Page 55 of The Hockey Grump Saves Christmas

Is she embarrassed? Unlikely, since she started it.

Or does she just regret it now that it’s over?

I look down at my phone and hit Save on the contact named “Bugs.”

“This is your actual number, right? Not the dummy one you hand out to losers?”

“You need to go.” She pulls on her coat. “So I can lock up.”

Probably best I don’t mention the custodian gave me a key, in case it gets him in trouble.

“Okay.” I turn to grab my jacket from the front row seat but am stopped in my tracks because it still bears the imprint of her body.

I give myself a quick mental shake and grab it—it’s still warm.

Fighting the desire to sniff it to see if it’s taken on her fresh floral aroma, I skip up the steps to the stage. “But you will let me know when you need me, right?”

Her eyes land on mine again. Perhaps she feels like the twenty feet between us is a safe distance to do that.

Her face softens a little amid a tiny, almost involuntary, flick of her brows. “Need you forthe play, you mean?”

Is that the tiniest glimmer of a smirk playing at the corner of her luscious mouth?

“Exactly what I mean. Just that. Only that.”

“Unfortunately there’s no one else to help me.” She drops her head to one side. “So I have no choice.”

“Great.” And for some reason I’m now desperate to be involved in the play I wanted no part of until, well, now.

I turn and head for the back door, sliding my phone into my pocket like it contains the key to being voted MVP.

CHAPTER 19

NATALIE

“These are amazing, Leah. Thank you so much.” I hold up one of the icicle costumes Katie’s mom has made for the townsfolk. “I mean, look at the pointy hats. Absolutely freaking adorable.”

“I’m so happy you like them,” she says.

She gestures to the costumes we’ve already taken from the box and spread across the front row of the theater. One of them is draped over the seat immediately to my left, in exactly the same spot I was last night. My face tingles with heat at the memory.

Not that I need anything to remind me—my lady parts are definitely not going to forget it in a hurry. Not only had it been a year since I’d had any kind of intimate activity, my body has never known a man of Gabe’s size.

And I guess it’s never going to know it again, since he finds me super annoying and couldn’t climb off me quick enough.

He was pretty insistent on getting my number though, so?—

“I got on a roll with the ice theme.” Leah snaps me back to reality. “And knocked everything out pretty fast.”

I give myself an internal slap across the face for even thinking like that. It was a one-off. Scratching that itch. And I’m actually kind of proud of myself for being brave enough to grab a man who’s been on the TV screen in Aunt Lou’s living room God knows how many times without me even knowing. It’s possibly the bravest thing I’ve ever done.

“Well, you’ve done an awesome job,” I say to Leah. “And so creative.”

I’m not totally sure how I’m going to incorporate the frozen fish costume, but I’ll figure it out.

“Well, hello, Miss Natalie,” booms a voice from the back of the auditorium.

We both turn to see my boss, Victor Draper, heading toward us.

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