Page 21 of His Secret Santa

“Try to think about something else,” she said. “Like this weekend… your birthday party.” She smiled. “We’re going to have so much fun.” She pressed against him. “And like I said, I have something very special for you.”

Lincoln smiled weakly. “Can’t wait.” He could wait. He didn’t even want the party. But McKenna and his friends would never let him cancel. They lived to party. Lincoln did as well, though his idea of a great party differed drastically from theirs.

“We should go back inside,” McKenna said. “It’s cold out here and it’s starting to snow harder.”

“Go on,” Lincoln murmured. “I just need a minute.”

She nodded and kissed him. “Okay.”

When she was gone, Lincoln took out his phone and sent out the call he’d intended to make yesterday. “It’s Lincoln Pratt,” he said when the line picked up. “I’m ready. What time?” He listened to the reply. “Okay. I’ll be there.” Lincoln ended the call and returned the cell to his pocket. He sniffed and looked up at the falling snow. “Life’s too short,” he whispered with a rawness to his voice. “Don’t waste it.”

He reached into his pocket for the folded piece of paper.

It was gone.

He turned and looked back the way his girlfriend had gone and his heart beat faster.

McKenna.

• • •

Holden met Jamie and Abby coming out of the cafeteria, each with a pizza pocket wrapped in a napkin. “We were just coming to look for you,” Jamie said. “I thought you were out at the bleachers.”

Holden shrugged. “You were right, it was too cold.”

“You should eat. Here.” Jamie thrust his food into Holden’s hand. “I’ll go grab another. We can go eat in the gym.” He disappeared back into the cafeteria.

Abby nibbled at her food, nervous without Jamie there with them.

Holden shifted. “I… I know I’m probably not supposed to tell anyone, but…” He cleared his throat. “I drew McKenna’s name in the secret Santa thing.”

“Oh, wow.” Abby gave him a sympathetic look. “Sorry.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t thrilled.” He cleared his throat again. “But still… I would like to get her something nice. Do you have any idea what she might like, I’m clueless.”

“Um…” Abby frowned thoughtfully. “I’m not sure. A few days ago, we were at the mall, and she seemed interested in this one pair of earrings. But she’d gotten into trouble with her parents, and they cut off her allowance, so she didn’t have the money to buy them.”

“She really wanted them?”

“Yeah.”

“You remember which ones?”

Abby nodded.

“If I, uh… give you the money, could you get them for me?”

“Yeah, sure… but…”

“What?”

“They were kind of expensive.” She looked uncertain. “Are you sure you want to spend that much money… on her? She probably won’t appreciate it, not…”

“Not coming from me.” He nodded. “I know. But I’m not doing it for her approval. I… I have my reasons.”

“Reasons for what?” Jamie asked, returning with another pizza pocket.

Holden explained.

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