The Snowmaiden, A Bride for Krampus - Jeanette Lynn Page 0,8

my favor I’d brought my own bedding for this holiday excursion. All I needed now was supplies.

Redressing, two layers of thick socks, a clean hoodie and mostly dry boots and winter coat on, I was headed back out the door.

Building my mental grocery list, I’d just pulled into the local Stop N Shop when my phone chimed. Glancing at the text, I read aloud, “Thanks for understanding, sweetie. Merry Christmas! Sent you a little something! Dad.” Checking my account on the app on my phone, I blinked, checked the amount, then blinked and checked it again. My mood soured even more than it possibly could. I’d been right. This was goodbye. And he was bribing me like some dirty little secret keeper or soon to be forgotten mistress to stay gone. The terms were left unsaid.

I had a niggling feeling he’d keep a tidy sum coming my way every jolly holiday if it meant I kept gone.

“God, I hate you,” I muttered. Stuffing my phone back into my pocket, I blinked away the moisture welling in my eyes. I wasn’t sure who I was saying it more to, myself or him, because if this is what he wanted, fine, whatever, he could go screw himself.

I hated this holiday, hated every damned thing about it. Why was I trying to put on a brave face still? Why try and keep calm and cool and collected? My dad had just basically bought me off with an X-mas bribe and a BDSM cabin. What was anything to having family that actually gave a shit about you?

I supposed I didn’t really have that, hadn’t for a while, but now I had an out on the most depressing time of the year and I could go about my merry ignoring business.

Getting out of the car, slamming the car door shut a little too hard, I was in such a foul mood I was practically snarling.

Two idiots dressed like holiday rejects, one short guy with stupid elf ears and the other sporting enormous, lifelike looking reindeer antlers, bumped me as I stomped past. “Jesus fucking- Watch where you’re going, would ya!”

“Oh. Apologies, Miss…” the shorter male trailed off, gaping at the look on my face as I glared at him.

It wasn’t his fault. It was an accident. I supposed I should be kinder. I wasn’t in a kind mood.

Muttering a, “Whatever,” under my breath, I strode inside the automatic double doors.

“She didn’t use the right door,” I heard one of them whisper to the other as I strode right down the middle of both, even though the exit and entrance sides were clearly marked.

“That’s not a bad thing, Bels. Maybe she can’t read,” tall guy offered.

“She used her big voice with us,” short guy, Bels, argued, his voice fading as a noise over the doors chimed and the fan, a bit slow to kick on, started up.

Bunch of weirdos, I thought, grabbing a cart to start down the first aisle.

∞∞∞

A few aisles and a half full cart later, I could hear them, Creep 1 and Creep 2, not so far behind me. It occurred to me they might be following me, but they were so inept at trying to be as unobtrusive as possible, stumbling over each other and knocking things off shelves, arguing amongst each other about I had no clue what—it sounded crazy, to be honest. The bumble brains were prattling on about naughty or nice and I wasn’t even sure—they sure didn’t want to deal with my naughty side. I had a Taser they could kiss and a conceal carry permit I took full use of if they really wanted to tangle. In a mood to be fucked with, I was not.

Reaching the alcohol aisle, I wasn’t a drinker, not really my thing, yet I grabbed a few of the Bigfoot themed wines because the bottles made me chuckle. Fuck it, why not? I wanted the bottles, they were cute, and I was in possession of some Christmas bribery money to burn. Reaching the area with all the lube and condoms, thinking of all the bottles of extra thick or flavored lubes, condoms, edible underwear, and the whip—I wasn’t even going to think of the whip again—ever—I’d come across and then promptly chucked into the bin, I was definitely going to be looking into that therapy.

Even now I got a case of the creeps run-walking down the aisle.

I was being stupid, I supposed, but I was allowed some time to freak out and