No Ordinary Christmas

by Belle Calhoune

  “Hey there!” Lou greeted them as they walked past the entrance. “Back so soon? Are you checking out the lay of the land for the scenes you’ll be shooting? I just signed the contract you sent over.”

  “Not this time. Tonight is pure pleasure. Lucy is looking for the perfect tree,” Dante explained. “And we’re determined to find it. Isn’t that right, Tess?”

  “Yes!” Tess shouted as she raised her arm into the air with gusto. “We won’t go home without one.”

  “You heard it from Tess’s lips, Lou,” Lucy said. “We’re highly motivated buyers.”

  “Well then, I’ll let you get to it,” Lou said with a big grin. “If you need me just whistle.”

  “You got it, Lou,” Dante said, clapping him on the shoulder.

  Just as they began to look over the first batch of trees, Tess spotted a friend standing nearby with her parents. It wasn’t long before the girls were talking a mile a minute with their heads together. It didn’t take a genius to figure out they were hatching some sort of plot.

  Tess came running back over to where Lucy and Dante were standing. She began to jump up and down. “Can I please go with Delia to get some cocoa and sugar cookies?”

  “Already?” Lucy asked. “What about picking out my tree?”

  “I trust your judgment,” Tess quipped, her gaze darting back to Delia, who was beckoning her over.

  “Do you want us to come with you?” Lucy asked, sounding a bit miffed.

  “We’re not babies, Lucy,” Tess said in a huffy tone. She rolled her eyes for good measure.

  Lucy frowned at her. “What did I tell you about rolling your eyes?”

  “I’m sorry,” Tess said. “I lost my head.”

  Dante stifled a chuckle. He could see the corners of Lucy’s mouth twitching, but she managed to keep a straight face. “How about twenty minutes and then we’ll meet you over there. Don’t wander anywhere else, Tess Marshall. I mean it. I don’t want to have to hunt you down if you’re not where you’ve said you’ll be.”

  “Thanks, Lucy,” Tess said, tightly wrapping her arms around her sister’s waist. “I promise to stay put. I can’t wait to see what you pick out.” She turned toward her friend and after joining hands, they ran toward the tent.

  “Wow. So much for her helping to pick out the tree. I was sold down the river for a cup of hot chocolate,” Lucy said with a shake of her head.

  “I think we might have done the same at her age,” Dante said. “Matter of fact, I know we would’ve.”

  “You’re right. She’s a pretty good kid for the most part.”

  Lucy was smiling. She was proud of her little sister and it was written all over her face. Dante wanted to tell her to hold on to their relationship and never let it go. For the hundredth time since he’d been back, Dante wished he and Troy hadn’t fallen out. He missed their closeness. His life would be so much richer with his brother in it.

  “She is. Shall we walk among the trees?” Dante asked, holding out his arm to Lucy. With a grin she looped her arm through his and they began strolling through the rows of trees, eyeballing the large assortment. There were dozens and dozens of trees—balsam, evergreen, Fraser firs. Trees stretched out in rows for as far as the eye could see. A full moon hung in the sky, casting a lovely glow over the tree farm. Dante sniffed the air. It smelled like snow. Being born and bred in Maine gave him a sixth sense about impending snow. Sometimes, you could just smell it hovering in the atmosphere.

  All of a sudden, Lucy stopped in front of a tall, robust-looking tree. A balsam fir from what he recalled. The needles were dark green and it had a near-perfect shape. The branches were strong and sturdy. Back in the day he’d been an expert on local trees when he worked at Sawyer’s. Of all the trees he’d worked with, the balsam had the best Christmas tree scent.

  “Oh, it’s magnificent,” she said, crossing her hands in front of her as she gazed up at the massive tree. “But it might not fit in my living room. I can’t go more than eight feet.”

  “I’m sure they can cut some off at the bottom,” Dante said, trying to get a good look at the bottom of the tree. He bent down and examined the base. “It looks like several inches can be shaved off. It might just work,” he said.

  “Woot. That’s great news,” Lucy said, excitement etched on her face.

  “Let me go get Lou,” Dante offered. “I’ll be right back.”

