Romancing Rudy Raindear (Sexy Secret Santas) Read Free

fine, son. Don’t you go worrying about me. I hear you and the boys really tied one on last night.”
    Rudy ignored the last comment and pushed on. “But I do worry about you, Gramps. I want you to be happy. You should be relaxing on a beach somewhere, instead of working yourself to death in this money pit.”
    Rudy picked up a cookie and took a bite. He knew instantly it was lacking the right amount of sugar. He put it back on the plate.
    “Now you don’t like my cookies anymore? What else is going on with you?”
    “What? No. Your cookies are great. I love ‘em. You know that. I’m just saying, wouldn’t you rather be someplace warm and sunny?”
    “It’s almost seventy degrees outside. I hate it. Hotter than it’s ever been since me and your grandmother moved here back in the forties. I like cold and snow, lots of both. Never was one for hot sand and hot air. Takes the fun out of Christmas, and me and your gram were all about Christmas.”
    Rudy’s nose itched.
    He told himself it was nothing, to ignore it.
    The jingle bells rang on the door behind Rudy signaling that the customer had left. Now Rudy felt as if he could be more forthcoming with his grandfather. Lay it on the table, so to speak.
    Tell him the facts.
    “I want to buy the bakery from you, and run it myself.”
    A total lie, but once he moved Gramps to a suitable retirement home, which he intended to prepay so Gramps would have nothing to worry about except having fun and relaxing, the old guy would be too busy to ever know the truth.
    Gramps stared at him, leaning in closer across the table.
    “You’re nose is red, son. Bright red. Red enough to lead Santa’s sleigh.”
    Rudy covered his nose with his hands.
    This can’t be happening!
    “I’m getting a cold.”
    “That might be a cold if you was livin’ in New York City, but you’re in North Pole, Maine now, and you’re a Raindear. That ain’t no cold. Not here. Not in this town. I know exactly what that is.”
    “It’s noth—” Rudy sneezed five times.
    Gramps stood up, and pushed in his chair.
    “He got ya, didn’t he?”
    “Who?” Rudy asked, rubbing his nose with a white paper napkin.
    “You’re on his naughty list, ain’t you?”
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
    “Woo-hoo, this is gonna be a good one.” Gramps laughed, long and loud, until tears rolled down his cheeks.
    “It’s not funny. I can’t go around like this. I have important people I need to meet with. Things I have to do.”
    After awhile, Gramps gained control of his laughter. “Ain't nothin’ you can do about it, son, ‘cept stop your cheatin’ ways.”
    “I do not cheat!” Rudy’s voice went up an octave, and when it did, his nose actually throbbed.
    Gramps roared with laughter. “This is better than one of them comedies on TV. Heck, son, you got it bad.”
    Rudy stood. “How do you know so much about this? Did somebody come and talk to you about me?”
    “Didn’t have to.” Gramps walked back behind the counter then turned to Rudy. “I got me some first hand knowledge with that there red nose.” Then he tsked , shaking his head. “And I thought you was different, but you’re a chip off your grandpa’s block. Woo-hoo, I’m sure lookin’ forward the next couple’a weeks!”
    He laughed again, and Jenny came out from the back, dusted with flour, hair pulled up in a ponytail, looking so cute Rudy could eat her up.
    “What’s so funny?” she asked, all smiles, ready to get in on the fun.
    “Rudy here’s got hisself on Santa’s Naughty List, and, well, he’s gonna have to tell you the rest.”
    Rudy wasn’t in the mood to tell Jenny anything, especially with his nose in its hideous condition, so he headed back upstairs to try and figure this whole thing out, without his grandfather’s laughter making matters worse.
     
    ***
    Four days had gone by since Jenny had seen Rudy. She was beginning to get worried even though Gramps had assured her “the boy just needs