The 6'1" Grinch by Tiffany White Page B

line and a long wait.
    Standing in line, Hollie began looking through Noel’s wallet for his insurance card. She sorted through a gas credit card, VISA, ATM card and an American Express card, before finding his insurance card. As she was putting the others back in their slots, his driver’s license caught her eye.
    No, it couldn’t be. He was taller. Or shorter.
    People lied on their driver’s licenses, didn’t they?
    But in her heart she knew the driver’s license wasn’t a lie.
    Knew it was true.
    That Noel Hawksley was a six-foot-one-inch grinch.
    â€œNext,” the pharmacist called out, and she moved to the counter to be waited on.
    T HE WHOLE TRIP had taken Hollie an hour. When she returned to Sarah’s, Noel was sleeping restfully on the sofa where she’d left him. She touched the bump that had risen on his forehead and winced at its size. Poor Noel! He must have taken quite a knock on the head.
    After leaving the sack from the pharmacy on the coffee table, she returned to the kitchen to finish the catered meal for twenty-four. Midnight had come trotting out when she’d returned, recognized her and then lain in a corner of the kitchen, hoping for a bite or two of what smelled so good.
    â€œYou don’t deserve a treat,” she admonished the expectant dog.
    Midnight barked and got her way, sort of.
    Hollie rummaged around in the cabinets and found a dog treat to shut her up so she wouldn’t wake Noel.
    She wanted to think about things before she faced him again with her new knowledge that he was the beau Santa was bringing her for Christmas. She wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
    Taking several bunches of carrots from the refrigerator, she began peeling them, readying them for the food processor to make a vegetable dish of sliced carrots and snap peas.
    Noel was certainly handsome. And he was tall. Six foot one inch. Smart. Successful. Heroic for rescuing Elena’s mutt. He had a lot of admirable qualities.
    But underneath he was a grinch.
    And that just wouldn’t do for her.
    She insisted her life be sunny-side up. She didn’t let her own unhappy past infringe on her present life. Instead she set about trying to make her life as filled with joy and love and good friends and good times as possible.
    It was true, she didn’t have a lot of money. But she was happy.
    She hadn’t allowed herself to have a pity party over life’s disappointments. That was the road to Grinchville.
    Well, at any rate, at least she knew Santa Claus had a major sense of humor. “Ha, ha,” she mumbled.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?”
    She jumped, startled that Noel was up and about. He had the sack from the pharmacy in his hand.
    â€œCan I get you something?” she asked. “Are you sure you should be up?”
    He leaned against the counter. “What smells so good?”
    â€œThe rouladens. Which reminds me, I’ve got to take them out of the oven.” As she reached for the oven mitts to do just that, Noel ripped open the sack from the pharmacy and took out his prescription medicine for his headache.
    â€œWhere’re the glasses?”
    Hollie opened the cabinet and handed him one.
    He ran the tap water while he opened the plastic bottle and shook out two pills. He tossed them in his mouth and washed them down with a glass of water, then set the empty glass down and rubbed the back of his neck. “I think I’ll pass on looking at any houses today. We can start fresh in the morning, if that’s all right with you.”
    â€œDo you want me to drive you back to the hotel?”
    â€œNo. I’m fine. All I need is a soak in a hot tub and some sleep. I’ll call you in the morning.”
    With a muttered expletive at Midnight, Noel donned his jacket and left.
    Unperturbed, Midnight continued lying where she was, a “who, me?” look on her face.
    Hollie laughed. “Don’t look so innocent. You’re a