Page 4 of Merriment and Mayhem
He ran his thumb along his bottom lip, studying her closely, as if cataloging every breath shedidn’ttake. “That’s not a no.”
Everleigh eyed the tape gun resting atop the stack of boxes set against the far wall and sighed. It wasn’t a yes, either.
He followed her gaze. “You moving in?”
“Out, technically. This house belonged to my grandmother.” She fingered the heart-shaped locket that hung from the gold chain around her neck and swallowed past the tightness in her throat. “She passed away last month.”
His brows drew together in a gentle frown. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
Everleigh shifted her weight from one foot to the other awkwardly, not any better at accepting condolences now than she had been a decade ago. “Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, I actually live in Seattle. I’m just in town to settle her affairs and get the house ready to list by the start of the year.”
She could probably pull off everything she needed to do in a week or two if she put her mind to it, but in addition to settling Grandma Dangerfield’s affairs, Everleigh wanted to give her a proper send-off full of merriment and cheer befitting the woman who had loved Christmas like no one else Everleigh had ever met.
Holiday decorations filled her attic, handsewn sachets of peppermint potpourri tucked carefully inside each drawer of the dresser she dedicated to storing her ugly Christmassweaters. She had adored Hallmark movies and eggnog, Department 56 Christmas village sets, and hand-painted nutcrackers. Every year during the month of December, it was a given that her mantel would be cluttered with a collection of Advent calendars full of jams and gourmet chocolates and little bottles of booze, tiny samples of makeup and skin care she’d give to Everleigh.
As a final hurrah, this year, Everleigh was going to carry on all of Grandma’s fun and festive traditions. She’d bake cookies, or try, and she’d hang lights and buy a real tree that she’d hide a silly pickle in, even if there was no one around to look for it. She’d sing along to all the Christmas classics and drive around to look at the neighbor’s decorations and—hell, if the spirit moved her, she might even go to midnight mass.
He nodded slowly. “What you’re saying is you’ll be in town for the next few weeks?”
She tried to hide her wince. It didn’t take a genius to see where he was going with this. “Look, Brantley, you seem like—” She frowned when he chuckled. “What’s funny?”
“Nothing.” He smiled. “Only that Brantley’s my last name. It’s Griffin. Griffin Brantley.”
She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded, studying him with fresh eyes now that she knew what to call him. “Okay,Griffin Brantley. You seem like a ... fun guy.” And maybe a year or two ago that would’ve been enough, but that was then, and this was now. “But I’m only in town for a few weeks, and I don’t do casual.”
Hookups and flings left her feeling empty more often than not these days. Everleigh was ... well, she wasn’tlooking, but she wanted something real. Something she could hold on to. Someone to come home to. Build a life with and love as deeply as her grandparents had loved one another. Her parents, too.
“Wow.” He drew out the word with a teasing grin, a hint of laughter in his voice. “Cocky much?”
Her jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”
He folded his arms across his chest, mirroring her stance. “Pretty bold of you to assume I want to sleep with you.”
She scoffed, her cheeks growing hot. “Okay, for starters, I never said anything about you wanting to sleep with me and—” Well ... he did, didn’t he? “You’re the one who asked me out.”
And flirted.Brazenly.Everleigh definitely hadn’t imagined that.
“Sure.” He dipped his chin. “You’re not from here, right?” He waited for her nod. “I figure it couldn’t hurt to have a friend who knows the best place to get a drink in town, could it?”
“Afriend?” If she sounded skeptical, it was because she was.
Griffin gave her an easy smile and shrugged. “Can’t have too many of those, can you?”
No, no she supposed not, but—
“Yo, Probie!” Miller shouted, one foot in the cab, the other braced on the running board of the rig. “Pileup on the 101 near Old Blyn Highway. Saddle up!”
“Catch you later, Trouble.” Griffin tossed her a cheeky smile over his shoulder and took off for the rig. “Hopefully not literally next time!”
Griffin Brantley would not be catching her later. Not literally, not figuratively. Not if she had anything to say about it.
Tonight’s brush with disaster was just that. As soon as the holiday dust had settled and the house was on the market, Everleigh’s ass was going to be on the first ferry back to Seattle, Port Angeles and all that it had to offer firmly in herrearview mirror. She had a plan, one that did not have room in it for a hotter-than-blazes firefighter.
A hotter-than-blazes firefighter that, with any luck, Everleigh would never cross paths with again.
Chapter Two
911. Where is your emergency?”
