Page 36 of The Grump

“No offense, Avery, but what I want to talk about is between Bailey and me. It’s personal.”

“Oh,” she said. “Ohhhhh.” And from that one word, I deduced that she’d put two and two together. “You’re... Okay. Um, wow. Sure. Um, never mind. Forget everything I just said. Wow. That would explain why my sister was... Never mind. Right.Soooo, I guess have fun, then. She does like to stay for a long time at the celebration. And just so you know, she loves all those light shows. She sees them every year.”

“Thanks for the tip.”

“You’re welcome.” She still sounded stunned.

I hung up and left the parking lot, hoping to get there somewhat quickly, so long as I didn’t hit much traffic. It could be hit or miss when it came to the holiday season, especially with all the various festivities happening all throughout the city.

As I approached the destination, I realized I had to actually look up exactly where the famous snowman was. It had beenyears since I’d been to the Celebration in the Oaks. The last time I’d come was when Bella was three years old. She’d been fascinated by it. The light show spanned a few miles, as far as I could remember.

I found a map easily enough, and I had time to inspect it when I ran into traffic. Once I arrived, I parked quickly, to my surprise.

After getting out of the car, I headed to the snowman, determined not to be too late. I didn’t want to miss Bailey.

There were vendors selling all sorts of snacks and drinks. The air smelled like cinnamon. Even though the Christmas season was always a rush for me, I had to admit that the atmosphere here was very festive. It reminded me of my childhood.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a stand selling hot chocolate. Checking the time, I noted that I still had a few minutes left, so I went straight to the vendor. It was an elderly woman wearing a woolen cap and what seemed like five layers of clothes.

“Hot chocolate with marshmallows, please.”

She looked me up and down and said, “I wouldn’t expect someone who looks like you to order this kind of drink.”

My eyes bulged.Did she really just say that?“It’s not for me.”

“Oh, for the missus. Good choice,” she said, winking at me.

Missus!The word sat strange in my mind. I didn’t correct her, though. I simply wanted to get the drink and find Bailey, not waste time making small talk.

Since I didn’t engage her, she didn’t add anything else. Besides, a line was forming behind me. By the time I paid and took the cup from her, there were already five people waiting. Now, I only had to find Bailey.

I watched the crowd around the huge snowman, scanning everyone. Then I saw her. She looked so damn adorable. It wasa cold evening—far too cold for New Orleans. She had a cap on and... mittens, maybe? It definitely looked like it.

She was chatting with a woman and was holding a dozen individual holiday bags. The other woman took them from Bailey as I approached. By the time I was close enough to hear what they were saying, Bailey noticed me. At first, she narrowed her eyes, but then they went completely wide as her mouth formed anO. She zeroed in on the hot chocolate a moment later, and her face instantly exploded into a smile. She probably noticed the marshmallows too. They were floating on top.

“Xander, what are you doing here?” She turned to her friend. “This is Xander LeBlanc. He’s the owner of the confectionery.”

“Mr. LeBlanc. What an honor!” She shook my free hand. “I’m Jasmine. It’s my first time actually meeting a LeBlanc. Thanks a lot for sending us all these pralines every year. They’re always a highlight with the kids.”

I smiled at her, schooling my features so it didn’t look like I had no idea what she was talking about. What kids did she mean?

“I made some extra this time because last year there were quite a few from a group home”—Bailey’s voice faltered a bit—“and we didn’t have enough for everyone.”

“Don’t beat yourself up. You did make an extra batch and had it delivered to them the next day. I’m sure everyone got one,” Jasmine told her.

“I know, but they were so disappointed!”

Wow. How could she care so much that she was still upset about it a year later?

“This is for you,” I said, handing her the hot chocolate.

She couldn’t hide her grin any longer, letting it take over her face as she accepted the drink.

Jasmine looked at the marshmallows and then at Bailey, clearly putting two and two together. “I’m going to leave the two of you. Enjoy the rest of the celebration.”

“Do you need my help at the stand?” Bailey asked her.

Jasmine shook her head. “No. The team is here this year. We’re on top of it.”

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