Page 25 of A Holly Brown Christmas
But that didn’t mean she didn’t put a little extra time and effort into her bedroom.
You know, just in case.
Not that she thought Lucas wanted to jump into bed with her, but…she wouldn’t say no if he wanted to.
Unfortunately, her good-girl conscience chose now to chime in and remind her that he was a coworker and his father was her boss. Would hopping into bed with him really be the smart thing to do?
Her girly parts screamed yes! And they were louder than her conscience, so she was just going to have to wait and see where the night took them. And if all that happened was some pleasant conversation over Chinese food, well…she’d be okay with that too.
Sort of.
“Ugh, I really am a mess.” Walking out to the kitchen, she wiped down the counters for the third time and was almost relieved when the doorbell finally rang. Wiping her hands along her pants, she let out a nervous breath as she made her way to the door.
He was perfection. Standing there on her porch, his dark hair slightly tousled, a little bit of stubble on his jaw, and a relaxed smile on his face. It looked good on him.
“Hey! Come on in.” Holly stepped aside so Lucas could walk in. “Let me take the food so you can take off your coat.”
“Thanks.”
Holly watched as he looked around and she couldn’t tell if he was impressed or indifferent. His expression was completely neutral. Putting their dinner on her little dining room table, she rejoined him in the living room.
“Did you find the house okay?”
“Oh, yeah. No problem.” Pausing, he looked around and finally started to smile again. “After hearing you tell me about all the work you and your dad did to the place, I’m a little fascinated.”
It was the best compliment. “Really? Would you like to see the rest of it?”
He nodded. “I would!”
And just like that, the night was already going as planned.
Every inch of Holly’s house showed her personality. He knew for a fact that she had touched every wall, every window, every doorway, and he was seriously impressed. He’d never been taught to do anything like this: never painted, hung wallpaper, installed a light fixture or tile. Knowing she did all of this along with her dad made him feel a little inadequate. This was a woman who didn’t need anyone because she could do it all on her own.
And, quite frankly, it was intimidating.
He might live in a bigger, more luxurious house, but this was a home.
“I’ll tell you what, I’m going to feel wildly disappointed when I go home later,” he said as they walked back to the dining room with Shmoop right there beside them.
“Why?”
“It’s just so…sterile,” he said with a small laugh. “My mother had decorators do everything, but there’s no personality to it. Every room in your home tells a story.”
“Aww,” she said softly. “What a lovely thing to say. Thank you.”
“It’s true, you know. You did an incredible job with this house.” He held out a chair for her so she could sit before taking the seat beside her. He smiled down at the dog, who was sitting in the space between their chairs like he was part of the conversation.
Or maybe he was hoping one of them would drop some food on the floor.
Looking back up at Holly, he motioned to the bag with their dinner in it. “I got you the shrimp and broccoli combo, but I also got us a few appetizers too—crab Rangoon, boneless spareribs, wonton soup, and egg rolls. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I kind of picked them all.”
“They’re all great choices. Thank you!”
Together, they took all the food out and set it out on the table. It wasn’t until they exhausted the topic of their food that Lucas felt like he could really talk to her about what was on his mind.
“When you were over at the house the other night and my mother called, you were so gracious and wanted to help me talk about what I was feeling. I really thought I was okay, but…” He stopped himself. “No, I wasn’t okay. I was angry. The entire situation is wrong and today I had a conversation with my father and he’s just as bad. The two of them are being selfish and behaving like children.”
That’s when she reached over and placed her hand on his arm. “Oh, Lucas, I’m so sorry. I know it has to be painful for you.”
