Page 30 of The Holiday Grump
“I offered her the upstairs room until she finds something better,” I added, bracing for Kailee’s reaction. She’d told me the best thing about my store was that nobody bothered her.
Noelle cast me a grateful glance. “And I accepted because I’m a little desperate.” She pulled a face.
“That office room upstairs?” Kailee’s gaze flicked between us as she tried to assess what was going on. “You’d have to be more than a little desperate.”
“That’s me!” Noelle let out a nervous laugh. “Honestly, I can’t wait to sleep in the vicinity of a bathroom. It’s such a luxury!”
“You’re funny,” Kailee deadpanned and hopped to sit on my desk, filling her mouth with a cookie.
“Are those any good?” Noelle asked.
Kailee tilted the packet her way, and she took one. “Thanks. I used to keep a stash of thin mints under my bed when I worked on a cruise ship.”
“So you’re used to small spaces,” Kailee said.
“Very. That office room is three times the size of my cabin!”
“It’s like a sealed tomb. Watch out for dust bunnies the size of regular bunnies.” She shot me an accusing look.
I was almost impressed. I’d never heard a quip like that from my withdrawn niece. I’d never seen her sitting on a desk, either. Not that I was particularly thrilled that she’d planted her ass where I ate my lunch.
“Don’t worry!” Noelle waved her hand. “I know where he keeps the vacuum cleaner. I will murder those bunnies!”
“You sound like my mom,” Kailee muttered, but her usual eye roll had a warm edge.
“I’ve met her, and I’m taking that as a compliment!” Noelle grabbed my office chair and rolled it around to sit next to Kailee, tapping at the backpack she’d hoisted on the desk next to her. “What do you have here? It looks heavy.”
“Books.” She said, like it was obvious.
Noelle clapped her hands. “Show me!”
To my astonishment, Kailee unzipped her bag and pulled out one of her brick-like fantasy titles, handing it over. She was drawn to Noelle, just like me, against my better judgment.
Noelle took the book and studied it, her face lighting up. “This sounds so good!”
“I’ll go check the room,” I said, heading for the stairs.
I doubt they even heard me, absorbed by whatever that book was about. Romance, apparently. Dragons were in a supporting role, then.
I was happy they were occupied. I had to clear the office of any personal items before I let Noelle move in. Maybe even tidy up. I’d heard enough of these jibes now, and it was true. The store had fallen into disrepair. It wasn’t like I never cleaned. I kept my home in order. Sort of. Or rather, I kept it in a state of organized chaos, as I worked on restoring it with the help of Jackson. But I’d lost any passion I’d once had for the bookstore. It was just where I sat for the day. As long as I kept it open, people assumed I was coping and let me be. If I stopped showing up at work, my family would probably stage an intervention.
I gathered my personal belongings into a cardboard box and shoved the box into the hallway cupboard, coming face-to-face with the vacuum cleaner.I might as well tackle the dust bunnies, I thought, dragging it back to the office. This room had been my refuge during the last year of my marriage. I grimaced as the vacuum cleaner choked on a used tissue that floated from under the bed.
When I returned for a cleaning cloth, Noelle barged in, hitting herself on the cupboard door I opened.
“Ouch.” She rubbed her forehead, smiling.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah… Wait, are you cleaning?”
“Mom will never believe me!” Kailee appeared behind her, phone raised high. A camera flash momentarily blinded me.
“Give me a break.” I shoved the vacuum cleaner back into the cupboard and grabbed the first cloth I could find, blinking away the purple floaters. “Your mom has seen me with a vacuum cleaner.”
“Not lately.” Kailee gave me an unyielding glare.
For such a quiet one, she had balls.
