by Lori Wilde
“Are you feeling okay?” Evan asked.
“Fine.” Peter pursed his lips.
“Why didn’t you stand for Chloe’s float?”
“I just don’t see a lot to cheer about,” Peter muttered. “It’s just a truck with a few decorations.”
Even though Evan had thought the same thing just a few moments ago, when Peter said it, the sentiment felt empty. Evan had to admit that Peter wasn’t doing a lot to ensure that this trip turned out to be a perfect Christmas. He’d turned down several invitations to parties and get-togethers with people from the community, and now he was making it clear he could hardly wait to leave the parade.
Although they hadn’t been friends back in Dallas, Evan had thought prior to this trip that he had a pretty good handle on what type of guy Peter was. But this experience showed him otherwise.
Right after the heart attack, Peter had seemed very sincere. Evan truly believed that he wanted to make amends.
But now, as each day rolled into the next, Evan wasn’t so sure of Peter’s sincerity anymore. His boss seemed focused only on the party, which wasn’t a problem. What was bothersome was the why? Peter seemed to want to use the party to impress the residents of Kringle. He wanted to show off how much money he had, which wasn’t at all why he said he’d come here.
Evan glanced at his boss, who was sitting in the lawn chair on the other side of Ruby. He wasn’t even watching the parade. At the moment, a group of schoolchildren dressed as candy canes sang Christmas carols as they strolled by.
Peter never even looked up. He focused on his cell phone.
“Something I can help with?” Evan offered, looking directly at Peter. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy and enjoying the trip. If it’s work, I’ll take care of it.”
Peter shut off his phone and put it in his pocket. “It’s nothing,” he said with a shake of his head. “It’s not work.”
Evan had been an attorney for five years, and during that time, he’d developed a keen sense of people. He’d become pretty good at telling when someone was lying to him. In fact, his instincts were so good that he was rarely wrong.
Which is how he knew, with complete certainty, that Peter was lying.
Chapter 6
“Peter wants to go look at Christmas trees,” Ruby said in the kitchen the next morning.
“What?” Was her mother getting involved with Peter Thomas again? An uneasy feeling rippled over her.
Ruby continued reading the news on her tablet computer and never looked up at her daughter. “I said yes. You’re expected to come as well.”
“Expected?” Chloe sank her hands on her hips.
“Peter would appreciate it if you’d join us,” her mother amended. “And so would I.”
“Okay.” Chloe went to the breadbox, took out two slices of whole wheat bread, and dropped them into the toaster. Truthfully, she’d like to have a nice quiet day without Peter Thomas in it. The man annoyed her. He didn’t seem a bit interested in the people of Kringle, no matter what he claimed.
Well, most of them anyway.
He definitely was interested in Ruby; that much was clear. Flirting with her mother was the only time Peter seemed to get off his phone.
Thankfully, though, Mom didn’t seem to have the slightest interest in him. She was polite, but that was it. She didn’t fawn or fuss over him like she’d once done, which Chloe felt was a splendid thing. He wasn’t a nice man. She felt bad that he’d had a heart attack, but that didn’t mean she was willing to overlook his glaring flaws.
Peter Thomas was an insincere phony. The only thing that perplexed her was what her mother had seen in him all those years ago, and why was she hanging out with him now.
Whatever qualities had attracted her mother to him back then were no longer visible. At least not to Chloe.
Her toast popped up, and Chloe topped it with smashed avocado. Then she joined her mother at the small bistro table near the window.
Growing up, breakfast had been a lively occasion. Her father loved breakfast, so he’d cook bacon, eggs, and hash browns most mornings. He wore a white, frayed apron that said, “Kiss the Cook,” and made a big production about stealing a kiss from her mother.
Her dad passed away ten years ago, but Chloe still missed him deeply. He’d been a kind-hearted man with a big laugh and unending love for his family. Exactly the sort of man she wanted to marry one day and raise a family with.
