Page 103 of Falling for the Grinchy Bad Boy

Joy stood near Santa’s workshop, clipboard in hand, checking something off her ever-present list. Even from a distance, I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way she held herself like she was bracing for something unpleasant.

Our eyes met across the market grounds, and for a moment, the world seemed to pause. I raised my hand in greeting, taking a step in her direction.

Damn, she made my heart jump just looking at her.

But Joy looked away, turning toward one of the vendors. It was deliberate. She was avoiding me. She didn’t acknowledge my presence, didn’t return my greeting. She just… turned away.

The rejection hit me hard. Yesterday, she would have smiled and waved back, would have crossed the space between us to talk about the preparations or share some small triumph from her day. Yesterday, she would have been happy to see me.

Today, she was avoiding me like I was carrying something contagious. That was why she wasn’t returning my texts. It wasn’t that she was busy.

I stood there for a long time, watching her move from booth to booth, never once looking in my direction. The message was clear: whatever had been building between us, she was putting on the brakes.

Maybe Lynn had been right after all. Maybe Joy was already pulling away, already preparing for her inevitable departure. Maybe the unanswered text had been her way of letting me know that things between us were changing.

Like thanks for the good sex but gotta go.

I would do my job and make sure everyone stayed safe. I would do my job professionally and efficiently, just like always.

But I wouldn’t seek Joy out. I wouldn’t push for conversations or try to recapture whatever magic we’d shared over the past few weeks. If she wanted distance, I’d respect that.

Even if it killed me.