Page 34 of The Bright Side of Christmas
“What the fuck do you think I am? Your employee?”
“You’re not doing anything better.” I glare at him, prepared to tell him to go fuck himself, before he lets out a loud laugh and shakes his head. “You’d be doing me a favor, man. Please. It’s for my sister.”
I glare at him.
“Did you hear your sister and her friend broke into my house the other day?”
He doesn’t miss a beat, nodding. “She didn’t tell me, but that sounds like something Hallie would do.”
I blink at him, and the fact that he doesn’t look shocked at all, nor does he ask any questions.
“This town is fucked, you know that?” I say with a shake of my head. Still, I stand, grabbing the drink and watching the smile on his lips spread wider with satisfaction.
“Seems you’ll fit in just fine, then.”
I turn toward where Hallie and Wren are, lifting a hand and flipping off Colton as I move toward the small table. As I approach, two other women move over to where Wren is, and they start chatting. Slowing my steps so I don’t interrupt at an inconvenient time, I catch snippets of their conversation.
Kittens, apparently. The woman talking to Wren either has kittens or has found some and is looking for someone to care for them.
Inevitably, it seems, the best person for that is Wren.
The fuck it is.
I speed up my steps, and Hallie’s gaze catches on me directly after she’s given Wren a don’t you darekind of look. It seems she’s of the same mind I am, suddenly concerned the sweet woman will say yes in her effort to make everyone happy. I can’t see Wren’s face, but I can picture the deer-in-the-headlights look there. Then Hallie’s face morphs, a triumphant look taking over her face as I close the gap between us.
“Here,” I say low, handing the nearly forgotten glasses to Hallie, who accepts them almost giddily, but I can’t focus on that, not when Wren’s voice speaks up.
“I guess I could?—”
I don’t know what comes over me.
I’m not sure what I’m thinking, except that I need to stop her from accepting another task to add to her endless list of things to do, and I need to stop her now.
My hand lifts, covering her mouth and pulling her entire body back into my chest. Her body goes stiff beneath mine, and her head turns back to look at me. That look in her eye shifts from anxious to alarmed to annoyed in the blink of an eye, but I ignore it, too, nodding at the woman in front of me who is staring at me with shock.
“Unfortunately, Wren is incredibly busy this month, and as much as she would love to help you with this issue, she can’t.”
I’m sure that Wren is going to be pissed, but really, she should be grateful that I stopped her from saying yes to waking up every two hours to bottle-feed fuckingkittens. I don’t know the woman that well, but even I know she can’t be the most qualified person in town to take that on.
I’m tired of Wren taking on everything for everyone. She won’t stick up for herself, and she surely won’t ask for what she needs, much lesswants, so I’m taking it upon myself to do just that.
“Oh,” the woman says, looking me over. Then she shrugs as if it’s no big deal. “No worries, we’ll call up the animal hospital and see if they can take them in.” Then she acts as if nothing happened at all, turning away to return to her group.
I turn to Hallie after I drop my hand from Wren’s mouth with indignation.
“You mean to tell me that she didn’t even ask thevetto take the kittens before resorting to her?” I direct my question to Wren’s friend, knowing Wren will give some fucked-up excuse.
Hallie beams, as if the situation thoroughly entertains her. “Why ask someone who might tell you to handle it yourself for a few days or cost money when you can just ask the town sweetheart who doesn’t know how to say no?”
Wren’s face snaps from me to her friend, with irritation clearly written across her face.
“I know how to say no, I’m justhelpful. I can’t help it that people think I’m a safe person to ask for help,” Wren insists.
“Do you know anything about kittens?”
A moment passes, and she bites her lip.
I want to fucking kiss that lip.
