Shoved (Moonlit Lake Matchmaker ~ Book 4)

What happens when the town grinch, a single mom, and an adorable 4-year-old are shoved together for the holidays?

SERENA

Storm Rhodes is the grinchiest of grinches. Doesn't like kids or animals—probably not even people. He should be an ugly beast to match his personality—that would be fair. But no. He looks like he walked off the cover of GQ.

I definitely need to stay away from him.

Unfortunately, he’s the only lawyer in town, and I need his help. Maintaining custody of my daughter is my top priority. But for some reason, my daughter likes him more than Santa. And I’m torn between pushing him into a snowbank or pulling him under the mistletoe.

Now we’re on the run and stranded together during a blizzard.

This is not the perfect holiday I had in mind.

Shoved is a sweet holiday romantic comedy filled with witty banter, laugh-out-loud moments, and sizzling kisses. If you like closed door RomComs like Emma St. Clair, Cindy Steel, and Savannah Scott, you’ll love this book.

PRESENT DAY—MOONLIT LAKE, MN
The late afternoon sun must have been playing tricks on me. I rubbed my eyes to clear my vision. No trick. Just Tillie wobbling along the lake walk on a unicycle. Her arms flailed out to her side as she tried to keep her balance. I slammed my car into park and ran over to stop her. My thumb was poised on my phone, ready to dial 911. 
“Tillie. What are you doing?” I hollered. 
She jerked her head to me, startled, which caused the unicycle to keen forward and shoot out from beneath her. Tillie flew into the air with her arms windmilling. 
Time stretched out as I ran in slow motion toward her. Even my yell morphed into whale-speak. Miraculously, I caught her in my arms before she splatted onto the pavement. 
“Good catch, Storm. And right on time. I’ve been wanting to perfect my unplanned dismounts, and that one was fabulous. Ten out of ten.” Tillie beamed, like this was a stunt we practiced every day.
I set her on her feet and stepped away to regain my composure. I turned in a circle, my heart racing. Newly fallen leaves crunched beneath my feet. Visions flashed through my mind of what could have happened to her frail, elderly body if I hadn’t arrived when I did. 
Let me amend that, or Tillie would have my hide… Tillie wasn’t frail. In fact, she was one of the most spry and vibrant people I knew. She might be flirting with the century mark, but she sure didn’t act like it. But just because she flouted the typical norms of aging, that didn’t mean she could defy the laws of physics.
I grew up next door to Tillie, and she was like a grandmother to me and my siblings. But that didn’t mean she acted like a grandma. No way. This pint-sized, white-haired pixie defied expectations at every turn. She’d always been eccentric, but that seemed to be getting more pronounced with age. 
Turning back to Tillie, my hands fisted at my sides to keep from shaking her. “Tillie. What in the world were you thinking, getting on a death machine like that? You’re not a little kid.”
“That’s right, Storm, I’m not a child. And I’m fully equipped to make my own decisions.”
Under my breath, I muttered, “That’s debatable.” 
Her petite four-foot-ten frame stood defiantly with her hands on her hips, daring me to make an issue of this. 
Experience taught me to pick my battles, and this was not one I would win. “I’ll make a note to make sure your will is up-to-date.”
She waved her hand at me, like I was a silly boy. “Pshaw. I was just practicing, and I have all the necessary protective gear on.” She knocked her knuckles on her helmet to prove her point. “My Circus Seniorus group meets next week, and I wanted to get some practice time in before it snowed. I was thinking, if I get good at this, it would be fun to hop on my unicycle to string the lights on my Christmas tree this year. All that forward, backward and curving motion would be the perfect way to get it done.” She weaved her body to demonstrate, but looked more like she was doing the samba. 
“Provided you don’t land in the tree, or get the lights tangled in your wheel or pedals.”
“Yeah. There is that. Which is why I need to practice.” She paused for a moment, and her energy shifted up a gear. “Besides, I thought my practicing would make a fun TikTok video. My followers will get a big kick out of this. And now that you’re here, you can film it for me.”
“Not on your life.”
Ignoring my objection, she clapped her hands with excitement. “My fans will love this.” Her gaze shifted to the gray sky. “It’s going to snow soon. We better hurry. This might be my only window of opportunity to record this video.”
“Snow might give you a softer landing than a pile of leaves.” 
“But it’s harder to maneuver in. Unicycling is all about the movement to maintain balance. If you can’t move freely, you’ll be off balance in no time. Just like in life. Don’t you agree?”
“What you need is a practice track with foam pits on both sides. Then, when you fall, you land in the foam and won’t get hurt. Or better yet, a ceiling harness to keep you from falling.”
Her face lit up, like this was the best idea she’d ever heard. “Now you’re talking. I’ll have to see about manifesting that.”
I picked the unicycle up out of a pile of leaves and brushed it clean. “Need a ride home, Tillie?”
“You’re really not going to film me?” Her shoulders sagged and her bottom lip stuck out.
And she said she wasn’t a child.
I slowly shook my head. “As your attorney, I refuse to be party to your demise.”
“My demise. Hmph. When my time comes, I do hope it’s while I’m doing something extraordinary. But let me tell you, Storm, I have a lot more to do here before I’m done on this earth. More matches to make for one thing.” She chuckled, and reached up to pinch my cheek, like she did when I was a boy. “It’s okay to break the rules and have a little fun once in a while, Storm, to let a little joy and wonder into your life.” 
I rolled my eyes and carried the unicycle to my car.
