Page 28 of Kiss the Girl
“I’m beginning to understand why no one else volunteered. And our booth does apple cider donuts every year? How do you make a theme that goes with that?”
I shrugged. “A couple of years ago it was Snow White and the Apple Cider Donuts, and they made the façade look like the exterior of her cottage in the Disney movie, and all the dwarves became elves. And they had a bunch of stuffed woodland creatures in Christmas hats.” I smiled, remembering it. “It was pretty adorable, actually.”
“So they made one good theme one time with donuts.”
“One year they did ‘Oh, Baby,’ and they dressed like babies to sell the donuts.”
“Oh, no.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said. “Just think of lots of phrases that use ‘Oh’ and then turn one into something.”
“I meant oh, no, we arenotdoing that.”
“Better think fast. I have a feeling Glynnis will track you down pretty soon.”
He’d started chewing on his bottom lip, his gaze far away. “What about, ‘Uh-Oh’?”
“What about it?”
He blinked back to the present. “As a theme. I’ve been readingThe Cat in the Hatto my niece at night, and that’s one big book of uh-oh. So aCat in the Hattheme.”
I considered it, the picture already taking shape in my head. “You may have something there.”
A look of relief crossed his face, and I laughed. “Don’t relax yet. You have to get your team on board with your choices, and there’s always some drama there.”
He rested his elbows on his knees and dropped his head into his hands. “Do you haveanywords of encouragement?”
“Sure, Redmond. We give the high school the materials at cost, and I’ll come over to supervise after I close up the store. You’ll do fine.”
“Even if I barely know a wingnut from a washer?”
“Even then. And hey, at least you know what wingnuts and washers are. That’s not nothing.”
“It’s half of nothing, because I lied. I don’t know what a wingnut is.”
I watched him eat his final bite of sandwich in amusement. “Don’t worry. Handy Hardware has its name on this project too. We’ll make something cool.”
“Good. No pressure, but it’s pretty much on you to save Christmas Town.”
I knew it was a joke, but for over a year, the pressure had been on me to save everything. I felt my smile try to slip but I kept it in place. “Christmas Town. My dad. This store. I’m Super Grace. I got this.”
His eyes softened. “Grace, I didn’t—”
I held up a hand to stop whatever consoling thing he was going to say. “It’s fine. And now I need to get out there and hustle. I’m half-afraid Gary will fall over and crumble to dust if he gets too many questions at once.”
I stood, and he did too, following me back out to the floor. Gary was at the register with a line of three people waiting while he cursed and mumbled about starting the transaction over again. “Not a minute too soon,” I said.
“Good luck. I’m going to go Google wingnuts. And Christmas Town ideas.”
“You’ve got this, Redmond.”
“Noah,” he said.
“Redmond,” I repeated. I needed the fraternal vibe of using his last name.
“All right, Winters,” he sighed.
“Let me know when your team gets a theme together,” I said. He gave me a thumbs up as he walked out, and I tried not to think about how much I was already looking forward to that call.
