Page 14 of Take Me Home for Christmas

“Clickbait,” Bernice repeated. “You’re good at writing things in such a way that it will grab people’s attention. We need to get tourists to notice Chances Inlet. Christmas is four weeks away, and we must make money while the shop bells jingle, if you know what I’m saying. Can you help us out by creating some of those clickbait posts for the town’s website?”

Not only was she stuck babysitting a grump, but now it seemed she was also in demand to write catchy social media copy about her hometown. Not that Bernice’s opinion of Elle’s talent wasn’t flattering.

“I don’t know Bernice. I’m swamped helping Mr. West finish his memoir.”

Provided he’d stay in one place.

“That’s odd. Because when I mentioned it to Mr. West, he said you’d be available for whatever I needed.”

She was going to kill the man.

Bernice donned a cat-ate-the-canary grin. “Stop by city hall when you get a chance, and we’ll get started. Yoo-hoo!” She flagged down the mail truck as she marched off.

Elle felt sorry for the poor postal worker. When she stepped over the Whale of a Tale bookstore threshold a few minutes later, three elementary school hooligans nearly took her out at the knees.

“Auntie Elle,” her niece, Emily, cried. “You’re here!”

“Don’t tell me you three are playing hooky again.” Elle tweaked the little girl’s cheek. The breath always caught in her lungs whenever she saw the laughing blue eyes her niece shared with her late grandfather. She missed her dad. This town was filled with so many memories of the larger-than-life man with the booming laugh and the helping hand. It hurt to be home sometimes.

“There’s no school today, silly. It’s the day before turkey day,” said Henry, the little towheaded boy who—if her brother Ryan stepped up to the plate—would be Elle’s nephew soon.

Elle brushed her hand over the head of the littlest one, Whitney, who belonged to her new stepsister, Paige, and her fiancé, Tanner. Realizing the joy she felt seeing the eager smiles on these kids’ faces, she couldn’t believe she’d ever wanted to skip this holiday with her family. “Well, aren’t you lucky to have an entire bookstore as your playground?”

Paige emerged from the back of the store with her hands full of garland. “They’ve been helping me decorate.”

Elle laughed. “I can only imagine how muchhelpthey’ve been.”

“The man who does magic tricks is going to read at the holiday read-a-long on Friday,” Emily announced.

“The man who does magic tricks?” Elle shot Paige a questioning look.

Her stepsister nodded enthusiastically. “Everett West. He pulled a quarter out of Henry’s ear.”

“See!” Henry held it up proudly.

Seriously? He could be a curmudgeon to her but was charming to small children? What was up with that?

Emily held up a copy of O. Henry’sThe Gift of the Maji. “He’s going to read this to us on Friday.”

“I can’t believetheEverett West is doing a reading in my store. It’ll be great publicity.” Paige sighed. “If only the town social media wasn’t such a dud. I really need to start doing some of that on my own.”

“Bernice mentioned something about that,” Elle said. “Hey, is West still here by any chance?”

Paige grinned and nodded. She gestured over her shoulder. “I have a little reading nook back there. He’s made himself at home. Not that I mind. I mean, it’s Everett West!”

The kids giggled as they each took one end of the garland and stretched it out around the front of the store. Meanwhile, Elle stalked toward her charge. West was leaning back in one of the leather armchairs, noise-canceling headphones over his ears and his eyes closed. Much to her chagrin, so was his laptop.

Elle kicked his booted foot. The annoying man opened one eye, spied her, and closed it again. She swore under her breath.

“Mr. West,” she shouted.

That got his attention. He snapped open his eyes and whipped off the headphones. Music from the Foo Fighters streamed from his Beats.

“I thought we had dispensed with the mister?”

Elle drew in a deep, cleansing breath. She’d vowed last night not to push the man’s buttons. Instead, she would be cheerful and helpful.

Even if it kills me.

---