Page 9 of Merry with a Grumpy Boss

“Yes. Her name is Odette.”

“Maybe you can put in a good word for me and expedite a holiday adoption. Our team needs a mascot, don’t you think?”

“You…you want to adopt Max?” She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. His shift in perspective and personality left her spinning. One minute he was an entitled snob; the next he was buying in to Love Beach’s holiday spirit. Which was the real Haywood?

“Is that a problem? Has someone already asked for him?” He tightened his fist around the leash.

“Max was the Grinch’s dog. Our furry friend bears a striking resemblance to the canine actor featured in the Grinch movie.”

“I can be the Grinch if that gets me the gir-dog.”

Was that slip what she thought? Did he want the dog…and the girl?

“Max’s owner had to give him up because he was deployed. I think he’d be happy to know his dog was going to a man who was open-minded and willing to become, at least temporarily,invested in his community. Odette might be more difficult to convince, but a choc-cuterie board from Choco-Love usually works.”

“I need more than chocolate for lunch. Does that Driftwood place you mentioned have decent food? Maybe a burger for me and my new friend.”

“Sure. Let’s head there now.”

As they walked quickly back to her SUV, Ginger again wondered about Haywood’s dramatic turnaround. Was he playing her? Was he a rich guy with the time and money to indulge any whim? If he wasn’t sincere, she didn’t want Max getting left high and dry when Haywood became bored with small town life.

“I appreciate your willingness to learn more about Love Beach and the things that matter to us,” she said, “but I have to ask. Are you serious or is this just a novelty for you? I’ve heard about rich guys who go slumming…”

“I’m not a rich guy. Not anymore.” He looked through the windshield, watching a couple with two toddlers weave their way toward O'Leahey's Creamery. “When I walked away from my family a year ago, I took nothing. I have investments and a small trust fund from a distant aunt, but I’m just another working stiff. From the way I stirred things up at the showroom, not a very good working stiff either. I seriously need to get my life together, and Love Beach is starting to feel like a good place to do that.”

Every assumption she’d made about him flew out the window. In the few days she’d known him, she would swear Haywood’s heart had already grown three sizes.

5

Monday afternoon, after he and Ginger returned to the office, Haywood spent the remainder of the workday in the shop with Walt. He met the team of carpenters who manufactured the furniture sold in the showroom, surprised that most of them were his age or younger. He’d expected a bunch of grizzled old woodworkers, toiling away to preserve a dying craft. Instead, he discovered a group of talented artisans proudly preserving South Carolina’s low country heritage.

“We more low-country adjacent,” Walt explained, “but as South Carolinians, we feel entitled to lay claim to these traditions.”

On Tuesday, he and Ginger dug into the company records. With her knowledge of the company’s history, even though she’d only been the business manager for six years, he had a better understanding of Arthur Calhoun’s business philosophy and decision-making process. Over the years, Arthur has missed opportunities for expansion and taken risks when more conservative policies would have served him well. The company had endured ups and downs, but it maintained a stellar reputation and attracted a surprising amount of repeat business.Three of those accounts, he noted, were high-end property developers.

Ideas were starting to come to Haywood, each more exciting than the last. On Wednesday, he drove up to Charleston to meet with Dayton. It was too soon to implement any changes, but Calhoun Designs held enormous potential. He needed to know what direction his friend wanted to move in before he committed himself any further.

When he arrived at the office this morning, he surprised everyone—Ginger most of all—with a box of cinnamon sugar donuts from Cakeology. With a little half-and-half, her cinnamon-spiked coffee paired perfectly with the pastries. At lunch, he caught himself humming along toI’ll Be Home for Christmas,and he checked what was showing on the Hallmark Channel that evening because…

…Ginger had invited him over for dinner.

“The next three days are going to be chaos. You run on adrenaline until Sunday night when the festival wraps up. Then you crash. Arthur usually gave us the following Monday off to recover.” She realized the implied assumption and quickly corrected herself. “But you’re in charge now?—”

“We’re closed on Monday. Make sure there’s a notice on the front door.” They were alone in the conference room, the air charged with sexual attraction. It had been building since Monday, and Haywood could barely keep his hands off Ginger. If the heated looks she gave him were any indication, the attraction was mutual.

“Do you like lasagna?” Her question came out oddly breathless.

Had she asked if he liked chipotle-roasted pinecones he would have said yes.

“It’s one of my favorites.”

“Would you like to have dinner with me? About seven?” She looked away, suddenly shy. “We can review the layout one more time. I’m worried the scouts might not have enough room for their Christmas trees. We usually give them the entire library parking lot, but there’s construction this year.”

“Cabernet sauvignon or chianti?” he asked.

When his day at the showroom wrapped up, he stopped by the animal rescue to claim Max. He’d dropped a couple hundred bucks at a pet supply store shopping for a dog bed, dog food, monogrammed bowls, a special formula to ensure canine health and longevity, toys, and organic dog treats. He had a lot to learn about healthy relationships, but he knew catering to the needs of your special someone was important.

What did Ginger need? She seemed perfectly content with her job, had a close circle of friends, and was popular in town. Visiting her home would give him an up close and personal glimpse of her lifestyle and the things that mattered to her. He fully expected the decorating to be ten times more extreme than her office décor, but he was ready.

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