Page 12 of The Grinch Who Stole Orcmas

“Those green stars? Those are the symbol of our Goddess, Ani’Wei who is the goddess of all good things… includinglove.”This grandmother is quite the salesperson.

Joy’s eyes widen as she glances at my forehead, then back at the bracelet.

“That’s your tattoo?”

I nod.

“I didn’t take you for a religious male.”

“My people celebrate privately, for the most part. We connect with the Goddess in our hearts.” I press my fist to my chest as a wave of connection to the Goddess flows through me. That’s funny. I haven’t felt close to her for a long time.

“You want to buy it?” The saleswoman presses Joy.

“No. Sorry. I’m maxed out.”

Yeah, maxed out. I caught her little slip when she hinted that some of those toys weren’t donations from the public but came from her line of credit.

“What Icanafford,” she tells me as she hesitantly turns away, “Is dessert. Think you can point me in the direction of the best baked goods in the bazaar?”

She beams up at me, and for a moment, I forget about stolen toys and musty old theaters. All I can think about is taking this woman in my arms, pressing her close, and kissing her senseless. Wait, what? Have I gone crazy?

“Sure. I’ll take you to my favorite baker.”

“I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Grinch. Wait. Do you know who the Grinch is?”

“Yeah. I know the Grinch. The guys’ human mates made me watch it last year. I could totally relate, really got into the movie, until the end. The traitor. He turned into a bleeding heart.”

“Well. He sure seemed happier at the end of the movie than at the beginning. I’m just sayin’.”

Rolling my eyes, I can’t quite suppress my smile. “Alright, Tinsel Queen, time to sample some baked goods.”

I see Thrall, one of my firefighting buddies, and tell Joy, “See that huge guy over there? I need to speak with him. Why don’t you take a look at my favorite dessert booth, and I’ll join you in a minute?”

I describe the little booth, point her in the right direction, and to her credit, she forges through the crowd of towering minotaurs and slithering nagas as though she was born and raised in the Zone.

Only a few minutes later, I join her at my favorite booth. “You found it? You’re going to love this.” Did I really just say that? Did I let her hear my enthusiasm? About baked goods? I’m really getting soft.

“Hello, Grum. Come for your favoritemellaton? Apricot or blueberry today?”

Crap, I really didn’t want Joy to know I like these treats so much that the baker knows my order by heart.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” she says to Joy as she waits for me to give her my order.

Okay, moment of truth. Keep my connection to Joy a secret or “go public?” I pull Joy to my side, and damn, she feels so…perfect there, like we’re two pieces of a puzzle. “She’s with me.” I flash my tusks, but the movement is so forced I imagine it looks more like a grimace than a smile.

“Oh…with you.” Grandmother’s eyebrows flash in surprise, then she repeats, “Ohhhh,” with a smile. “You finally found a mate?”

“NO! No, grandmother, nothing like that. She’s just… my supervisor at my volunteer gig.” I yank my hand off Joy’s waist and, to make myself perfectly clear, I sidestep three paces.

“Mm-hmm.” She doesn’t even try to hide her skeptical smirk.

“You’re Grum’s grandmother? So very nice to meet you.” Joy is so earnest, so genuine. She effortlessly includes the woman, acknowledging her with a warm smile.

“It’s a term of respect we use for all elders, uh, female elders,” I explain, wishing we could just order and get the heck out of here.

“Pleased to meet you… Grandmother.”

I glance at Joy to see if she’s mocking, but she’s tipped her head respectfully. This melts something in my chest that’s been sitting there like a rock for a long time.

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