Falling for the Grinch ✔️

Eleven | Carolers

Rhett

"I can't believe you talked me into this."

Honestly, I can. But, when she mentioned we would be listening to carolers singing the entire damn night, I didn't think she meant literally all damn night. Why am I even surprised? It's Holly for Christ's sake.

I don't do singing and I most definitely don't do large crowds. Holly could feel the anxiety fuming from my body, which is why we are far away from everyone at the top of a small hill. It's the perfect view of the neighborhood and it gives me a chance to breathe for the first time tonight.

I'm still trying to make sense of what happened last night. Spilling my darkest secret to Holly wasn't planned, but I needed her to know that I would never stand her up— no matter how annoying she might dig her way into my skin. My parent's death took a toll on me the night it happened and it's a dark place that I never want to go back to... but, I went back there for her.

And I don't exactly know what that means.

A humming sound from Holly pulls my interest. She's seated next to me in the grass, swaying her head along to the chorus of Silent Night with a soft smile on her face. It's hard not to smile as I watch her sing with the carolers who have a group of people now forming a circle around them.

She stops humming to answer me. "Hey, I'm pretty much giving up a front-row seat for you."

That she is, but here I am enjoying the seat I have and the view with her next to me.

With a shake of my head, I adjust the black scarf around my neck due to the wind that has picked up tonight. I'm not one to wear gloves, but Holly insisted since we would be outside for over an hour, more like three and a half hours, and the Helena temperature has dropped ten degrees since we stepped out of my truck.

When I look back at her I can see the impatience scattered across her face. She's dying to get closer and I'm tempted to brush it off and stay put, but the eager look on her face just about does it.

She wants to see the carolers so let her see them, Damnit.

"We can get closer if you want."

Holly whips her head at me suddenly, almost in shock at my words. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes narrow at mine. "You don't really mean that."

I nearly roll my eyes and groan. "I don't mind staying put, but your body says something entirely different."

Now she looks down to study the way her said body has been acting tonight. "Tell me, Rhett," with a pause, she looks back up at me and smiles. "What exactly is my body saying?"

Shit.

She really doesn't want to poke the beast on that one.

"Nothing," I say. "Let's go."

Standing up, I take her white-fuzzy, gloved hand in mine to lift her from the grass. I must have unintentionally pulled her harder than I should have from the gasp that left those rosy lips when her small body collided with my chest.

I'm staring down at her, noticing the flush on her cheeks and the way her mouth is parted slightly. She's so close to me that I feel the warmth from her breath fan against my chin. She smells incredible too— she always does. It's a smell I'm so familiar with.

Vanilla is officially my weakness.

She blinks up at me making her lashes look even fuller and I have to drop her hand and clear my throat. "After you."