  As he walked away to find Lou, Dante felt himself grinning. This trip to Sawyer’s tree farm was the perfect outing to deepen his connection to Mistletoe. The place was full of heartwarming memories—some of the happiest of his life. They harkened back to a time when his dad was alive, he was still tight with Troy, and Lucy was his best friend. Being here allowed him to relive those golden days and pretend as if nothing had changed when he’d left Mistletoe on the first bus out of town.

  * * *

  With snowflakes beginning to gently fall from the velvety night sky, Lucy couldn’t imagine a more beautiful Maine evening to pick out a Christmas tree. The fact that Dante was her sidekick made it even more special. It was strange how things could change so much in a matter of weeks. It wasn’t as if she’d forgotten their tangled past, but at least now they were working on reestablishing their friendship. That’s where it had all begun back when they were kids.

  She just had to remind herself not to get swept up in the blissful feelings that came along with this special time of the year. It would be so easy to get caught up in the romanticism of Christmas. Lucy stuffed her mittened hands in her pockets and gazed up at the inky night sky lit up by a glorious moon and glimmering stars. If Christmas had a smell, this was it. The heady scent of Maine Christmas trees hung in the night air. Fresh pine needles and peppermint. Vanilla and cinnamon. The aroma of impending snow drifted in the wind.

  Once Lou came back with Dante, it was official. She was the proud owner of a magnificent balsam Christmas tree. She felt giddy with excitement just watching Lou tag the tree. She could picture it sitting in front of her bay window shimmering with colored lights and shiny ornaments.

  “We’re going to cut it down and wrap it for you, all right? You can pick it up out front in about twenty minutes,” Lou said. “In the meantime, go enjoy yourselves,” he said with a wink.

  Lucy wasn’t sure what to make of Lou’s wink, but Dante didn’t seem taken aback by it. Perhaps she was being a tad paranoid since Mistletoe had its fair share of gossips. Lou was a good-natured man who was simply being playful with them. Or perhaps he’d picked up on her emotions. Sometimes she wondered if she was wearing her heart on her sleeve with Dante. Could everyone in Mistletoe see that she still had feelings for him? Or did people still link the two of them because of their romantic history?

  “Let’s check out the sleigh rides for old time’s sake,” Dante suggested. “Maybe we can take Tess and her friend for a ride if the line isn’t too long.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m sure they’d love that,” Lucy said, walking alongside him in lockstep. They strolled in companionable silence with neither one feeling the need to fill up the quiet with conversation. This didn’t happen often for Lucy. And it felt nice to simply enjoy the ambiance of the tree farm. It was one of those wintry Maine nights where the weather wasn’t unbearably cold and the air held the promise of even more snow.

  Suddenly, Dante grabbed her by the hand and pulled her behind a cluster of trees. Surprised by the swiftness of his movement, Lucy let out a little squeak. Dante placed his gloved finger over her lips.

  He began to whisper. “Paparazzi. I spotted them coming toward us.” His eyes had a startled appearance and he was breathing heavily.

  “Are you sure? Here in Mistletoe?” It was crazy to imagine they had followed Dante to Mistletoe, Maine, then tracked him down at a local tree farm.

  Dante’s expression was intense. “Trust me. I’ve had a few run-ins with them over the years. We’re on a first-name basis. They’re definitely looking for me. And I don’t want you to get dragged i
nto the crosshairs.”

  They both squatted down behind a cluster of trees to make themselves less visible. Lucy could see that Dante was rattled. He’d never been one to get shaken up easily, so this seemed like a big deal.

  “I can’t believe they followed you here.” Clearly, Dante’s movie-star life wasn’t all glamour and glitz. Being stalked by paparazzi seemed incredibly invasive. And a bit terrifying.

  “I should have been ready for this. They’re pretty relentless. It’s part of my everyday life back in Los Angeles, but I didn’t really think they would follow me all the way to Maine.” He let out an aggravated sound. “Anything to make a quick buck.”

