Page 9 of A Collier First Christmas
Lily
Chapter 5
“Thank you all for coming. I know this is a little last minute, but I hope you’ll stick around and hear me out.”
They’d all come. There were all of my usual culprits that would put up with even my most hairbrained schemes, but there were also a few new faces in the mix. In total, seventeen people came out to hear my ideas.
I gave them a run-down of a few of the thoughts I had and let it be known I was open to suggestions.
“I thought this was about the Christmas pack run,” Lotti Moffat said. “We’ve never really done a Christmas event such as that before, but you’re talking about even more?”
In truth I had forgotten about the pack run. I was expected to host that as well.
Sydney shot me a weary look, but I just smiled, and I could see the fear in her eyes as I had a lightbulb moment. There was no need for any of them to know I forgot about the pack run. Besides, I had helped my mother host pack runs every month growing up in Westin Pack. I could handle that part in my sleep which is probably why it had not been at the forefront of my mind as I thought through the holidays.
I smiled at Lotti. “I’m talking about making it bigger and more festive leading up to the run which will be held on Christmas Eve.”
“It’s already December, Lily. Shouldn’t we have been planning something like this for months already?” Clara asked.
“Lily never plans anything out that far in advance,” Ruby said snidely, and I couldn’t even take exception to it because we all knew it was true.
“We still have almost three weeks until Christmas. We can do a lot in that time.” I tried to sound sure of this, in truth, I feared they might be right, and I was just too late to take on a project of this magnitude. But when had that ever stopped me from trying? “I have lots of ideas, but they are just ideas. Together we can decide what we can feasibly do and make it happen. Look around, we have so many creative minds and hard workers right here in the room. And you all know I excel in recruiting additional help.”
“You mean suckering people into doing your bidding?” Ruby asked.
“That too,” I admitted with a grin. “So what do you think?”
“It’s quite ambitious, even for you,” Cora said diplomatically. I held my breath hoping she’d continue. “But…”There’s a but. Buts had to be good.“I don’t see why we can’t incorporate at least some of this into the pack run festivities.”
Yes!I refrained from yelling aloud. With Cora on my side, I knew the others would fall in line too.
Cora Collier was still looked up to by many for Pack Mother duties. Even though it had been my position for the better part of three years now, Cora had a longevity with the pack that would take me decades still to match. I didn’t mind it though.
I knew there were some Alphas who banished the previous Alpha and Pack Mother to ensure there were no split alliances or second guessing the new regime, but Cora and Zach were family. My brother hadn’t banished our parents when he assumed the role of Alpha of Westin Pack and I would haveprobably beat Thomas over the head if he had ever suggested banishing his parents from Collier Pack.
Sure, life would be easier sometimes when Cora and I didn’t see eye to eye, but then those were far fewer moments than times like this when she proved to be my greatest ally of all.
“Well, okay, let’s go through the list of ideas and work on a strategy then. We don’t have a moment to waste here. Time is our enemy in this,” Lotti said dramatically.
We spent the next hour munching on cookies and tiny tea sandwiches that Kate and Peyton had brought over from Kate’s Diner as we poured over my ideas, or at least the shortened list that Sydney had talked me down too.
“The decorations around town are going up this weekend,” Milly announced. “And really I don’t see why we can’t ask everyone in town to spruce things up a bit and make their storefronts more festive. It will give the appearance of additional decorations without the pack assuming the extra cost for it. I can pledge to have the Tavern done this weekend and will um, encourage, the others to do the same.”
I mouthed a thank you to her. Milly was one of the biggest town gossips and worked at the Tavern in the heart of downtown Collier. I had full faith that she would have Collier, Zachary, and Thomas Streets decked out as if Christmas had puked on our little town by the time the street decorations were hung this weekend.
“And I’ll rally the Six Pack to help with the barn decorations,” Ruby offered.
I was so excited that I wanted to throw my arms around the both of them in thanks, but I refrained, trying desperately to keep my composure.
“Oh, and I can see about having live Christmas music at the Tavern once or twice a week until Christmas. A little extra holiday cheer.”
“I love that idea! And maybe we could have a contest of performs to see who could play on Christmas Eve before the pack run.”
Everyone stared at me. Sydney shook her head.
“Someone’s been binging Christmas movies again,” Ruby said.
“Oh, oh, oh, I know this one. Mistletones, right?” Peyton asked.
