Page 45 of A Holly Brown Christmas
“That just seems wrong. And if there’s an order, I didn’t get the memo.”
“I would have thought it was obvious.”
“I think you’re forgetting who you’re dealing with,” he murmured. “This is the first tree I’ve ever decorated.”
And for some reason, that hadn’t clicked before. Like she knew his family didn’t do this sort of thing, but she thought he might have done it at his grandparents’ house or a friend’s or…
She launched herself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
His arms gently banded around her. “Everything okay?”
“No,” she mumbled, pressing her face against his throat. “I’m sad.”
“Why?”
Looking up at him, she tried really hard not to cry. “Because you never had the chance to make memories with ornaments and decorate a tree that looks messy instead of artistically decorated. That should be something every kid does.”
Reaching up, Lucas cupped her face, offering her a small smile. “I didn’t know I was missing it. But this right here? What we’re doing? We’re making memories. I’m making memories. So…thank you.”
Then he kissed her, and it was just the right amount of sweet with heat. They carefully maneuvered away from the tree and over to the couch, where they took a sexy break from the decorating.
That week, the office seemed more chaotic than usual, and it was because Holly had taken charge of decorating for the holidays. This was another project his mother hired people for in the past, but now it was up to them to make it look festive. He loved the way she took total joy in the process, but he was not a fan of the mess that seemed to follow her everywhere. He was still recovering from the tree decorating on Sunday.
Still, he had to admit that it was a lot of fun and seeing the finished product—a charmingly eclectic and slightly misshapen tree—filled him with a sense of accomplishment.
Plus, he loved the way Holly thanked him for all his help.
It was lonely when he returned to the guesthouse Sunday night, but he already felt like he’d overstayed his welcome. She hadn’t said anything to him; it was just his own thing in his head.
There were no decorations, no color, no character, no…life. And being that it was just a guesthouse, he wasn’t interested in changing anything. He was, however, suddenly feeling the itch to go house hunting again. Maybe Holly would go with him and help him find his perfect home.
And what exactly did that look like?
Before he met Holly, it looked like a modern house with white walls, a white kitchen, and neutral, boring furniture. But now? Now he envisioned a craftsman style with a big front porch and a swing. Inside, lots of color and framed photographs, a fireplace with a big mantle, and some big, oversized sofas.
And a dog.
Shmoop immediately came to mind, but that was just because he was the only dog Lucas had been around, right?
But the more he thought about this future house, the more he pictured Holly there with him, which was crazy! They were only newly dating. They barely knew each other. He couldn’t possibly be thinking about a future this soon, could he?
“Obviously I can because I am,” he murmured, leaning back in his desk chair.
“Knock, knock!”
He looked up and found Lennon standing in the doorway. “Hey, what’s up?”
“It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here,” his friend said. “Or like a Christmas tornado had come through.” He laughed. “Holly’s got a good heart, but her process is a bit chaotic. I think I saw her and people from every department trying to get everything organized.”
That made him chuckle. “And she should. There’s no reason for her to be doing it alone.”
“Did we have all those decorations in storage or did she have to buy them?”
“Good question.” And before he could think about it, he saw her walking past his office. “Holly?”
She reappeared, smiling but breathless. “Hi! Is everything okay?” Turning her head, she spotted Lennon. “Oh, hey! How are you today?”
“I’m good! I was just telling Lucas how much I was admiring the decorations.”
