Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three

Emery

I ’d never seen three men so stressed in my life. Especially Ronan, who was practically a walking, talking bundle of nerves. With Thanksgiving being at the very end of November this year, there were fewer days until Christmas, which made things worse.

And holiday shipping deadlines were coming fast.

After working overtime on Saturday and Sunday, I was exhausted, but knew the rush was almost over. Friday was the deadline to have all packages wrapped and ready to go out. With it being two days away, things were tense, to say the least.

Although there was a different kind of stress brewing for me; I had no clue what my future held. Wrap It Up was a year-round business with other holidays and birthdays bringing in a steady stream of profit, but the staff that was needed was reduced.

Did I even want to keep wrapping presents?

I glanced at the clock, relief flooding through me as I realized my shift was finally over. My fingers were cramping from hours of wrapping, but at least I could go home and soak in a hot bath. Maybe even convince one of the guys to give me a massage.

That’s when I noticed Ronan was still at it, hunched over a workstation with a pile of presents that seemed endless. The tension in his shoulders was visible even from where I stood, and the harsh overhead lights cast shadows under his eyes that made him look almost gaunt.

“Ready to go?” Levi appeared beside me, car keys in his hand. “I thought we could grab some dinner on the way home.”

My eyes were still on Ronan. “Actually... you go ahead. I think I’m going to stay for a bit.”

Levi followed my gaze, his expression softening. “He’s like this every year. Won’t let anyone help with certain clients’ wrapping.”

“Well, he hasn’t met my particular brand of stubbornness yet.” I gave Levi a quick kiss on the cheek. “Rain check on dinner?”

“You’re something else, Christmas Spirit.” He squeezed my hand before heading out, leaving me alone with Ronan and his mountain of presents.

I grabbed some supplies from my station and made my way over to him, pulling up a stool without a word. He barely glanced up as I started wrapping. His movements were mechanical and precise despite his obvious exhaustion.

We worked in silence for a while, the only sounds the whisper of paper and the sharp snick of scissors. I matched his pace, falling into an easy rhythm beside him. Now and then, our hands would brush as we reached for tape or ribbons.

When his normally perfect corners started getting sloppy, I decided enough was enough. The concerned human being in me couldn’t watch him struggle anymore.

I reached over and plucked the scissors from his hands, noting how his fingers were trembling slightly. Working yourself into the ground wasn’t exactly the kind of Christmas spirit I was hoping to spread around here.

“Hey!” He made a grab for them that I easily dodged, dancing back a step. “I need those.” His voice had lost its usual commanding edge, replaced by something almost petulant that made me want to smile despite my concern. I’d never seen him quite this frazzled before. It was both endearing and a little worrying.

“What you need is a break.” I tucked the scissors under a stack of wrap sheets and snatched his tape dispenser too, holding it behind my back when he tried to grab it. “When’s the last time you ate something?”

He ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in adorably disheveled spikes that made him look more like a rumpled college student than the usually impeccable CEO. The sight tugged at something protective inside me.

“I had coffee at... some point,” he mumbled, his words trailing off as if he genuinely couldn’t remember when that was. Coming from someone who typically tracked every minute of his day with military precision, that was practically a cry for help.

“Coffee isn’t food, Ronan.” I fixed him with my best stern look, which probably wasn’t very intimidating given I was wearing a Christmas sweater with dancing reindeer and jingle bells that occasionally chimed when I moved.

The irony of trying to scold a grown ass man while dressed like a walking holiday card wasn’t lost on me, but his current state was making me push past my usual hesitation to challenge him directly. Even the mighty Ronan needed someone to look out for him sometimes, even if that someone happened to be his overly decorated employee.

“I can’t stop now.” His voice was tight with anxiety, with that familiar edge of perfectionism that I recognized all too well. “If we don’t get these done…” He gestured at the mountain of gifts with jerky movements that made me want to grab his hands and still them.

