Page 49 of The Snuggle is Real
“Maybe I should just take Joel up on that date he offered me.”
“Joelwhat?”Taylor said indignantly. “What about Hayden?”
“No, notwithhim,” I said. “Maybe that Fistmas has gone to your head.”
“I don’t think that’s where it’s supposed to go,” Elias choked out through his laughter.
Taylor flipped us both the bird while I grabbed another beer.
“Winter Cheers,” I read off the label, “a wheat ale with subtle clove spice.”
“No way. I getFistmasand you getWinter Cheers?”
“Well, you got a boyfriend. What am I gonna do with a Fistmas?”
“Hook up with this guy Joel offered, I guess?”
“Nah, he’s already working with the matchmaker anyway. Did you know we had a matchmaker in this town?”
They both nodded as if it were old news.
“This town iswild!”
“It sure is,” Elias said. “Maybe you should try it. Get your mind off Ford.”
I raised my eyebrows. “What about you? You gonna take your eye off the prize next door?”
Elias’s eyes widened. “No, no, no. That’s not— It’s nothing.”
“Mm-hmm. Sounds like it.”
Elias had a not-so-secret thing for his grouchy next-door neighbor.
“I’m gonna need another beer for this,” he muttered while Taylor and I exchanged grins.
Kody, the owner of the pub, happened to be passing by our table. He paused, a wide smile giving him a boyish expression, even with the mustache he was rocking. “Hey, guys. Enjoying the seasonal beers?”
“Oh, yeah, Taylor is loving the Fistmas. Right, Tay?”
Taylor rolled his eyes as Elias snickered.
Kody grinned. “That one is a bit much for me, but to each their own, right?”
“They’re all really good,” Elias said more seriously. “We were just about to get another round.”
Kody beamed. “They really are! I’m so glad you liked them.”
If the guy glowed any brighter, I’d have to shade my eyes. “You look happy tonight,” I said.
“Yeah, Kody, any reason for that grin?” Elias added. “You look like a kid on Christmas morning.”
Kody just laughed, though a faint pink tinged his cheeks. “Just in a good mood, I guess. I’ll send Indrani over with those drinks for you.”
He hustled off before we could ask him more questions.
“Wow, the wedding plans must be going well,” Taylor said.
“Yeah, I haven’t seen him that happy since he got engaged to Jena,” Elias added.
