand on her leg, both of them with mugs of coffee in front of them.

Gently, I nudge Mom to the side. “Go, Mom. You need to get ready. I’ll finish the eggs.”

Mom seems reluctant, but then she catches the time on the oven clock and sighs. “Okay. The bread’s already in the toaster. It should all be done soon.” She kisses me on the cheek and hurries out of the kitchen.

“I really don’t mind making my own food,” Olivia says, her chair scraping back.

“Let Dylan do it,” Ty says, and when I glance over my shoulder at them, his eyes are twinkling, a smile half hidden behind his coffee mug while Olivia looks back and forth between us like she’s not sure what to do.

“It’s fine, Olivia. I really don’t mind,” I reassure her with a wave of my hand. “Mom wants you to feel welcome. But she’s also going to be late if she doesn’t finish getting ready to go. If she finds out I let you take over”—I point the spatula in my hand at Ty—“and make no mistake, Ty would be sure to let her know—she’d have my hide. It’s better for all of us if you let me finish making you breakfast.”

Ty’s not bothering to hide his smile anymore, and Olivia sighs. “Fine. You guys are weird, though.”

Leaning in, Ty gives her a kiss. “Only because your parents are cold and distant,” he murmurs.

“No foreplay in the kitchen!” I shout. His words might not sound like foreplay to anyone else, but there’s no mistaking that tone.

He tosses one of Mom’s cloth napkins at my back. “Hey! Don’t embarrass my girlfriend.”

Two pieces of toast pop up and I slather them with butter before sliding the eggs on top. Passing the plate to Olivia, I shake my head at Ty. “If she’s dating you, how can she help but be embarrassed?”

Olivia chuckles. “Don’t listen to him, Ty. You’re not embarrassing at all.”

I nod thoughtfully. “I suppose that might seem true to you. But I promise, he’s plenty embarrassing to his siblings.” Turning back to the stove, I get out the eggs to make myself some breakfast.

“Is that for me?” Ty asks, his voice hopeful.

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