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I scrunch up my nose “So you want it because you think you’re supposed to want it?”

“That’s not what I said”

I feel like it is what he said, but I don’t push the issue Instead, I let the silence and the Christmas music speak for me

Finally, Ryan takes a bite of his chicken Is about him

“Holy shit,” he says “This is incredible”

“I would hope so,” I agree, rolling et it right, haven’t they?”

“Fair One point for Reindeer Falls it is”

I sigh, exasperated “You do know that the Food Channel filht? That Keller James opened a restaurant here? That small towns don’t have to be culturally dead or architecturally dull?”

His eyes flash, the surprise in thehtful as he looks at his chicken

Jiminy Christmas, am I the first person to ever tell him that?

I force myself to relish the moment I just stunned Ryan Sheppard into silence with ht, and he couldn’t come up with one Grinch-y rebuttal

I request the apple strudel for dessert, to celebrate this s Ryan pay for it

Chapter Eight

I spend the entire drive back to Ryan’s place internally congratulating le Bell Rock louder than necessary I’er, I’m terribly off-key, but I don’t care It’s worth it to watch Ryan stare straight ahead, eye twitching, trying to pretend that he doesn’t see or hear what I’

But of course, there’s no ignoringI use one hand to do a little dance in the air along with the beat, and I do a full wiggly seat dance when I get to a stop sign for dra to him I throw my hand out like I’m a newscaster with a microphone

“Would the Grinch like to report on his experience being rescued by a Christmas elf? Any words on the chicken at Zehnder’s? Care to comment, sir?”

A ghost of a smile flickers across his lips, but he tao,” he says

He’s lying I know he’s lying That face he ht-up nirvana He loved it, and there’s no denying it

I’ Reindeer Falls, I just know it