A Very Merry Mess: A Friends to Lovers Sweet RomCom (Cider Cove Sweet Southern RomComs Book 3) by Elana Johnson

Author:Elana Johnson [Johnson, Elana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: AEJ Creative Works
Published: 2024-11-12T00:00:00+00:00

RYANNE

I’m up to my elbows in cookie dough when I hear the commotion outside. My mom and sisters chatter away about Anna’s pregnancy and Cosette’s upcoming baby shower, but I tune them out as I strain to hear what’s happening on the front porch. Something bangs, and that gets my heart pumping.

“What in the world?” my mom says, interrupting my sister for the first time ever and moving to the mouth of the hallway. “They’re back already? That can’t be true.”

I wipe my hands on a dish towel and rush past her, my goal the front door, my heart racing. Something’s wrong; I can feel it. As I fling open the front door, I’m hit with a wall of cold air and the most putrid smell I’ve ever encountered.

“Fish and chips,” I gag, covering my nose with my sleeve. “What is that?”

And then my dad moves to the side, and Elliott emerges. He looks like he’s been through a war with nature itself, and he’s being half-carried, half-dragged up the steps by Danny and Rob. Snow and pine needles cake his clothes, and there’s a nasty-looking scratch across his cheek. But worst of all is the smell. A skunk has definitely decided to use him as target practice.

“What happened?” I demand, glaring at my dad who’s already on the porch, looking sheepish.

“Well, honey,” he starts.

But I cut him off with, “I can’t believe you.” I swat at his chest, and he has the decency to flinch away from me. “You—let—a—skunk—spray—him?”

“It was an accident.”

“Like someone would want to get sprayed on purpose,” I fire back.

“I can’t believe he didn’t see them,” Rob said as he helps Elliott over to one of the chairs on the porch. “It was a whole skunkeriffic family.”

“They were pretty plain,” James agrees. “Black against white, you know?”

I don’t see how this is helping. “Wasn’t he with you?”

“He’d, uh, fallen behind,” Rob says. They have no Christmas tree on the empty sled, and the four of them stand there like they don’t know what to do next.

“Close the door,” Mom says behind me. “It’s freezing—oh, it’s a skunk. Turn on the fans; get out the candles.”

“Mom.” I spin toward her. “We have to clean up Elliott.”

“Guest house,” she calls as Anna literally closes the door in my face.

I turn back to the men in my family. Dad offers a tiny smile. “We have to go back out and get the tree, so…”

“Fine, go.” I play a drumroll on Danny’s chest too. “You—I trusted you to take care of him.”

“He’s fine,” Danny said, though he casts a worried look over to Elliott. He still hasn’t moved or spoken, and he stares straight ahead, his glasses sitting a little askew on his face. “You know the drill.”

“And good news,” Dad says. “All the skunk stuff is in the shed—uh, the guest house.”

“Perfect.” I fold my arms, my internal temperature falling rapidly. I’m not wearing a coat, and an apron certainly isn’t adequate protection against a New York winter.

They go, and I turn toward my boyfriend.

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