Page 87 of The Holiday Grump
As she spoke, the door opened, launching a tinny melody of “Jingle Bells.” “Keep what a secret?” Lola asked, heaving her purse on the table.
“That Noelle and Uncle Fredrik are doing it,” Kailee supplied.
“They’re in love!” Eileen amended.
I held my breath, waiting for the doorbell to finish its musical number. I’d sold it to Eileen, not realizing howannoying it was. Lucy’s face told me she was quite over hearing it hundreds of times a day.
“I won’t say anything,” Felicity promised. “But people are so nosy… they are already talking about seeing you two buying whoopie pies. It was in the lastAlmanac.”
“What?” My pulse jumped. “Do you think Fredrik’s seen it?”
Felicity gave me a wry smile. “Are you asking if I read it to him against his will?”
Of course. Fredrik didn’t consume gossip.
Eileen smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry! Everyone’s moved on to talking about the Santa Speed Dating disaster.” She winked at Lucy, who looked furious. “And soon they’ll move on to something else.”
“What disaster?” Ida asked.
“Beard lice,” Felicity summed up. “False alarm, though.”
“We were sabotaged,” Lucy added.
The doorbell went off again, and we all turned. A wiry young guy with a clown-worthy head of curly red hair stepped in. “Hello, ladies! Am I late?”
“Hi, Ralph!” Eileen called, echoed by the others.
“It is seven fifteen,” Ida told him, straightening her crocheted vest. “And I have to leave early tonight. I’m catching a six o’clock bus tomorrow morning.”
Ralph smiled, undeterred. “Oh, surely you have time to teach me all that you know before then!” He wedged an extra chair between Kailee and me, then peeled off his puffer jacket, whipping us both with his sleeves. “I read about these guys who started knitting woolly hats, and it became a million-dollar business.”
“We’re not knitting, we’re crocheting,” Kailee corrected.
Ralph waved his hand. “That’ll be my point of difference!”
“And it would take me years to teach you everything I know,” Ida grumbled. She handed Ralph a hook and a roll of yarn. “But I’ll do what I can in half an hour.”
“I’m a fast learner!” Ralph assured us and promptly dropped the roll, looking alarmed as it unraveled across the floor.
Kailee fetched it, but he barely noticed her. Instead, he turned to me. “Hey, you’re the girl from the Christmas shop!” His grin spread wide. “How would you like to go out with Hideaway Harbor’s most eligible bachelor?”
“You mean Dr. Handsome?” Lola teased.
“I wouldn’t mind,” Astrid agreed. “I tried to go back for my annual checkup, but apparently, he was too busy. Too busy with his receptionist, I bet. She’s gatekeeping him.”
“How many annual checkups can you have in a year?” Felicity muttered.
Ralph ignored them, jerking two thumbs at himself. “Forget the doctor! You are looking at this year’s Larry theLobstah!”
Felicity’s hand flew over her mouth, but a very unladylike snort still escaped. The others tried harder to hide their amusement.
“Larry theLobstahis the town mascot,” Lola clarified, biting back a grin. “He looks… spectacular. Another great reason to come to the Harbor Tree Lighting. Larry will be there.”
“Don’t mind them, dear,” Erica said soothingly, smiling at Ralph. “You’ll do a wonderful job.”
“You will! You have just the right coloring!” Eileen added, without a hint of irony.
Ralph turned back to me with that goofy grin. “So how about it? Drinks at The Shore Thing after Tree Lighting? I think my mom would really like you. She loves peachy colors.”