“Hey!” she called out. “Don’t you go stealing my wheel, Storm Rhodes. I’d be happy to let you borrow it sometime, though, if you want to give it a go. I can even give you some pointers.” My unamused expression just made her giggle. “I have my vehicle parked over there.” She pointed to her antique truck on the other side of the parking lot. “You didn’t think I rode that thing all the way to town, did you? Though I probably could have. Another day, perhaps.”
“Wouldn’t put it past you, Tillie. Alright, if you’re done for today, I’ll toss this into your truck. I have a few errands to do, and then I’m headed over to the farm to see my parents. Maybe I’ll see you later.” I took a step toward her vehicle but paused. “You are done here, right?”
“I guess so, since I can’t talk you into filming me.” Her shoulders slumped, like a kid being told to put the game away and do their homework. After I secured the death machine into the back of her truck, she lifted a hand to stop me from leaving. “Before you go, I have something to show you.” She pulled out her phone. “I drew some cards for you today and took photos of them.”
“For me? But I didn’t tell anyone I was coming home today.”
Her lips pressed together, and her brow lifted, reminding me who I was talking to. Her intuitive skills were legendary, and we all knew not to question how she knew what she knew. 
“Alright, alright. But I don’t want to be matched. Your mojo might have worked on three of my siblings—Rowan, Raven, and Jasper—and helped them find their soul mates, but I’m not buying whatever you’re selling with that. I’ve got enough to handle with starting a law practice here in town.” 
I really didn’t have time for this mumbo-jumbo, but since I’d already yelled at her once today, the least I could do was humor her and take a look at her silly cards. I let out an exasperated sigh. “What do your cards say about me?”
Her face lit up like the sun. She opened the photos on her phone and held it out for me to see. “The first one is Get Stuck To Move Forward.” 
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Tillie’s brow raised as she looked at me with a side-eye and tilted head, clearly unwilling to give me any hints.
“Okay. I was feeling pretty stuck on the treadmill to becoming partner. And now my decision to return home and open up a law practice here instead is my way of moving forward. That was a complete one-eighty from the direction I originally thought my career would go.”
“Possibly.” She shrugged and scrolled to the next card. “This one says, Successful Failure.”
“That’s nonsense. No such thing as successful failure.”
“Sure there is. Like a happy accident, though you know I don’t really believe in accidents. Everything has a purpose and a reason.” She tapped her finger against her lips as she thought. “But you know, sometimes you believe something didn’t work out, at least not the way you’ve planned, but it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.”
“Okay. You’re saying something that I think failed will turn out good. I’ll take that.” I tilted my head and gave her a gentle elbow. “Hey, maybe it’s about me thinking I failed to convince you to give up unicycling, but later you agree with me. I will consider it a great success if I keep you from a body cast.” 
Tillie tsked and her scrutinizing gaze made me squirm. I glanced at my watch, my patience dwindling. “What’s the third card? I don’t have all day.”
“Which is exactly why you need these cards. There’s more to life than work, dear boy.” She pulled up the image of the final card. The corners of her eyes crinkled with joy as she handed the phone to me.
I blinked as I read the card, certain I was reading it wrong. “Get a dog? The great oracle is telling me to get a dog?”
She just shrugged and chuckled in her innocent but sly way.
“Now that’s the kind of matchmaking I can get behind. I’ve been thinking about getting a dog now that I’m back in town and my life is significantly slower.” 
“Love comes along in unexpected ways.” She uttered coyly. 
“Who said anything about love? I was thinking more along the lines of avoiding boredom. A dog would give me something to do while I’m building my practice.” I pointed at the screen. “The L-word wasn’t anywhere on the card.”
She just shook her head. “Resist it all you want, but love is coming for you, my dear.” She looked up at the sky and pointed. “And like those clouds moving in from the north, there is nothing you can do to stop it. Best to accept all the blessings it rains upon you. Or should I say snows upon you? I have a feeling winter is just about here.” 
The sharp bite in the air sure felt like winter. I loved fall. It was probably my favorite season, but it never lasted long enough. Winter was already breathing down our necks, causing a shiver to move down my spine. Living in Minnesota, it was inevitable, though. Most years we couldn’t make it to Thanksgiving without snow. We were lucky that year, though. Thanksgiving had come and gone without any sign of the white stuff. Truth be told, I didn’t really mind the snow. I enjoyed skiing and snowmobiling, but hadn’t had time for any of that in years. Hopefully, this winter would be different.
Love was another story. One I was not interested in, in the least. Avoiding attachment was something I’d gotten quite good at. If anything, I was repelled by love. Even the slightest hint of it had me running in the opposite direction. And man, could I run. 
I studied the fast-moving sky above us. “I might not be able to stop the clouds or the cold, but I’ll do whatever I can to avoid getting caught in it. Speaking of which, we’d better move along before it starts snowing.”
Tillie removed her helmet and replaced it with a colorful hand-knit stocking hat, then tightened the scarf around her neck. “I have another errand I need to take care of, but it’s not outdoors. I’ll be fine. But remember what I said, Storm. Life is for living, not working. Make sure you balance your time with equal amounts of fun and joy, and even love. It’s what makes it all worthwhile.”
As I took my leave, I mumbled, “Whatever you say, Tillie.” Tillie thought she knew best, but my life was already as perfect as it was going to get. I hadn’t made partner, but I was determined my new firm would be a success. And who needed love? I was going to get a dog.
* * *