Page 21 of OMG Christmas Tree
She ended the call. I looked out the window across the sloping front lawn. The courthouse, the town square park and shops all in view. The bank marked the end of downtown, where the road returned to two lanes and pointed toward another town six miles out. The whole town in one glance. My own life plotted on the familiar points of the map. Same as always.
How was I supposed to leave? This town or my parents? Crystal Cove was home. I should be happy here. I hadn’t ever wanted to leave before. Coming back after college—a choice I made myself. I hadn’t gone far to begin with. But now...
Now, I’d lived here a few years on my own. The town and all its opportunities shrank to a grid I’d memorized and replayed daily. I couldn’t go anywhere without a conversation about my family.
“Nick?” Jill handed me a list. “Crystal Gifts in town is expecting you. They have decor we’ll use for the tree. They’ll bring floral arrangements this afternoon.”
I took the homework gladly. No room to feel sorry for myself since the clock counted down. I needed to finish this job and not run off while Jill fixed my mess. My day went from snowmobile to no-mobile.
The snow had stopped falling yesterday, but the cold air guaranteed the white stuff would stick around. I grabbed a knit hat and gloves from my truck. The driveway angled from the mansion onto Main Street, making for an easy walk.
A huddle of middle school-aged girls sipped warm drinks with white plastic lids outside Main Street Sweets. Mariah Carey’s voice bounced between the shops and cars announcing what she wanted for Christmas. That song always got stuck in my head.
I entered Crystal Gifts headed straight to the sales counter. Or tried to. The place was packed. Shoppers bundled in winter gear stood in every aisle and crowded around glass displays. This was the kind of store a guy like me had to watch out in or I’d knock an expensive vase into an even more expensive vase.
“These are perfect, Mom. Look.”
The voice caught me by the collar. I looked over my shoulder. Hoping, I had to admit.
Dark curls spilled from a familiar hat with a puff ball. Megan.
“Are there enough?” a woman asked, her back turned toward me.
Just then, Megan looked up and our eyes met. Her face brightened, then fell and ended up somewhere in the middle. “Hi, Nick.”
The woman beside her swung around. “Nick Bennington. So good to see you again.” Her voice carried, causing several people to gawk.
“Good to see you too, Mrs...” Had she taken Stu’s last name? Didn’t want to assume.
“Mrs. Krueger,” she filled in. “But call me Diane.”
Megan gave her mom a strange look, but quickly ditched it to smile tentatively at me. “How is the decorating going?”
“Oh, uh, good.” I ripped my hat off, feeling hot all the sudden. “Jill from the mayor’s office is handling things. I’m playing fetch.” I waved Jill’s list in front of me. “I got rescued is what I’m saying. So, problem solved.”
“Oh.” Megan’s eyebrows furrowed. “Well, that’s good, I suppose.” She held a clear plastic box of round silver ball ornaments. “We’re looking for more ornaments. Fifty percent off.”
“You have a lot of tree to fill.”
Megan’s cheeks colored. I couldn’t help but grin. She knew that tree was too big for the house. She knew but her pride—or something else—kept her from admitting it.
“Stu got the tree upright, so that’s a small victory.” Diane turned to her daughter. “Let me take these to the register. The line is getting long.”
Which left me with Megan. Not exactly alone, but I didn’t care to check on anybody else. “Thanks again for—”
“You gave up?” She closed the gap between us, her voice hushed and accusatory.
“What do you mean?” I stepped back from her advance, a stupid move that pushed my back against a display where glass trinkets tittered and clinked. I jerked forward, joining her space. She smelled like vanilla and Christmas.
“Let me see this list.” She snatched the paper from my hand and scanned it. “Why is this Jill person giving you chores?”
“ThisJill personhas twenty years’ experience.”
Megan scowled, turning her brow down in a way that only made her more appealing to me. “Seems like with all that experience the benefit would be planned by now.”
“She didn’t step in earlier because I insisted on planning the mayor’s part myself.” And look what happened.
“My mom pointed out the mayor’s mansion. It looks beautiful.”