“Then what? The world ends? Christmas is cancelled?”

“We lose customers. And then it starts. First a few, then more follow, and suddenly we’re scrambling to keep the lights on.” The words burst out of him like they’d been bottled up for too long.

I set the tape down and moved closer, sensing there was more to this than just holiday stress. “Has that happened before?”

He nodded, slumping on his stool. “Our first Christmas in the big leagues. We hired seasonal staff, thought everything was going great. Then we found out one of them had been deliberately messing up orders and keeping the client information. By the time we realized what was happening, they’d already stolen several of our biggest accounts.”

“Oh, Ronan.” I reached for his hand, and to my surprise, he let me take it. “That must have been awful.”

“We almost lost everything.” His fingers tightened around mine. “We’d put everything we had into this place. Max maxed out his credit cards, Levi borrowed money from his parents, and I...” He swallowed hard. “I sold my grandpa’s watch. It was the only thing of value I had.”

I felt a deep pang of sympathy for him. No wonder they were so intense about everything and protective of their business. The Three Scrooges nickname felt cruel now, a thoughtless label slapped on by people who had no idea what these men had sacrificed. They’d put everything they had into this place. Not just money, but pieces of themselves. That kind of betrayal would leave scars on anyone and make them build walls and guard them fiercely.

I couldn’t blame them for being cautious, for checking every package twice, for watching their employees like hawks circling overhead.

“But you survived it. You built this place back up.” I took his hand and squeezed.

“Yeah, but-”

“No buts.” I stood, tugging on his hand with gentle insistence. The determination in my voice surprised even me. “Come on. We’re leaving.” I wasn’t about to let him sit here and wallow in old wounds.

He resisted. “The presents…”

“Will still be here tomorrow. And we will get them all done, I promise. But if you work yourself into exhaustion and make yourself sick, that’s going to hurt the business more than taking one evening off.”

“I don’t know...” He glanced at the pile of unwrapped gifts uncertainly.

“Trust me.” I stepped closer, bringing my free hand up to cup his cheek. “You need to reset. Clear your head. Do something that has nothing to do with wrapping paper or shipping deadlines.”

His eyes met mine, and I could see the moment his resolve wavered. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well...” I pretended to think about it. “There’s this place I know that serves the best comfort food in town. Real hole-in-the-wall, but their mac and cheese will change your life.”

“Mac and cheese?” The corner of his mouth twitched.

“With bacon and a crispy breadcrumb topping.” I moved my thumb in small circles against his cheek, feeling the tension start to leave him. “And then maybe we could go for a walk through that park with all the Christmas lights they sync to music.”

“It’s not going to be too cold for you?” His brows furrowed in concern.

“I have my warm coat and boots, and this amazing sweater.” I posed and gestured to my outfit. “Plus, you’ll be there to warm me up.”

He smirked. “Now your real motives reveal themselves.”

I stepped away, holding out my hand. “What do you say?”

He looked at my outstretched hand, then back at the presents, then at me again. Finally, he rolled his eyes. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”

“Nope.” I wiggled my fingers invitingly. “Come on, Mr. Gray. Live a little.”

He took my hand, letting me pull him to his feet. “You’re trouble, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told. But I’m the good kind of trouble. Now go get your stuff.” I shoved him toward the stairs.

After Ronan gathered his things, we headed out. I pulled my coat tighter around me, grateful for its warmth.

Ronan noticed and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close as we walked to his car. He opened the door for me, and I settled into the leather seat, watching as he walked around to the driver’s side. He was so attractive it hurt.

“So where is this life-changing mac and cheese?” He started his car and cranked up the heater and seat warmers.

I gave him directions and five minutes later, we pulled up to a tiny restaurant wedged between a laundromat and a discount furniture store. The open sign flickered intermittently, and the windows were clouded with condensation.

“Um…” He turned off the car and eyed the establishment warily. “Not sure how much trust I can put in a place called Sassy Skillet.”

