Page 45 of One More Yule Log
“Salsa, check. Sour cream, no check. Taco shells?”
“I’ll get some, just in case. You are on the ball.”
She giggled. “That’s such a weird thing to say, right? Can you get candy canes? I want to try smooshing them to put on the yule log.”
“You got it.” Lord. Mocha peppermint. It could work.
“Thank you. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay, kiddo. Hang in there.” He grinned, because she sounded so serious. When they signed off, he opened his darned Google Keep just to make notes or he’d get to the register with nothing.
Poor Ben. Someone needed a hug. Maybe a drink.
Cocktails could be good. He loaded up on some snacks, rice, sour cream, all the good stuff. Candy canes. A bottle of Baileys… That cherry Dr Pepper. Okay, off to save the day.
He loaded up his car and headed up into the mountain. It was cold and clear up here tonight, and the Christmas lights were glorious. He loved Ben’s place. Loved the smell of woodsmoke, the feel of the air.
He opened the garage and parked, letting the warmth of that extra door opener please him. Ben was an incredibly thoughtful lover. Really.
He hauled his bags up to the main level, which was a little too quiet, honestly.
Liv came running to him, eyes wide. “Daddy cussed a lot and then there was a terrible bang. He says he’s fine, but…can you go in? I think he’s crying.”
“I’m on it. Can you unload the groceries? Careful. There are a few glass bottles, huh?” He hustled to Ben’s office, listening for a moment before he knocked gently.
“Yeah?”
“Can I come in, babe?” He thought Ben sounded pretty rough.
“Please.”
Oh, thank god. Gray slipped through the door. “Hey. Liv says you’re really upset. Is this about Jeanine?”
Ben was standing there, the house phone shattered in about a dozen pieces. “More about Jack, but yeah, about work. I cut the hell out of my hand, and I didn’t want to scare Liv.”
“Shit. Let me go get some antiseptic, huh?” He motored to the bathroom, peeking at Liv, who was dancing in the kitchen like she was onDance Moms.
Someone was pissed, and he was tickled shitless that he wasn’t this Jack guy. Ben needed to get this work situation ironed out, maybe hire someone to do part of his work…
He’d never met someone so unhappy to own a successful business.
Still, he got it. Gray was lucky enough to work at what he loved, and if you didn’t, it was a drag. He grabbed bandages and a wet cloth, as well as Neosporin.
When he got back into the office, Ben had managed to throw the pieces of the phone in the trash and sit at his desk.
“Okay, let me see that hand.” He set all the stuff on Ben’s desk.
“Thanks. I didn’t even mean to. I was so frustrated at the whole situation.” Ben had tears in his eyes.
“Want to tell me about it? I saw Mari? Is that her name? At the store. She said a Jeanine had quit.”
“She walked out. She’d been with us since there was an ‘us.’ Jack treats the staff like they’re nobodies, and he ought to know better. I mean, I have my fucking license, but not because I want to, and it was for people like Jeanine.” The cut was shallow, but it was going to be a bitch until it healed.
Gray cleaned it out carefully. “Oh, that sucks, babe. I mean really. Is she gonna be okay?”
Ben gave him a smile that he didn’t understand. “She’s going to be fine. She’ll get a glowing reference for me.”
“Oh, good. What about you, babe? Are you going to be okay?”
