Page 43 of The Very Naughty List

“Hey! Give those back! They don’t belong to you!”

I reach for them, completely forgetting the fact that I’m supposed to be a little afraid of him. But before I even get close, he darts to one side and lopes into the living room. I lunge for him again, and he evades me, seeming to want to make a game of having me chase him around the house as my black lace panties dangle from his drool-laden jowls.

“Dammit all,” I mutter, trying to cut him off by feinting right and then going left. But he’s too smart for me and sees the trick coming a mile away.

I try for several more minutes, until we’re both panting a bit from the exertion. But even though his tongue is lolling out of one side of his mouth, Bruno doesn’t let go of my underwear. When I finally sink down into the couch and give up, he takes a few steps closer, looking almost disappointed that the game has ended. Then he shakes himself out, saunters over to the large window along one wall, and lies down with my panties still firmly clenched in his jaw.

“Fine, you win. Keep them. But now you owe me, buddy. I’ll accept my payment in licks and wags.”

I shake my head at the panty stealing dog, then stand back up again to head out.

I have a lot on my agenda today.

First, I stop by the diner to say hi to my parents. Pippa told me that she usually stops there for breakfast, and I’m happy when I run into her too.

We grab some food so our parents won’t have to wait on us and settle into a booth in the back, and I watch as our folks hustle around the diner. Mom is taking food orders, and Dad is working on a few cosmetic repairs.

“Man, they don’t stop moving, do they?” I ask, thinking about how many times I’ve seen them do this throughout my life. Pippa and I both worked here during high school, so we’re well acquainted with the hustle of a busy diner.

My sister laughs and shakes her head.

“Nope, never. I help out as much as I can, and they just hired a new guy to work behind the counter, so that’s good. But it feels like they’ve been under a bit of extra pressure recently. I don’t know if it’s just the holidays or what, but I hope it eases up soon. I know how much they both love this place.”

They really do. We used to joke about it being their fourth child.

“Sooo…” My sister drags the word out, giving me a look. “How are things at Creepy Ted’s place? Are you two besties by now? Did he turn you into a cigar aficionado?”

“Actually, I’m not staying at Ted’s anymore. The Cooper brothers offered to let me stay at their house.”

“Oh,didthey?” Pippa raises her eyebrows, and her fiery red hair makes the smirk on her face look almost devilish.

I grab the biscuit off my plate and chuck it at her face, but she snatches it out of the air and bites into it.

Dammit. Now I’m down a biscuit.

I refrain from throwing any more food at her since I know she’ll just eat that too, but at least all the commotion hopefully distracted her from the flush that rose into my cheeks at her little innuendo.

“They’re just being nice,” I say firmly. “And they have a spare guest room. Plus, you know they’re only helping me out because they’re best friends with Lucas.”

“Whatever you say.” Pippa grins again but doesn’t press the issue.

The diner picks up shortly after that, and we both end up quickly scarfing down the rest of our breakfasts and hopping behind the counter to help our parents out. It’s nice, all of us working together like this, the way we used to back when things were a lot simpler.

Once the rush dies down, I give my parents and Pippa hugs goodbye and step out into the wintery air.

The next thing on my to-do list is going to be a lot less fun than working at the diner. Today is the day I’m supposed to meet up with Maeve and the other women who all volunteered to help with the Santa’s Workshop display this year.

I’m sort of dreading it, since it’s likely going to be mostly Divas volunteering.

Maeve and Brielle are friends, and I could do without seeing my ex-bestie for a while longer.

Regardless, I refuse to let them think that they have won by scaring me off. So I head over to the town square where the display will be set up, stepping into the Courtyard Shops, a large building that houses several shops and cafes, with an open space and atrium in the middle. Most of the volunteers are there already, and I greet them with a friendly smile, even though it does feel a bit forced.

“Oh my gosh, Hailey! Hi!”

Amanda Swann, whom I distinctly recall dumping paint all over my hair in our theatre tech class waves at me, brushing her hair back over her shoulder with perfectly manicured nails. I nod at her, pressing my lips together as a few other women greetme too—all of them acting as if we’re best friends, when most of them made my life miserable in high school.

Whatever. That was a long time ago, I remind myself.Just smile and get through this, and maybe you can talk the guys into going out for drinks or something tonight.

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