  “I can’t imagine anyone being proud to make their living that way,” Lucy said. Even though her position as head librarian might appear ordinary to some people, it was an honest living. She was proud to work in a profession that helped educate and inform the public. It was horrific that anyone could justify stalking someone to make money.

  “Do you mind if we just sit here for a few minutes?” Dante asked as he peered between the trees, clearly looking to see if the paparazzi was still in sight. “Hopefully they’ll go away when they don’t see me.”

  “Of course not,” she said, settling down into a seated position next to him. “I’m a happy camper since we found my tree. We should probably find Tess in about ten minutes or so. I know she’s fine, but I still have my big-sister hat on.”

  “I like watching the two of you together. It reminds me of how I used to look out for Troy even though we’re so close in age.” He let out a ragged sigh. “I really need to settle things between us. I miss him.”

  “So, what are you waiting for? You’re only in town for a limited amount of time. If you’re going to make things right, you shouldn’t squander what little time you have.”

  “You’re right,” Dante said. “There’s just so much I need to make up for. When my dad got sick I wasn’t around. I always told myself I’d come running if things got bad, but everything spiraled so fast with his illness.”

  “And you didn’t get the opportunity to do it,” Lucy said in a soft voice.

  “No. And I never got a chance to say goodbye.” Dante’s voice trembled as he spoke, pure emotion taking over. “It still feels like a gut punch to have missed out on my dad’s final moments. Nothing can ever make up for that.”

  “He knew you loved him. And he was proud of you.”

  Dante shook his head. “I’m not sure of that. I never saw any evidence of it when he was alive.”

  “Well, I’m one hundred percent certain. He bragged on you every opportunity he got. Every time I went to his store he talked my ear off about you. He used to rattle off the titles of your movies like nobody’s business. Your dad didn’t hesitate to chastise me if I hadn’t seen it.” She chuckled softly. “He had a lot of your press clippings hanging on the walls. Honestly, I can’t imagine how he could have been any prouder of you.”

  * * *

  Dante felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. The idea of his dad having a sense of pride in his accomplishments was a staggering concept. If it was true, it would be a game changer for him. “Seriously?” he asked Lucy, knowing all too well she would never lie to him, especially about this.

  “Yes,” Lucy said with a nod. She began to chuckle. “I think he even framed that People magazine cover from a few years ago when you were named Sexiest Man Alive.”

  He let out a sound of surprise. “He did what?”

  Lucy nodded. “You heard me. He papered the walls of the store with your accomplishments. And he was happy to tell everyone all about your career.” She wrinkled her nose. “Honestly, at times I just wanted to tell him to take it down a notch, but he was such a good man I didn’t have the heart to hurt his feelings.”

  Dante made a face. “Let me guess. Troy took those things down? Because I certainly didn’t see any of them when I swung by there.”

  Lucy shrugged. “If he did, it was probably out of anger. That’s why you need to squash whatever this ugliness is between you. There’s no reason that the two of you can’t be a united front. Trust me, if my mother’s illness has taught me anything, it’s that we need family in our corner. You’ve already lost your dad, Dante. Isn’t that enough?”

  Dante struggled to speak past the huge lump in his throat. Lucy had dropped a bombshell on him. He’d never imagined that his dad had felt pride in any of his accomplishments. Because his father had opposed him leaving Mistletoe to carve out a career in California, Dante hadn’t believed he’d ever approved of what he’d built for himself. Hearing this from Lucy’s lips was life changing. It would probably give him the closure he’d been wanting ever since they’d lost him.

  For the first time in a long time, his heart felt less weighed down. With one anecdote, Lucy had set him free. It put so many things in perspective. His father had been a complicated man who hadn’t fully been able to communicate with his son, but he now knew that he hadn’t been ashamed of Dante’s choices. It made all the difference in the world.

  “Thanks, Luce,” he said, reaching out and grazing her cheeks with his gloved hands. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

  “I’m glad I could help,” she murmured, her eyes locked on his.

