Page 6 of Merry with a Grumpy Boss

For a moment, he felt like an insider. As if he belonged to some secret collaboration led by Love Beach’s own Christmas elf. “All right.”

“Great! Are you ready to leave now or do you need to check email?”

“Now is as good a time as any.”

“Great,” she repeated. “I’ll meet you at the front door in five.”

Five minutes later, Ginger and Max approached from the back of the showroom. She’d added a green cardigan to her outfit, the buttons a match to her jewelry.

“Do you have a Christmas sweater for every day of the month?” he asked.

“Two for each day. That’s why I start wearing them in November.”

He exchanged a look with Max, who seemed to echo his sentiments.The lady is a little cray-cray. Christmas cray-cray.

“Is he coming with us?” Haywood nodded toward the dog.

“Yes. He’s on loan from the Love Beach Animal Shelter. Odette Bell, a friend of mine, manages the shelter. A local benefactor donated land and funding to build a dedicated facility when the property they’d been renting was sold to developers.” Ginger shook a keyring. “I’ll drive.”

They crossed the gravel-strewn parking lot, the day brisk but sunny, stopping at a silver Toyota RAV4 with an evergreen wreath affixed to the front end.

“Why am I not surprised?” He couldn’t hold back a grin.

She shrugged and smiled back. “What can I say? I love Christmas.”

Once Max was situated in the back and seat belts were fastened, Ginger turned left on the two-lane blacktop road. The furniture factory was a few miles outside of town, so she used the time for a brief overview of Love Beach and the surrounding area.

“Like many small coastal towns, most of the revenue is generated by vacationers and tourists. Seventy percent of businesses and services cater to that clientele. Hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants, bars, specialty shop, art galleries, that sort of thing. Outdoor recreation is a biggie, and there’s been an increase in amenities like boating, fishing, paddleboarding, surfing, kayaking, windsurfing, and paragliding. There’s a new campground opening up south of town next spring.”

“That’s an impressive array of options for visitors.”

“Keywordvisitors.” She waited for a semi hauling timber to pass before turning left. “Residents patronize the local businesses, but living here is much different than vacationing here. Tourists come for the sunshine and beaches. Residents choose to live here not only for the moderate climate and coastallifestyle, but for the small-town values—creating a strong, ethical community, looking out for our neighbors, leaving Love Beach better than we found it.”

“That sounds like something you’d read on a bumper sticker.”

Her laughter was hearty and spontaneous. “You can buy them at City Hall and several shops around town.”

Cruising along Cove Cliff Road, Haywood took in the panoramic view of Passion Cove and Love Point Pier. He wondered if someone from the Hallmark Channel had been in charge of naming local destinations because it seemed like the set of a cheesy movie where everything revolved around romance and seduction and falling in love.

Maybe he should audition for leading man. Then he might stand at chance at finding someone who cared about him for who he was, not his family name or standing in society. Ginger, with her gaudy holiday attire and over the top enthusiasm for all things Christmas, fit right in with the Love Beach extremism.

“Are you married?”

Ginger jerked the wheel, startled by his question. She recentered the vehicle between the lines marking the lane before answering.

“No. Never married. No kids.”

“By choice?” The door was open now, no going back, so he figured he would satisfy his curiosity. Ginger seemed oblivious to her feminine appeal, and in a small town like this, she must be a huge temptation to the single guys. She should have been snatched up a long time ago.

“If you haven’t guessed, I lean toward idealism. Christmas, for me, is just as sappy and sweet as portrayed in any Hollywood movie or greeting card. I feel the same way about relationships. Soulmates, true love, and all that.”

“Waiting for Mr. Right, huh?”

“What about you?”

“Never married. No children.”

There was a long pause and then she asked, “Did you ever come close?”

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