Page 41 of A Holly Brown Christmas
She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “If you faint on the porch, I might let you off the hook.”
“Only might?”
She shrugged. “Depends on how convincing your fall is.”
The door swung open before Lucas could respond—thankfully—revealing Holly’s mom in her holiday apron that was dusted with flour and a wide, welcoming smile. She had told her parents all about Lucas—before and after they had gotten romantically involved—but this was going to be their first time meeting him. She could feel the tension rolling off his body, and she seriously hoped he would be able to unclench and enjoy himself.
“Oh! You’re right on time!” her mom gushed as she hugged Holly and kissed her cheek. When she pulled back, she turned her attention to Lucas. “And you must be Lucas! Oh, you’re cute. We’re so happy you’re joining us today!”
Her mom pulled Lucas into a hug before he could even say hello, the pie nearly getting squished in the process. He glanced over at her nervously, and Holly could barely suppress her laughter. No sooner had her mother released him than her dad appeared in the doorway. Fortunately, he was a bit more reserved and simply shook Lucas’s hand.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Lucas. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
Holly hooked her arm through his and felt him relax a bit as he smiled at her dad. “All good things, I hope?”
“Well…mostly good,” she teased, causing him to quickly turn his head towards her in pure panic. “Oh, stop. How could the stories be anything but good? You’re a hero, remember?”
“A hero?” He groaned. “You didn’t tell them the ladder story, did you?”
“She sure did!” her mom chimed in. “We couldn’t believe she got past the first few rungs on that ladder. She’s terrified of heights!”
“Holly once nearly fainted while standing on a stepstool,” her father added. “Luckily, I was right there to catch her, but it was close. Thank goodness you showed up when you did, Lucas. I can’t image it was easy to pry her off the ladder that high up!”
“It wasn’t easy,” he confirmed, “but we figured it out. I just felt terrible that she felt the need to get on it in the first place.”
“That’s our stubborn girl,” her mother added. “She can’t stand to see a task left undone. Now come on. Let’s go inside. Everyone’s excited to see you and meet Lucas.” Shmoop ran past them and in the distance, she could hear her nieces and nephews squealing with delight when they spotted him.
They stepped into the house, instantly wrapped in warmth—both from the cozy heat and the scent of Thanksgiving: turkey, spices, and something buttery baking. The living room was filled with family chatter, football on the TV, and relatives lounging with drinks and appetizers.
Her mom took the pie and her dad took their coats, but Lucas stayed glued to her side. When they joined everyone in the living room, he stiffened slightly. She knew it was because he was suddenly aware of how many eyes were sizing him up.
Leaning in close, she whispered, “That’s Aunt Lynn in the green sweater. She’ll ask if you want kids within five minutes. Uncle Ray is sitting next to her and will quiz you about your job. He’s a retired accountant and a bit dry in the conversation department. Just nod and pretend you care about his coin collection.”
Nodding, he whispered, “Okay.”
“Over by the fireplace is my cousin Melissa. She’s the caterer who’s going to do the food for the Christmas party, and she’s talking to our cousin Jenna, who just had her second baby.” She smiled up at him. “Doing okay?”
Another nod.
“Over on the sofa is Melissa’s husband Tyler and Jenna’s husband Jim. They’re huge football fans. Dallas is their team, so if you know anything about the Cowboys, you’ll fit right in.”
“Any escape plan if I panic?”
“There’s a guest bathroom down the hall. Second door on the left. I’ll leave a trail of mashed potatoes if needed. Or cheese and crackers if it happens before we sit down to dinner.”
He laughed softly and she took his hand and walked farther into the room. As they made the rounds, Lucas managed handshakes, small talk, and a particularly intense interrogation from Holly’s grandmother about his intentions. He answered with grace, humor, and just the right amount of awkwardness to seem endearing.
As the day went on, he seemed to relax more and more, and by the time they were halfway through the main meal, she had no doubt that he could hold his own in any conversation with her relatives.
Listening to him talking about football and then about coins just confirmed that she made the right decision by inviting him to join her for the holiday. He fit in perfectly. She had been a little nervous about…well…the differences between a Brown family Thanksgiving and what was probably a very formal, catered, five-star dinner with the Brooks family. There were a lot of mismatched glasses, two folding tables, metal folding chairs, and some pretty tacky-looking tablecloths with turkeys on them.
There was no way Mrs. Brooks would ever have illustrated turkeys on her linens. Of that, Holly was certain.
Still, Lucas didn’t appear to be the least bit snobbish about any of it, and that was a huge load off of her mind.
When they were finished eating, everyone stood and helped clean up, including Lucas. “You don’t have to do that,” she whispered to him, taking his plate from his hands. “You’re a guest.”
“Technically, we’re all guests and everyone else is helping, so why wouldn’t I?”
