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You can only bury the truth of your feelings for so long before the truth wins out.
The corner of her gaze caught the photo on the edge of the mantel. Noelle turned her head.
And thought of Fryberg’s. Without sincerity at the helm, the castle would truly become a cheesy tourist destination. Wouldn’t take long after that for Hammond to close the store down, in favor of his giant shipping warehouse. The store was on borrowed time as it was. His cynicism shortened the timetable.
“Bet if you spent time here, you wouldn’t be so negative.”
“Excuse me?”
Oh, jeez. She’d spoken out loud, hadn’t she? The point had merit though. “The magic of the place has a way of growing on you,” she said.
“Is that so?”
Interesting that he hadn’t said no. “Yeah, it’s so. Do you think this cottage industry of a town sprang up because people wanted to live in Bavaria again?”
Her question made Hammond chuckle. “The thought crossed my mind.”
It crossed a lot of people’s. “The people here love the holidays. You want to see the Christmas spirit you need to see tomorrow’s Christmas season kickoff. It’ll convert the most frozen of hearts into holiday fans.”
A light flickered in his eyes, along with an emotion Noelle couldn’t quite recognize, but made her pulse quicken nonetheless. “Are you asking me to stick around, Mrs. Fryberg?”
“No. I mean, yes. Sort of.” Articulating herself would be easier if he weren’t chuckling. “So you could see how we do Christmas, is all.”
“I’ve seen how you do Christmas. Part of the celebration struck me in the head yesterday, remember?”
“I meant how the town did Christmas. I thought, if you spent time with people who enjoy celebrating Christmas, it might make you less cynical.”
“I see. Worried my cynicism will kill the Christmas Castle sooner rather than later?”
In a word? “Yes,” she replied. Wasn’t he already turning things upside down in the name of efficiency?
Damn if he didn’t chuckle again. A throaty rumble that slid under a person’s skin and brushed across her nerve endings. The sound left goose bumps on Noelle’s skin. “No offense to your Christmas magic,” he said, “but I highly doubt a few gingerbread cookies and a tree lighting will make me less cynical.”
He had a point. She probably was giving the magic too much credit. “Once a Grinch, always a Grinch. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Precisely. I always thought he was misunderstood.”
“As misunderstood as a man with a tiny heart could be,” Noelle replied.
This time, instead of chuckling, Hammond let out a full-on laugh. “I wasn’t trying to be funny,” she said when he finished.
“I know. I was laughing at how easily you’re abrupt with me. It’s so damn refreshing.”
So he’d said this morning. “I’m not trying to be,” she told him. “The words keep popping out before I have a chance to mentally edit.”
“Making it all the more refreshing, knowing it’s organic.” He settled back in his chair and assessed her with, based on the tingling running up her arm, what had to be the longest look in the world.
“You know, I have half a mind to bring you along when I fly out of here so you could follow me around and make snarky comments.”
“Excu—”
“Don’t worry, I’m kidding.” He wiped the words away with a wave of his hand. “I have no desire to move you from Fryberg. Yet.”
Noelle let out her breath.
“What’s this about flying to Boston?” Todd asked. He and Belinda came around the corner from the kitchen. The general manager had on his coat and carried a plastic bag filled with Tupperware.
“You’re not planning to fly back tonight are you, Jim? They showed Foxborough on TV and the rain looks miserable there.”
Partially hidden behind the chair wings, Hammond winced at the nickname, leaving Noelle to fight back a smirk. If there was anyone who looked more unlike a Jim...
“I’ve flown in rain before,” he said. “I doubt it’ll be a problem.”
“If you say so. All I can say is better you than me. That wind was blowing so strong the rain was sideways. Won’t be much of a passing game, that’s for sure.”
“How strong is this wind?” Hammond asked, swiveling around to face the man. Noelle noticed he already had his phone in his hand. Checking the forecast, probably.
“No clue. They didn’t say.”
“Maybe you should stay like you planned,” Belinda replied. “I would hate for you to be bounced around during a storm and hit your head again.”
