Page 58 of The Christmas Cookie Crush

Austin

Findinga place for tonight is proving harder than I expected. The hotel we stayed at last night is booked, so I’m scrambling to find something before I start work. I end up on the town’s tourism website, going down the list of hotels and bed and breakfasts, calling each one and asking if they have availability tonight.

“We have our Honeymooners’ Cabin,” says the woman’s voice on the phone for The Landings Bed and Breakfast. She names the price, which is higher than I’ve paid for the hotel rooms we got.

But if this is basically my Christmas present for Nora, I can swing the splurge. “I’ll take it,” I answer confidently. After finishing up the reservation, I can focus on work. As the day progresses, my excitement builds. I don’t know what the Honeymooners’ Cabin entails, exactly, but with a name like that and the price tag, I’m assuming it has a few extras. Maybe champagne? An extra large bed or a jacuzzi tub big enough for two in the room?

That could be fun.

Nora stops by on her mid-morning break, and the sight of her makes an already great morning even better. Between waking up next to her, splurging on the reservation, and the general cheer circulating through ChristmasFest, I’m in a fantastic mood.

Nora’s face looks drawn and tired while she’s waiting in line, though. She stares blankly at the bottom of the kiosk instead of peering around the people in front of her to look at me.

Did she have a rough morning? And was that caused by her family or customers?

Because she was fine when I dropped her off this morning, smiling and laughing in the car, kissing me three times before getting out, grinning and waving as she walked to her front door. Sure, we’re both a little tired since we didn’t sleep as much as we probably should’ve—having her naked in bed with me is just too much temptation for me to resist, even if I know I’ll be tired in the morning. Besides, tomorrow’s the last day of ChristmasFest. I can handle being tired for a couple days of work when I know I’ll have an entire week off. An entire week where I’ll get to spend as much time as I want with Nora.

I can’t wait.

When she finally reaches the counter, her face brightens, and that makes me feel better. “Hey!” I try to infuse as much cheer as I can into my voice. If she’s having a rough day, I want to make her feel better. “How’s your morning going?”

She rolls her eyes. “Oh, you know. The usual. I didn’t eat enough this morning, though, so I’m starving. Whaddaya got to make me feel better?”

“Well, I have a selection of delights to tempt you.” That makes her giggle, which is good. She’s not so unhappy that she can’t laugh at me being silly. I point out my favorites—cinnamon rolls and pumpkin spice scones.

She screws up her face in thought. “Hmm. I think I need a cinnamon roll. Do you have forks, though? I don’t want to get messy.”

“Of course!” I box up her cinnamon roll and hand her a fork and a napkin.

“How much do I owe you?”

I wave her off. “This one’s on the house.” The least I can do when my girlfriend’s having a bad day is provide her with free pastries, right?

Her brow pinches, though. “Are you sure? Before, you said you couldn’t just give away all the baked goods.”

Leaning across the counter, I pitch my voice low. “It’s just once. Plus, it’s the day before Christmas Eve.” She looks like she’s about to protest again, but I ask, “What’s wrong?” before she can say anything else.

The question stops her in her tracks. She looks away, her throat working, then down at the box in her hand. When she meets my eyes, I think I see a sheen of tears there, but she quickly blinks them away, shaking her head and clearing her throat. “Nothing.” She pastes on a small smile.

Narrowing my eyes, I shake my head. “I don’t think I believe you,” I say quietly. “What happened? Did your mom get mad at you for wanting to stay out again tonight?”

She closes her eyes and taps her forehead with her palm. “Dammit. I haven’t even talked to Mom about that.”

That has me straightening, real concern shooting through me for the first time. “You haven’t? I thought?—”

She shakes her head. “It’ll be fine. I promise. Even if she’s upset, what’s she gonna do? I’m twenty-one. She can’t exactly ground me.”

“If you’re sure …”

“I’m sure.” She gives a definitive nod, then leans across the counter, face upturned.

I dart a look around the area before leaning in to give her a quick kiss. It’s just a peck, but it seems to do the trick to help solve whatever problem she’s having.

When she straightens, her smile is more genuine. “My siblings were being their usual charming selves this morning, so I just got distracted,” she explains. “I’ll tell Mom at lunch, I promise. Don’t cancel anything you’ve planned, okay? Same place as last night? I can meet you there. That way, you aren’t waiting around for me with my brothers being assholes while I pack.”

I shake my head. “No. They were full tonight. I got us a cabin at The Landings. But I don’t mind waiting for you. Your brothers don’t scare me.”

Her eyes widen. “Oooh. A cabin. Sounds fancy.”

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