Falling for the Grinch ✔️

Twenty Four | Frost

Holly

"Are you kidding me?" I nearly scream, turning the opened box around in my hands. "Mom..."

She laughs, snapping a picture of me with her cellphone. It doesn't matter if I'm in my early twenties, she will still take a photo of me when I'm not looking. Especially during the holidays.

"How did you know I've been wanting this?"

A mischievous smirk appears on her face. "Because I'm your Mother. I'm supposed to know these things."

My Dad chimes in. "Technically I had brought it up from our conversation on the phone before your flight here. When you said you would do cartwheels in the snow until your legs gave out if you got one I knew we had to buy it."

Mom eyes him with a scowl. "Richard! Don't take this moment from me."

He presses a tender kiss on her cheek. "Wouldn't dream of it, honey."

After a few seconds of gaping at my parents with hearty eyes, I look back down at the candy-striped Keurig. "How did you get one personalized?" I had been eyeballing one just like the one in my hands for years, but they were always sold out. "Especially with my name on it."

It's bright red with white stripes around the single-serve coffee pot and in big, bold green letters is my name. Holly.

Mom shrugs as if it's no big deal. "Just research."

"Research?" A sarcastic laugh leaves my mouth. "Sure."

Dad hands me another present, this one much smaller with a silver bow on top. "This goes with it."

"No way—

I barely finish my sentence before I demolish the wrapping paper into shreds, leaving a small pile beside me on the loveseat. "Oh my Gosh!" It's a matching coffee mug. "It's so freaking cute!"

My eyes glance up to find both of my parents staring at me with wide smiles. "Now," Mom smirks. "How about those cartwheels?"

Rhett

What in the actual hell is she doing?

I had set a few dishes in the dishwasher before looking out my front window above the kitchen sink. Was I expecting Holly to be doing cartwheels over and over again in the eight inches of snow? Absolutely not. Is it rather enjoyable to watch? Absolutely.

Opening the front door, Sammy brushes up against me and paddles through the snow, running closer toward Holly as she continues to do flip after flip. It takes me a second to realize she is wearing open-toed shoes with no socks and barely a jacket to cover the long-sleeved shirt against her petite frame.

This woman.

"Holly!" I let out more urgent than I planned to. "Are you planning on getting frostbite?"

She turns toward me in a rush and hardly a breath leaves her lips while she tries to calm her racing heart. Her cheeks are flushed, a pretty pink that I've grown to love every time she gets bashful around me. It doesn't help my now racing heart when she smiles.

"Don't be ridiculous. You can't get frostbite being out in the snow for five minutes."

"No," I agree. "But, you can when you aren't dressed properly. Where's your damn socks and coat?"