Page 47 of A Holly Brown Christmas
“I’m on it!” he assured her, kissing her one more time.
She cupped his face when they broke apart. “Lucas Brooks, you have been a very good boy this year. I’ll make sure Santa knows, so you get everything you want for Christmas.”
Visions of her in red silk in front of her tree came to mind as he peeled it off of her like she was the present. But the reality was that he had everything he wanted already, and it had nothing to do with material things.
He had Holly Brown.
And that was better than anything Santa could swing down the chimney.
Thirteen
It was after two and there was no sign of Lucas, Lennon, or any Christmas trees. Holly was beginning to worry, but was trying not to let it show.
“Oh my God…if you don’t stop pacing, we’re going to need a new carpet out here,” Crystal said with amusement. “What are you freaking out about? It’s like Santa’s workshop around here and people are loving you for it!”
“Only because I’ve let them take extended time away from their desks and ordered Starbucks for everyone.”
Crystal grinned mischievously. “Yeah, that was a nice perk. I can’t believe you got Jacie to cover that as an office expense.”
“Technically, we’re all working to decorate the office. Something Mrs. Brooks would have paid a fortune for. So really, we’re saving the company money.”
“I don’t know. I ordered a very expensive drink.”
Holly shot her friend a look. “I know. And a scone.”
“Hey, you didn’t say we couldn’t have more than one thing. All you said was to give Jacie our Starbucks order, so I did.”
“It was implied, Crystal!”
“You can be as offended as you want, but I saw you eating a chocolate cake pop and drinking out of a Starbucks cup, so…”
“Okay, fine. I ordered a cake pop too. They’re delicious! Sue me!”
They kept joking back and forth as they strung pine garland around the lobby area, but Holly was still wondering what was taking Lucas so darn long.
Thirty minutes later, the elevator doors whooshed open. Lennon stepped out and gave Holly an apologetic look and immediately stepped aside as Lucas trudged in, a gangly live Christmas tree under one arm and snowflakes clinging stubbornly to his coat. The tree looked like it had been in the discard pile—thin, uneven branches, a bald spot near the top, and one side leaning awkwardly like it was trying to bow out of the whole situation.
Several of the office staff paused mid-decorating, blinking at the tree. She heard one intern whisper, “Is that even alive?” Someone else stifled a laugh.
Lucas plunked the tree down in the center of the lobby with an awkward sort of pride. “Ta-da!” he announced. “Do you know that Thanksgiving weekend is the biggest weekend for buying Christmas trees, artificial and live? Lennon and I hit four different stores and then hit the tree lots. It was slim pickings, let me tell you.”
“Was someone throwing that out?” Crystal murmured for Holly’s ears only.
“Shush,” she hissed, turning her attention back to Lucas.
“Anyway, the last lot we were at, the guy said they were getting a new shipment of trees this weekend. But I saw this one standing all alone in the back of the lot and figured…why not? Twenty bucks and the guy threw in a string of lights. Crazy, right?”
“Um…that’s one way to describe it,” she said, forcing a smile. “And you want to put this…?”
“Right here in the lobby! This way, when anyone comes in, they can see it!”
The sad part was that he was being completely serious.
Lennon stepped forward and gave Holly’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “I tried to stop him, I swear. But I couldn’t change his mind. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
Silently, she watched him walk away and wished everyone else would get back to work, but they were still cracking jokes about the tree.
“I thought he was supposed to get a good tree!”