This time of the year, it was especially difficult. Her father, like her mother, had loved Christmas. He’d decorate the house from the top of the roof to the shrubs in the front yard and had their house glowing with lights and dancing Christmas figurines. Her mother teased that he was just a big kid at heart, but her father hadn’t minded.
Instead, he’d grab her around the waist, dip her for a long kiss, and say, “Don’t you forget it.”
He’d been such a big softy too. He was the reason Chloe had become a vet. He’d brought home every stray that had ever crossed his path. He felt all creatures deserved a loving home, and his compassion didn’t stop with animals. Every year, he bought the scrawniest Charlie Brown Christmas tree he could find just so it would have a home. He said he felt sorry for the tree and wanted it to be happy too.
Thinking about him now made her smile.
Slowly she chewed her toast, feeling nostalgia settle over her. She knew her mother missed her husband deeply. They’d been high school sweethearts who never spent a day apart until the day he died.
That kind of love was something Chloe was sure Peter wouldn’t understand. Having spent time with him, she was glad her mother hadn’t married the man. Ruby deserved someone just as special as Chloe’s father had been. Someone who truly adored her.
“You can go with Peter by yourself,” Chloe said. “I need not tag along.”
Ruby shook her head and looked directly at her daughter. “You’re not getting out of this. You started all of this by stopping at the house to take care of Vixen, so you need to see it through. Besides, I know Evan is looking forward to seeing you.”
Chloe figured now was a good time to talk things over with her mother. She didn’t want her getting the wrong idea. “Don’t try to matchmake.”
“Was that what I was doing?” her mother asked, feigning innocence. She might have gotten away with it if her expression hadn’t been so guilty.
Chloe sent her a chiding expression.
“I don’t think I’m trying to matchmake. All I’m doing is pointing out that you were the one who agreed to make sure Peter had a perfect Kringle Christmas. You can’t back out of that promise now. Ensure he has a great time.”
“You can’t hold me to that,” she said. “I can’t control other people’s emotions.”
“No, but you can set things up for the best probable outcome.”
“We’ll see,” Chloe said, knowing she was being manipulated. “And for the record, you’re the one who agreed, then you said I would help. That’s what Evan calls being volun-told.”
A suspicious smile appeared on Ruby’s lips, and then humming a little, she went back to browsing her electronic device. Chloe decided not to argue. Her mother was a kind person who thought the best of everyone, and Chloe knew she wouldn’t be able to convince her that they owed Peter nothing.
Path of least resistance, Chlo, she told herself. Just get through this.
Not that spending time with Evan was a hardship. Unlike Peter, who seemed focused only on himself, Evan was one of the nicest men Chloe had ever met, and he truly seemed to care about how his work affected people.
“I’ll admit, Evan Conner is a very nice young man,” Ruby said as if reading Chloe’s mind.
“You are so obvious, Mom.” Chloe laughed and shook her head. “I will not fall for Evan. Yes, he’s a nice guy. And yes, I like spending time with him. But he lives and works in Dallas, and I have no intention of leaving Kringle. I have my business here, you’re here, and my friends are here. This is home. I have no desire for an
urban lifestyle.”
“I guess time will tell.” Ruby chuckled.
“No, it won’t, Mom. Seriously, Evan and I are just friends, and that’s all we’ll ever be. He has his own life. I have mine. We live a hundred miles apart. Our goals are different. Our values differ. Please don’t make this out to be something it’s not.”
Ruby looked up from her tablet. She switched it off, then reached across the table and patted Chloe’s hand. “Okay. I won’t make it out to be something other than what it is.”
With that, her mother left the room without promising not to meddle.
Her mother was clever. Very clever indeed.
* * *
“I want the biggest tree they have.” Peter sauntered along the main aisle of the Christmas tree lot. “It has to be huge and perfect. No broken branches. No bare spots.”
