Page 45 of A Christmas For Holly

Lucas nodded, moving his piece and landing on one of my properties. “Sounds like your uncle made an impact.”

“Yeah,” I said, counting out his rent. “After my mom remarried, we weren’t all that close. I’ve got two stepsisters,but… we don’t talk much. Brad and Letty were my family, but once I started getting serious about hockey, I ended up billeting with a family closer to my school. Then, I got drafted in the first round, and by eighteen, I had my own place. Money came fast, fame even faster.”

“When we met,” he reminded me, leaning forward to take his turn. He landed onGo, collecting two hundred dollars like it was nothing.

“Yeah, it was. And I loved it. Loved every second of it.” I smiled faintly, remembering the rush of those early days. “But… it also meant hockey became everything. There wasn’t room for much else.”

We played for a while in silence after that, my thoughts spinning around the past as the game continued. I’d built this life around the rink, winning, and being the best—and now? Now it felt as though all of that had crumbled.

“Your turn,” Lucas said, handing me the dice.

I rolled, my piece clattering across the board. For a moment, I let the game distract me until the tablet and caffeine, plus the enormous amount of chocolate I’d eaten, made me tired. I checked my watch—a little after five a.m.—and I leaned on my side, on plumped-up cushions, the stove heat lulling me into a soft place where I wasn’t losing all my money to Lucas.

I must’ve dozed off, the weight of everything catching up. The Monopoly game blurred as my eyes grew heavy, and before I knew it, I was slipping in and out of wakefulness. The fire was comforting, and I felt something enveloping me—a blanket, maybe, pulled gently over my shoulders.

In the distance, I could hear Lucas talking, his voice low and soft, almost like a lullaby, though I couldn’t make out what he was saying. It wasn’t meant for me to understand, just… something to anchor me in this strange haze between sleep and wakefulness.

The words wrapped around me like a cocoon, and I wanted to believe them. To let myself lean into that warmth, into its safety. But even in the dream, part of me was afraid to trust it and let go of the walls I’d built to protect myself.

Still, the fire flickered, the snow swirled, and the voice whispered again, quieter this time.

You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.

I woke to the sound of someone talking. “You wanna wake up, Hols? Lunch in thirty.”

I blinked, groggy, and saw Lucas not far away, standing by the stove. “Lunch?” I mumbled, still half-asleep. “What happened to breakfast?”Did I say that out loud?

“You slept through breakfast,” Lucas said with a smile. “And I found a camping stove and gas, so I made lunch early. Come on, up and at ’em.”

I groaned and pushed myself up, a little unsteady, but Lucas reached out, catching my hand to steady me. I let him help me, my head still foggy from sleep, and stumbled to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t look tense. I looked soft around the edges for the first time in a while. Relaxed, even. And that was because of this place, this beautiful isolation, and Lucas, listening to me ramble like I wasn’t completely falling apart, kissing me and telling me we would kiss again.

And more.

I dried off and returned to the small table in the kitchen, where Lucas was setting up lunch. Glancing at him as we sat to eat, I felt a quiet peace settle over me.

“How’re you feeling?” he asked.

“Good,” I said, and I wasn’t lying.

I ate the chicken stew he’d made, listening as Lucas talked about family and the Emporium, his voice hypnotic, gentle but animated. Every time he mentioned his family, a smile tugged at his lips, and I couldn’t help but notice how his blue eyes sparkled with humor and love. He talked with an ease that made everything feel lighter, like there wasn’t a storm raging outside or a mess of emotions building up inside me.

I could listen to him talk all day. Something about the way he spoke, so full of love for the people in his life, made me feel safe. As if, in this moment, nothing could go wrong.

Chapter 18

Lucas

“It’s tree time,”I announced.

“Now?” Holly looked surprised and glanced at the long, thin box and the carrier bags. “It’s still a week from Thanksgiving.”

“My family puts up trees before Thanksgiving,” I explained as I pulled out the baubles and tinsel. “We’re always so busy with the parade and the market afterward that we have to start early. What can I say? We’re a family that loves Christmas bling.”

“Okay, well, um…” He seemed uncertain, then appeared to have some internal debate. “Let’s do this.”

Together, we sat cross-legged on the floor, matching the letters on each metal branch to the corresponding holes on the skinny central pole.

“‘A’ goes here,” I murmured, sliding one branch into place, the sharp snap of metal against metal was oddly satisfying. “And ‘B’’s next.”

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