Not on my watch.
But Sutton is right about the fact that Ginger’s Bake Shop will never, not in a million years, need my enforcement. Ginger’s even put a big Christmas wreath on the front of her bright pink delivery van, and added a reindeer cling to the side reminding folks that it’s cookie season.
Which is a reason to love Christmas, don’t you think?
It’s. Cookie. Season.
Can any other holiday claim that? No. No, they cannot.
“Okay, fine. I concede there are no violations inside of this bakery that need my attention. I’m paying attention now.” I scoot my chair in a little closer in order to show my seriousness. “What were we talking about again?”
“Besides how delicious this cocoa is?” Lexi asks, taking a long sip before shivering with pleasure. “Holy Santa, this is incredible.”
“Agreed.” I nod and take another sip of my own cocoa. “But if you start sexualizing the gingerbread, I’m out of here.”
“Hmm,” Lexi hums around a bite of said gingerbread. “I’d definitely offer sexual favors for this gingerbread recipe.”
“Well, you’re sadly out of luck on that front, since the only two people who have it are Keller James and Ginger Winter-James. And they’re both taken. With each other.”
“How lucky do you have to be to marry a Food Network star?” Lexi groans. “A British one, even. A hot British one.”
I nod in understanding, because I’m a little jealous about this as well. “They probably make the most epic gingerbread houses together.”
“Yeah.” Sutton drags the word out while looking at me like I’ve lost my mind. “That’s exactly what they do together.”
I toss a crumpled napkin at her.
“Okay, let’s focus on the question at hand,” Sutton says, though we all know she’s just as enchanted as we are with the cocoa and gingerbread cookies. Even if she has caught a mild case of the Grinchies.
“What was the question?” I ask, taking another bite of gingersnap.
“I was asking if it’s just the three of us for book club again,” Sutton says, tapping her fingers on the tabletop and glancing around the bake shop as if someone else might plop down and join us.
“Err, yes?” I ask, not sure what she means.
“It’s always just the three of us,” Lexi agrees gently. “You know, we could probably retain more members if we widened our reading list a little.”
Excuse me? What is even happening right now?
“I will not be shamed for reading romance novels!” I gasp in objection.
“We’ve been over this, Maggie. No one is shaming you for liking romance novels.”
“I would hope not,” I agree, but I scrunch my nose in suspicion because I suspect she’s going to elaborate.
“It’s just that our book club reads nothing but Christmas romance novels. Every month. All. Year. Long,” Sutton mutters, sipping her hot cocoa and not quite meeting my gaze.
“There’s just so many of them!” I protest.
Literally, there are so, so, so many. My to-be-read list, if I printed it out, could probably wallpaper the entirety of Santa’s workshop. Or form a border around the entire town of Reindeer Falls. And sure, the town’s small… but it’s not that small.
“What is better than romance and Christmas in the same book?” I protest. “There’s nothing better than falling in love at Christmas. Everyone knows that. Like romance writers. They know. Which is why they give us so many wonderful holiday romances.”
Something, I might add, that I’m extremely grateful for. If I could make a gingerbread cookie sacrifice to the romance goddesses who keep me fully stocked on my Christmas romcom dreams, I would. I bet those ladies are never in violation of Christmas. Not ever.
“So, shall we pick next month’s book?” I ask hopefully. “I’ve printed a ballot for each of us so we can vote.”
“Let’s see.” Sutton taps on the ballot with a fingertip. “Our choice for January”—she draws the word out dramatically—“is between Love in Santa’s Workshop or A Very Royal Christmas.”
I nod. I’m really hoping they vote for the royal one because it’s a trapped-together-in-a-blizzard romance and those are my catnip. Or my mistletoe, as it were.
“I’m just going to let you pick, Maggie,” Sutton says, flipping her long blonde hair over her shoulder before shoving a cookie in her mouth. Then she says something that sounds suspiciously like, “I’m just here for the cookies.”
“Are you sure?” I ask, narrowing my eyes in suspicion. Enthusiasm is important for book club. And for Christmas.
“Oh, yeah,” Sutton mumbles around her cookie.
“Are you very—”
“Guess who’s back in town,” Lexi interrupts me mid-interrogation with a sly grin. “The Sheppard brothers.”
“Really?” Sutton perks up with more interest than she’s shown since we sat down. She actually sits up straighter and leans in, her eyes bright with interest. “All three of them? Are you telling me there’s an actual threesome of hotness to choose from this holiday season?”
“All three of them.” Lexi confirms. “Though I’m not sure calling them the ‘threesome of hotness’ is quite right.”