Page 91 of The Holiday Grump
But just like her and Ralph, we’d made a deal. We were hiding for a reason. I couldn’t ask her to go public with me, especially at an event that was documented for the town social channels,The Almanac,and possibly other news media. Hideaway Harbor was the go-to destination for feel-good filler stories, and the Harbor Tree Lighting was one of their annual favorites. Like the dropping of the ball in New York, only tiny and cute and lobster-themed. The chance of her getting photographed was pretty high.
“It’s later today, isn’t it?” I glanced at my watch.
“Yeah. But you don’t have to go, don’t worry!”
“My sister is going with Kailee. And I think Jackson will be there.”
That was another odd thing. Jackson hanging out in Hideaway on the weekend, with no date. He’d asked me to meet him there, and I’d told him he had a better chance of inviting Felicity, who we all knew hated his guts.
Noelle finished her coffee and started cleaning up. “Trust me. I know how you feel about these things.Nobodyis expecting you.”
“I think I’ll go,” I said. “I don’t want to miss Santa. Or Larry theLobstah.”
Or Ralph on a date with my woman, my brain added, and that ticking in my jaw intensified.
“Are you serious?” She cast me a suspicious once-over.
“We’re friends, right? Friends hang out together in public. No hand holding. Just… hanging out. You, me, Felicity, Kailee, Jackson.”
And the rest of the town.
Noelle was still looking at me, eyes narrowed, but I could see the excitement shining through, like sun peeking behind clouds. She loved this shit. Silly small-town events. Christmas lights. For a moment, it didn’t matter how I felt about any of it. It only mattered that she was happy.
Later that day,we were driving to the harbor, her head resting against my wheel-holding arm, so deep asleep that she bounced around like a rag doll every time I made a turn.
She’d slept poorly again. She didn’t talk about it, but I could tell. And I didn’t want to wake her. I didn’t want to break contact. Ever. Not even in public.
This was going to be hard.
I snatched the last available parking spot along Main Street, and she missed my perfect parallel parking.
“Where are we?” she asked, blinking her sleepy eyes.
We’d spent the day on the road. I’d driven her up to the mountains, to the historic lookout with expansive views over the town. We’d wandered around Locke Estate, visiting the museum. We’d even made it to the lighthouse to learn the history of the late lighthouse keeper’s dog, Skippy. Noelle had a soft spot for the joint town pet and kept taking photos on her phone. It made me nervous. She was acting like a tourist, and tourists always left. Still, I felt compelled to show her everything. If she found enough to love in this town, maybe she’d stay.
“It’s a short stroll to the harbor,” I said. “Do you feel up for it?”
She rubbed her eyes. “Yes! All good now. Thanks for the snooze.”
I discreetly brushed her drool off my sleeve. “No problem.”
We got out of the car, wrapping ourselves in woolly hats, scarves, and mittens, ready for the icy wind. It was already getting dark.
“Do we need to feed the meter?” she asked, gesturing at the ancient machine.
I shook my head. “Only if you’re a tourist.”
“What? They know everyone’s cars or something?”
I joined her on the sidewalk and nearly grabbed her waist, then remembered our deal. We’d been alone all day, and I’d touched her whenever I felt like it, which seemed to be every two seconds. “The parking lots aren’t monitored. We only collect the coins tourists put in.”
She chuckled. “I love that.”
On the way to the harbor, we passed the post office, and Noelle lingered at the small red mailbox by the door. “Letters to Santa!” she exclaimed, her eyes glowing with excitement. “I love it. I love the post office, too. I went in the other day to send something to Grace, and I met this lady who owns the yoga retreat, The Haven…”
“Wren?”
“Yes! She was so lovely. I really want to try one of her classes. And I got to know Lumi, the postmistress. She said someone crashed into the town sign the night of the snowstorm. You remember the night you went out for drinks with Jackson and the weather turned really wild? They nearly hit Skippy.”