  Before he knew it, Lucy was leaning toward him and placing her lips against his own. For a moment he froze out of pure shock. Since Dante had been back in Mistletoe he’d kissed Lucy twice, but both times he’d been the one to initiate the kiss. It both shocked and humbled him to have her making the first move. Her lips felt warm and soft against his. A light perfume mixed with the scent of the various trees filled his nostrils. He reached out and placed his hand on the back of her neck in an effort to anchor her to him. Dante kissed her back eagerly, plundering her lips with his tongue. Lucy let out a little sigh as her mouth opened and the kiss deepened. He felt Lucy’s mittened hands grasping the collar of his winter parka. It was as if both of them needed to get closer to each other at all costs. All the yearning of the lost years between them had manifested itself into this one smoking-hot kiss.

  “Mommy. Daddy. There’s someone back there hiding.”

  Dante felt like someone had thrown a bucket of cold water on him when the sound of a child’s voice rang out, interrupting the most heavenly kiss on earth. A little kid had spotted them! She was peering through the gap and pointing at them. There was every possibility that they could be discovered making out behind the Christmas trees.

  Lucy’s eyes were practically bulging out of her head. Their faces were still so close together he could see the tiny freckles on the bridge of her nose. Like everything else about her, they were beautiful.

  Once the family moved on down the row, both of them burst out laughing. The corners of Lucy’s eyes crinkled as she chuckled.

  “That was close,” Dante said, grinning at Lucy. “I’m not sure we could have explained that one.” He wouldn’t have cared for himself, but he didn’t want Lucy to experience any embarrassment or become the object of town gossip. It was the same reason he hadn’t wanted the paparazzi to spot them together. Photos of him and Lucy would be splashed all over the tabloids within twenty-four hours if they managed to snap pictures of them. Lucy would be branded as Dante West’s latest fling and her whole life would be turned upside down. He couldn’t let that happen. She wasn’t just anyone. Lucy owned a large chunk of his heart.

  Lucy’s cheeks were flushed. “You’re right. It would have been awkward. And I happen to know that family too,” she said sheepishly. “I think we should go to the tent and find Tess. Our time is up.”

  “Let me see if the coast is clear,” Dante said, peeking out between the trees. From what he could see, no paparazzi were lurking around. It was highly possible that they were somewhere at the tree farm, but he and Lucy couldn’t hide all night long, even though he didn’t have a single problem with the concept. He enjoyed being alone with her. During those rare moments it almost seemed as if they hadn’t been ap
art all these years. Their bond was still intact.

  As they made their way to the tent, Dante kept his eyes peeled for any glimpse of the paparazzi. Thankfully, they were nowhere in sight. He let out a relieved sigh. Lucy seemed very protective of her reputation as town librarian, and he didn’t want anything to tarnish it. Tabloid pics of him and Lucy would put their rekindled friendship back in the danger zone. Friendship? Who was he kidding? His feelings for Lucy went way deeper than friendship, and the kiss they’d just shared was proof. But what good would come of telling her? He was determined not to hurt Lucy this time around. He’d already done far too much damage in the past.

  As soon as they stepped inside the tent, Tess came running over to them.

  “What took you so long?” Tess asked. “I was beginning to think you guys got lost among all the trees.”

  Lucy reached out and lightly tugged at one of her sister’s braids. “We didn’t get lost, Tess. We did, however, find the most amazing, beautiful, wondrous Christmas tree. You’re going to love it.” Lucy sounded as exuberant as a child. Tess’s face lit up, matching her sister’s joy.

  “Can we decorate it tonight? Can we please? And, Dante, can you help?” Tess pleaded. Dante didn’t envy Lucy at the moment. With her warm brown skin, endearing smile, and adorable pigtails, Tess was the type of kid it would be hard to say no to.

  “Not tonight, Tess,” Lucy said. “That usually takes hours. Don’t worry though. We’ll come up with a plan to decorate it.”

  Tess hung her head and stuck her lip out. “No fair,” she mumbled.

  “So, who’s ready for burgers and fries?” Dante asked in an upbeat voice as he looked back and forth between the Marshall girls. At the same time both Lucy and Tess shouted their approval. Tess’s wide grin touched his heart as the little girl slipped her mittened hand in his. Lucy mouthed a thank-you as they headed over to the lot to pick up their tree.