Evan sighed. Not again. This was their fourth tree lot in the past two hours. Each lot took them farther and farther from town, but no matter how many perfectly fine trees they saw, Peter wasn’t happy.
He insisted on more, more, more. When was enough enough?
“If you get one that is too big, we won’t be able to decorate it,” Ruby pointed out. “Why not get one that is a reasonable height? That way, we can reach all of it, even the top.”
The expression on Peter’s face was priceless. He scrunched up his face, widened his eyes, and bared his teeth like an upset dog. “I’ll hire people to decorate the tree. I will not do it myself.”
Evan and Chloe exchanged a look. Ruby seemed unruffled by Peter’s impatience and huffy attitude.
In the cold air, Chloe’s cheeks were adorably pink. She wore a white beret that matched her white down parka, and practical rubber boots perfect for the damp earth they were tramping around on. Evan wished he’d worn something wiser than his dress shoes, but the only other footwear he’d brought with him were his jogging sneakers.
Still grumbling, Peter moved down the row of trees, gesturing as he went. “In fact, all these tree lots should offer that service. You should be able to pay them to deliver, set up the tree, and then decorate it. They shouldn’t expect their customers to do it. That sounds like a lot of work.”
Evan barely resisted the impulse to groan. His boss really didn’t get Christmas at all.
“Decorating it is the fun part,” Chloe said. “And the merchants know that. Why would they want to take the joy away from their customers? Besides, how many people want someone else to decorate their tree?”
“Me,” Peter said, as if the world revolved around his wants and needs. “They should have the service for people like me.”
Evan had to bite his tongue to keep from telling his boss that he was acting like a jackass.
“Okay,” Chloe conceded with a touch of acid in her voice. “Maybe a rich person from Dallas will pay someone to decorate his or her tree, but that’s different. This is Kringle. We decorate our own trees here.”
If Peter was listening to her, it didn’t show. While Chloe had been talking, he walked ahead and kept looking at trees, muttering as he went. Nothing at this lot seemed to be what he wanted either.
“Well, we tried,” Evan said to her. “I’m ready to wave the white flag and go buy an artificial tree.”
Chloe slowly shook her head. “Why is he so difficult?” She looked at Peter for a moment and then turned her attention to Evan. “How do you stand working for him?”
He knew what she meant, but loyalty to his boss kept him from speaking his truth. He told her what he’d been trying to convince himself of for the last few months. “He’s not a bad guy, Chloe.”
“He’s not a good guy either,” she countered, then relented. “Okay, so maybe he’s not that bad, but he is pretty self-absorbed. And he’s dead wrong about Christmas trees and the people of Kringle.”
“In what way?”
“No one expects a gigantic tree that’s professionally decorated. They are coming to a house for a Christmas party, not going to city hall in Dallas. He’s looking at this party the wrong way. It’s about bringing the community together. It’s about fellowship, great food, friendly conversations, and enjoyable company.”
Evan completely agreed. He nodded, but he knew Peter well enough to know that once he set his mind to something, very little dissuaded him.
“It’s his money,” Ruby said, walking up behind them. “If he wants to waste it on a professionally decorated tree, let him. He desires a tree like that will help him have the perfect Christmas.”
After Ruby moved to catch up to Peter, Evan cast a sidelong glance at Chloe who had her hands tucked into her pockets. He admired the way her hair curled at her shoulders and how artfully she’d applied just the barest hint of makeup. “You know she’s right.”
“She usually is.”
“If an immense tree is what Peter wants, then he should get one and pay people to decorate it for him,” Evan said. “It sounds like this magnificent tree is part of the perfect Christmas he’s created in his mind.”
“But no such tree exists. I don’t think any tree will ever be good enough for him.”
“That’s Peter’s cross to bear. Not ours.”
Beside him, Chloe sighed. “You’re right, just like Mom is. What I feel is perfect for Christmas doesn’t matter. What’s important is that Peter has the Christmas he wants. It may not be my type, but he wants what he wants. I have no place to judge what works for him.”