“Do you trust me?” The way he looked uncertain but intrigued made me want to show him exactly how much fun breaking his routine could be.

“In theory,” he replied dryly, but I caught that tiny spark in his eyes that told me he was already giving in, even if he wouldn’t admit it yet.

I opened the door and got out before he could change his mind. He followed, wrapping an arm around my waist as we walked to the door.

The blast of warm air that hit us when we walked into the restaurant carried the smell of melted cheese and garlic. My mouth started watering immediately. The place was packed with people, which wasn’t unusual. Luckily, there were a few seats available.

“Emery!” Rosa, the owner’s daughter, called out from behind the counter. “Haven’t seen you in forever, girl! And who’s this?”

I tugged Ronan toward an empty table. “This is Ronan. He’s in desperate need of mac and cheese.”

“Aren’t we all?” Rosa winked as she handed us menus.

Ronan shed his coat and looked around, taking in the mismatched decorations that included Christmas lights and cat figurines.

“So, I take it you come here a lot?” He opened his menu.

“I used to come once a week, but I’ve been trying to save money, and well, I don’t have work friends to come here with anymore.” The restaurant wasn’t super expensive, but it added up when you got drinks and had to leave a tip.

“Your boyfriend never brought you?” The mere mention of Josh seemed to infuriate Ronan.

“Honestly? I never even tried to bring him.” The fact that I never had, should have been a red flag. “You know… I haven’t been as heartbroken as I should be.”

Rosa took our orders; a classic mac and cheese with bacon for me and the spicy buffalo mac for Ronan. As she jotted down our choices, I found my thoughts drifting to my relationship with Josh. That I could sit here, weeks after our breakup, and feel more annoyed than devastated, spoke volumes. Maybe I’d been going through the motions with him for longer than I’d realized, content with the security he offered rather than any genuine connection.

The thought was both liberating and uncomfortable. Had I really wasted two years of my life on something so... mediocre?

Ronan reached across the table and took my hand, his knee pressing against mine under the table. “You okay?”

“Just thinking about how we can become so complacent that we don’t even realize we’re unhappy.” I shrugged. “Clearly Josh wasn’t happy either. I just wish he would have broken up with me instead of cheating. Maybe then I’d still have a job.”

“You have a job,” he said firmly.

I fought the urge to look away, struck by how adamant he seemed about my position at Wrap It Up. A job that was supposed to be temporary. “I don’t want to offend you, but wrapping presents isn’t exactly putting my bachelor’s degree to good use.”

“What’s your bachelor’s in? Maybe we can put it to good use.”

“Business administration.” I sat up straighter for a moment, but then my shoulders fell. “If I’ve learned anything from my relationship with Josh, it’s not to mix business with pleasure. I know we said we’d keep this casual dating level and go slow, but…”

“I understand.” He sounded like he actually didn’t, but didn’t try to convince me otherwise. “If you’d like, I can put my feelers out.”

“Oh? How good are these feelers?” I winked and he laughed.

“Here we go!” Rosa set two enormous plates in front of us. “Extra breadcrumbs for you, Em, and I threw in some garlic bread because your man here looks like he needs feeding.”

My skin prickled with warmth at the casual way she referred to Ronan as ‘my man,’ but he just smiled and thanked her. What were we even calling each other?

We ate and by the time we finished, Ronan looked more relaxed than I’d seen him in days.

“Ready for part two?” I asked as we bundled up to leave.

He helped me with my coat, his hands lingering on my shoulders. “The Christmas light show?”

“Unless you’re too full to walk?”

“I think I can manage a waddle.” He paid the bill despite my protests, leaving Rosa a generous tip that made me like him even more.

Outside, it had grown colder, but the sky was clear and full of stars. Ronan took my hand as we walked toward the park, which was a few blocks away.

I couldn’t help but marvel at how natural it felt being with him. Like we’d been doing this forever instead of just starting whatever this thing between us was.