Page 5 of A Very Grumpy Christmas

But could he really be the one writing me letters? Could Kip, the quiet, reserved guy who barely says more than a few words at a time, really be my secret admirer?

The thought sends a thrill through me, and I can’t help the small smile that tugs at my lips.

“Okay, maybe it’s Kip,” I admit, glancing at Cora. “Or maybe I just want it to be him. But, how do I find out for sure?”

Cora grins, leaning forward with a gleam in her eye. “Leave him a note. Ask him to meet you. If it’s him, he’ll show up.”

I bite my lip, considering the idea. It’s risky. What if it’s not him? What if I’m wrong, and I end up embarrassing myself? But at the same time, the idea of finally knowing the truth, of finally meeting my secret admirer face-to-face, is too tempting to resist.

“I’ll think about it,” I say.

“You’d better,” Cora says with a wink. I laugh, shaking my head as I grab a few more books from the counter, trying to distract myself from the swirling thoughts in my head. Holiday magic, sure. But real life isn’t a romance novel. Magic doesn’t just happen, not without some effort. And writing a note? Asking Kip—or whoever this mystery man was—to meet me? That felt like a lot more effort than I was ready for.

Still, the idea buzzes in the back of my mind, refusing to let go.

“Are you helping out with the festival?” She asks me and I sigh.

“No, my car was making a weird sound last night and wouldn’t start. I was going to try to take a look before I bring it over to the mechanics.”

“You know how to fix cars?” She asks and I shake my head.

“Nope, no clue, but I want to at least try before I pay for someone else to do it. What if it’s an easy fix?”

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll try to help.”

She pulls her phone out as we head outside to where my old car is sitting.

“Uh, try to start it now?” She asks, already googling car starter issues.

I climb behind the wheel and send up a silent prayer as I stick the key in the ignition and turn.

“What the—” I mumble as my car starts right up.

“Sounds fine to me,” Cora says, poking her head into the driver’s side door.

“Yeah, that’s so weird. It wouldn’t start yesterday, and I tried a bunch. This car is so old that before I moved here, I was bringing it in for work like at least once a month. Ever since, though, it’s been running great.”

“Maybe you should sell it or trade it in before it breaks for good,” she suggests.

“It was my mom's,” I whisper, and she nods, her eyes softening.

I turn the car off and climb out, locking the door behind me.

“I need to check in with Saffron,” I tell her, and she nods, following me over to the bookstore and inside.

We both try to warm up a bit as I look around for my sister.

“We should talk about the holiday festival,” Cora says, straightening up from the counter.

“Yeah, did you come up with any new ideas?” I ask her.

“Not really,” she admits with a sigh.

“What are you two scheming about now?” My sister, Saffron, asks as she sweeps into the bookstore, her arms full of decorations.

Saffron owns the bookstore and I cover for her whenever she needs it. I do the same for my other sisters, Olive and Maple at their businesses. I’m the youngest of us and the only one who has no idea what she wants to do with her life.

As soon as we moved here, Olive, the oldest, opened her own bakery. She’s always loved to cook so it made sense. Maple opened up her own adult toy store here in town and Saffron quickly followed with the bookstore. I was last, and so far, I’ve just been happy to help them out and hang out in town.

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