Evan nodded in agreement. He didn’t like the way Peter was preparing for the party. In his opinion, his boss was going about this the wrong way. But it wasn’t up to him. He’d promised to help Peter when he’d come on this trip, and that’s what he needed to do. He’d keep his opinions to himself.
“Since we’ve both had an epiphany, I guess we should help find this mythological tree so that we can head back to town before dark.” Evan rubbed his palms together. “It’s really starting to get cold.”
“Agreed.”
Evan guided Chloe toward another aisle from the one Peter and Ruby were in. Splitting up should speed things along. Hopefully.
He was walking so close to her that he could smell her delicious scent. A combo of cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar cookies. Her fragrance conjured imagines of hot chocolate sipped in front of a cozy fire. Which he’d never done before, but it sounded really nice right now.
“What kind of Christmas trees did you have growing up?” Chloe asked.
“We had an artificial one. The lights were already on it. You just stood it up and hung the ornaments,” Evan said. “Pow! They did it in a flash. Mom said it was the only way to fly.”
He expected her to disapprove, but she said, “That’s handy.”
Evan stopped walking and turned to look at her. “I’m surprised you feel that way. I thought you were a real tree kind of person.”
Chloe shook her head. “No. I’m someone who believes people need to do what is right for them. Who am I to tell anyone how they should celebrate the holidays?”
He gave her a direct, unwavering look. “Um, weren’t you the one telling Peter that the way he was approaching a tree was wrong?”
She waved her hands. “Yes. Yes. I know. I seem like a hypocrite. But Peter isn’t buying a tree that brings him joy. He’s buying a gigantic tree with the sole intent of impressing people. He’s trying to make other people feel bad with his tree by showing them how rich he is. That’s wrong.”
Evan would like to defend his boss, but he couldn’t. As far as he could tell, Chloe was right about Peter’s motivation. He wasn’t here to make amends as much as to show off.
This whole situation stunk. The people of Kringle deserved better. In the week Evan had been here, he’d found the citizens to be warm and helpful. They were even willing to understand why Peter did what he did with Kringle Kandy. What was the point of showing off his wealth?
Evan planned on talking to his boss when they got back to the house. He’d like to think that maybe Peter didn’t realize how his behavior was
coming across. He’d give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best.
At least for now.
Evan and Chloe wandered around the large Christmas tree lot for a few minutes. He wanted so badly to reach out and take her hand, but he didn’t know if she’d like that or not, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Finally, a tree caught Evan’s eye. It was a fir he could replant after the holidays.
Unfortunately, even though the concept was interesting, the poor pine tree had seen better days. It was truthfully sad-looking. Spindly and weak, the tree only stood two feet tall.
But he felt drawn to it.
He walked over and patted the tree, then he turned to Chloe. “If I buy this, can I plant it in your yard after the holidays?”
Chloe was standing still, staring at him. “You want to buy the worst-looking tree on the lot?”
Something in her voice sounded odd, but he just shrugged. “Sure. I know it seems lame, but I figure even sad trees need a home. But it needs planting after Christmas, so if you wouldn’t mind having another tree in your yard, I’ll buy it. I can’t take it back to Dallas with me. Even if I could, I don’t have a yard.”
Chloe nodded slowly, her gaze direct and unwavering. “You are welcome to plant the tree in my yard.”
Then saying nothing else, she crossed the small distance between them and kissed him.
Chapter 7
Chloe hadn’t intended on kissing Evan.
Not at all.
In fact, it was the last thing she’d ever planned on doing. But when he’d made that statement about the sad tree needing a home, she couldn’t resist.
One thing that had made her father such a sincere, admirable man had been his empathy for others, including small, lonely trees.
To find that same level of empathy in Evan was overwhelming. Who would expect a successful corporate attorney to have a tender heart? Especially one who worked for Peter Thomas.
Still, she probably should have given him a little warning about the kiss. Not that he was complaining.