Page 80 of Holly versus Mr. Ivy
Rhett snatched our donuts, then wandered toward the street Noah had directed us to.
“Sorry about Noah. I love him, but he drives me absolutely mad.”
“Clearly.”
I elbowed him as we walked past the other food trucks. The scents of roasted nuts, hot chocolate, coffee, cinnamon and sugar, and smoked meat filled the air.
We found a park bench where we could sit and eat our donuts. Well, Rhett ate his and held mine up to my mouth so I could take bites. The motion wasn’t heated or flirty. With so many people around us, we had to look like we were only friends.
Satisfied after eating my donut and ready to shop, we found the first row of white tented booths lining both sides of the street. Arches decorated in greenery and giant red bows were spaced every ten feet apart above us. White Christmas lights wrapped around every lamppost.
“What are you getting your parents for Christmas?” I asked Rhett as we casually strolled past the next booth selling children’s books.
He rubbed a hand along his jaw. “I don’t know yet. They’re hard to shop for. Whatever they want, they can just buy it for themselves.”
What would it be like to have that much money?“I’m sorry. My mom is also difficult to shop for. She’s not big on material possessions. I usually get her lotion and books. But it’s boring, and she expects it. I’d love to get her something she wants, but I have no clue what that might be.”
“How about you pick out a gift for my parents, and I’ll find something for your mom?”
I let out a shrill laugh. “I’m sorry. You thinkIwould be able to pick out a good gift foryourparents? Whom I’ve never met?” Was he crazy?
“Yeah. I believe in you.”
I blinked.
“Come on.” He motioned to the festival taking place around us. “Where’s your holiday spirit?”
“In self-preservation mode,” I answered dryly. This little elf had no clue what millionaires (or were they billionaires?) might like to receive. A painting? Telescope? Diamonds?
“It’ll be fun,” Rhett sang.
I highly doubted it, and I made him very well aware of that fact by the eye roll I gave him. “Fine. What’s my budget?”
“Five hundred.”
“Okay. I’ll see if I can find anything.” The next booth we came across was selling professional photographs of different landscapes in ornate frames. This might be a solid choice for Rhett’s parents. The images captured the exact feeling of each location and season.
The next picture was a grove of palm trees swaying to the right, with the bright blue sea in the foreground. A white lounge chair with a red towel draped over the edge sat in the middle of the photo. It reminded me of Dad, who had loved the beaches in South Carolina and taken us there as much as he could in my youth. If only we could afford to go back.
My voice quieted as we looked at each picture, knowing I couldn’t visit any of these places anytime soon. “Money’s been really tight since my mom stopped working. When my dad died, what little he’d saved for retirement was used to bury him. With Mom’s sickness, I’m covering her bills, as well as my own. And it probably wouldn’t be so bad if I hadn’t lost money on the sale of my condo, but I needed to move quickly so I couldn’t afford to be picky about the market. Once Mom was diagnosed, moving in with her was the only option to help care for her.” I shook my head, embarrassed I’d told Rhett that. “Sorry. You don’t need to know about my finances.”
Rhett squeezed my arm. “What you’re doing for your mom is admirable and extremely selfless. It further proves how caring you are.”
“Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.” I pointed—more like held up a hand—toward the wall of photographs. “Would your parents like any of these?”
He bobbed his head once. “They might. I’ll keep it in mind as we keep shopping. If we don’t find anything else, we can come back at the end.”
“Perfect. Let’s go find that lotion.”
Rhett moved his hand from my arm to my lower back. If anyone saw us, we’d get in trouble. But with how many people surrounded us, if Rhett didn’t keep some form of contact with me, I was afraid we’d lose each other in the masses. The festival seemed busier than ever.
“Did you hear that?” I asked Rhett. It sounded like someone had called my name. Twisting my head around, I searched the crowd, but I didn’t see anyone I recognized.
“I didn’t hear anything.”
“I must be imagining things.”
As much as I loved everything about the event, I was about ready to call it quits. A sea of black, blue, and pink coats surrounded me, caging me in. I felt like a sprite trapped in the human world.
