Page 20 of Love Around the Corner

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“Oh my God!” Leo stared in disbelief at the monstrosity before him. “See? It’slikea Christmas tree…but it’s actually a cactus. It’s a Christmas Cactus.”

Alfie joined him to admire the fully decorated Christmas Cactus. “I dunno,” he said, tilting his head as if deep in thought, “it’s good. But is it as good asthese?” From behind his back, he produced a box of garish green decorations. “I give you—butt-plug tree ornaments.”

Leo snorted so loudly he got a startled look from a nearby mom and her toddler. “Now look,” he said, giggling helplessly—because now Alfie had said it, he couldn’t see anything else. “It’s perfectly obvious what these lovely things are. They’re…” He took the box and turned it over to read the label, then doubled over and laughed even harder. “They’re… they’re pickles. They’re Christmas Pickle ornaments,obviously.”

“Oh look,” Alfie said, innocently. “It says they’re ‘hand blown’.”

Leo lost it again. “Oh God,” he said, wiping his eyes and trying to get himself under control before he got thrown out. “Hand blown tree pickles. What kind of heathen are you not to recognize them? They’re as Christmassy as…as…”

“A cactus?”

“Right. As this five-foot Christmas Cactus.”

Alfie nodded seriously. “I’m not sure Dee would approve, though.”

“No,” Leo agreed. “We should go more traditional. Although this Christmas skull decoration has merit…”

Still sniggering, they continued their leisurely browse of the most outrageous Christmas decorations, eventually finding enough rope tinsel, lights, and jolly Santas, Rudolphs, and elves to cover—they hoped—twenty market stalls. Plus, Leo picked up a small tree, lights, and some tasteful Nordic-style decorations to put in the window of Bayside Books. Better late than never, he figured.

“And they’ll keep,” Alfie reminded him as they pushed their cart to the checkout. “Christmas happens every year, you know.”

“So I’ve heard.” Leo sighed. “AssumingI’mstill here next Christmas.”

“What do you mean? Is business that bad?”

“Kinda,” Leo admitted, feeling his cheeks heat. “At least, that’s what my accountant says. I’m not— My ex was more into the business side of things.”

As the woman in front of them was served, Alfie started loading their items onto the conveyer belt. “If you like, I could take a look at your accounts sometime? Give you my opinion?”

“That’s…” The generosity of the offer touched him like the press of a warm hand. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“You aren’t asking, I’m offering. I’ve got a head for numbers.” He lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe you could help me out with my apostrophes some time?”

“Shit,” Leo said softly, mortified. “Look, when I said that the other day, Dee was trying to—”

“Forget it. I’m yanking your chain.” Alfie smiled, and it looked like he meant it. “I figure we both know each other better now, right?”

“Right,” Leo said.Much better than you realize.

“And the point is, if you let me take a look at your books, you can do me a favor some other time. That’s how things work around here, Leo. We all pull together.”

He considered that as they paid and bagged up their purchases. After Grayson had screwed him over, Leo had been so determined to make things work by himself he’d not wanted anyone’s help. He’d been trying to prove a point, to himself as much as to anyone else. But perhaps he’d simply been isolating himself. “That would actually be great,” he said, as he pushed the cart out of the store and into the parking lot. “If you could take a look at the books and…you know, explain it all to me properly.”

Alfie grinned. He had a charming, boyish smile. It did all sorts of crazy things to Leo’s insides. “You got it. After the holidays, okay?”

“Okay,” Leo said. “And thanks.” At which moment his stomach decided to give an embarrassing growl. “Oh God,” he said, pressing a hand to his belly. “Sorry.”

Alfie lifted an eyebrow. “Hungry? Or are you keeping some kinda alien in there?”

“Well, if I don’t show up at the market tomorrow night, get yourself a flamethrower and come find out.”

Smiling, Alfie started piling their bags into the bed of his truck. “There’s a pretty nice Vietnamese place a couple blocks from here,” he said after a moment, his back to Leo while he secured a tarp over their purchases. “If you feel like grabbing something to eat before we head back?”

Leo’s heart jumped. “I um—” His stomach growled again and he laughed. “I guess that had better be a yes, if you have time.”

And maybe over dinner he’d work up the guts to tell Alfie the truth.

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