Page 6 of Christmas With The Kings
“I was joking…bitching for the sake of it. You overwhelm me sometimes—but in a way that makes me feel like I still have a job to do. Like I matter.” He paused. “Which, for someone like me…is more than you realize.”
I swallowed hard. “You promise?”
“I promise.” His voice dropped just short of a whisper. “You’re safe. I’m here. End of story.”
I nodded once and swiped a stray tear before it could do something embarrassing like roll. Then I sniffed. “Still gonna need you to chop down a tree.”
“Three,” he corrected dryly.
I offered him a wobbly smile. “See? Youdolove me.”
“Unfortunately. I’m going to need coffee for this,” he said eventually.
“I brought cocoa,” I offered, holding mine out like a peace treaty.
He took one look at the marshmallow mountain and shook his head. “I don’t drink things that look like desserts exploded in them.”
“Your loss,” I chirped, standing and doing a slow twirl. “So you will do it?”
“Of course. But something tells me you knew I would.”
“Ihoped, and Ibelievedin the spirit of Christmas, that and my outfit.”
He gave a reluctant snort.
“You look like you mugged an elf,” Isabella said, startling me.
“Hey, don’t sneak up on me like that,” I admonished her. She stole the cup of cocoa from my hands. “And I’d never mug an elf.”
“You would,” Marcus retorted before standing and rolling his sleeves down.
Isabella snorted. “Exactly. Especially if one got too close to one of her Kings.”
“Let’s go. Before I change my mind and rat you out to the men, which, since you won’t let me retire…” He grabbed the keys to the truck as he teased me.
My heart soared as I caught that quiet smile at the corner of his mouth. Another reason why we had so much to be thankful for. I wasn’t alone anymore. I would never be again.
“I still don’t understand why I have to come,” Isabella muttered as she climbed into the cab of the truck. “I don’t even like Christmas.”
“You like me,” I said, sliding in next to her. I adjusted the bag between us. She peeked inside and tilted her head.
“Two thermoses of hot chocolate, a laminated checklist, and two cheerful scarves in case it gets cold.”
“Are you aware you’re a maniac?”
“I am not! It’s called being prepared. It’s always best to be ready for anything. Isn’t that right, Marcus?”
He glanced at me through the rearview mirror like a man questioning every decision that led him here. “Yes. So where are we going?”
I grinned and grabbed my clipboard from the tote. “First stop…South London Christmas Tree Farm.”
“Buckle up, please.”
I rushed to obey and checked to make sure Isabella was listening. Content that she was pulling the belt around her, I dug back into my bag. I handed her a hot chocolate.
“Drink. You’ll need the sugar.”
This time, Isabella muttered something under her breath in Italian. I was pretty sure it wasn’t complimentary. Marcus chuckled loudly, which confirmed it. I choose to let it go. No way was I going to let anything get me down. Instead, I connected to the Bluetooth.
