by Jacki James
“Let’s drive. We can get the trees and decorations. Robert’s has the trees all set up so we can see them, which is great because that means we don’t have to let them fall. If we did, we wouldn’t be able to decorate them until tomorrow.”
“Let them fall?” he asked, and I realized he wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t know anything about decorating. I wondered if he had ever even had a live tree.
“Yeah, in some places you buy the trees and they’re wrapped in a netting. It protects the trees during shipping. But once you set them up, you have to let the branches fall into place so you can see where to put the ornaments.”
“That makes sense. We always had one of the artificial trees when I was growing up.”
“Well, this year, they’ll be live ones. You ready to go?”
We took his car and I told him how to get to the garden center. Robert’s was pretty hard to miss, so I got the feeling he hadn’t explored much at all since he’d moved here. People talked about small towns being clicky and hard to navigate, but I hoped he wasn’t letting that keep him from meeting people. Avana Springs really wasn’t like that. We loved when new people came to town. We pulled up in front of the garden center and he said what I’d been thinking.
“How on earth did I miss this place? It’s huge.”
“Yeah, the Roberts’ family have owned it since it first opened, and they supply a lot of landscapers in the city with their plants. It’s a great store. They have the green house, the plants, and then a huge home decor and gift section. It’s great!”
We went inside. Christmas music played on the overhead speaker, and the whole store front was filled with Christmas decor. They had everything from bows and bells to ornaments and tree toppers. It was all well organized and it was easy to see what was available. I didn’t expect to find everything we needed to bring his house to life, but most of it probably. As we wandered down the aisles, even I was surprised how much of what I had envisioned was here.
“I’m thinking most anything you want for the house is here,” he said, picking up a huge snowflake wall hanging, shaking his head and putting it back down. “It’s like the north pole exploded in this place.”
“A little bit, yeah,” I agreed. “Let’s go room by room. I’m thinking the foyer should be simple. You have this really cool vibe going on in the house, like a mix of traditional and modern, so I say we play on that. Start really modern and as they move through the rooms, it can get more and more traditional until they come to the great room with the old-fashioned Christmas theme.”
“You think that could work? Changing themes as they go through the house?”
“I do, especially if the change is gradual so they don’t realize it until suddenly… boom! they realize it. We’ll do the porch up pretty, and the entryway can be very neutral but classy. Maybe some simple containers like these”—I pointed at some tall, clear, cylinder-shaped vases—“filled with gold, silver, and white balls. With a couple of those huge stars on the wall. Just enough to say Christmas.”
“I love that idea. It’s a small space so keeping it minimal in there will be perfect,” he said as he placed the items I’d mentioned in the cart.
“But the first room they’ll be seeing is the living room. I think it should be very elegant and formal. We can pick a medium-sized tree and deck it all out in white and silver and gold.” We moved around the store and I saw exactly what I was imagining. “Look, Nicolas, see these big ornaments? They would be great on a shorter, fat tree. Maybe an Aspin pine or a Douglas fir, something with loser limbs.”
“How many do you think we need?”
“I think we should get three of these packages of large balls. One white, one silver and one gold. Then, maybe, say ten or so of the huge ornaments to use as the attention catchers.”
He nodded and started putting things in the cart. “The fireplace in that room is white, so how about a little bit of greenery on the mantel followed by some jars with balls to match the entryway?” He took what I handed him and added them. We continued that way until we had everything we needed for the living room, the entrance, and the dining room.
“We don’t have to get it all today, right?” he asked. “We can get this set up and then come back for more?”
“We can, and actually if you don’t mind, I would prefer that. I know what we’re doing in these rooms, and we have a plan for the great room, but the study is what needs to connect it all together, and I just don’t have a vision for it yet,” I said as I spotted large white deer standing off to the side. “But you have to have these for the living room,” I insisted, hefting one up in my arm. “You get the other one.”
“How am I supposed to manage that and push this overflowing cart to the checkout?” I turned and looked at him and my eyes widened.
“Oh crap, Nicolas. We were just shopping, and I was thinking out loud, and I had so many ideas, and… Well, shit, that’s a lot of stuff. It’s going to cost a fortune.” I had let myself get so lost in the excitement of decorating and what I was picturing in my head for his house that I didn’t even think about how much we were getting.
“Don’t worry about it. I told you I was willing to spend the money to decorate. I was planning to hire someone to come from the city to do it, and you know how much that would’ve cost me? I bet that alone would’ve been more than all the decorations we’ll purchase.”
“Well, don’t you worry, you might not be paying me in cash, but I’ll collect as soon as we get the house done.” I meant that too, I wasn’t about to let this beautiful man continue to think Christmas wasn’t fun. Plus, he needed to get out and meet some people here. Because he worked from home, it would be all too easy for him to stay cooped up in his house and never meet anyone, and I wasn’t having that.
We went out to the Christmas tree area to pick trees. There were so many to choose from. The Douglas fir for the living room was easy. We quickly stumbled across the perfect one for the extra-large ornaments. The one for the study was pretty quick, as well. We just went with a Noble Fir. It had more of the traditional look but still was a lot like the one in the living room. It was the one for the great room that took us a while. Nicolas had explained that when Charles redid the great room they’d sacrificed part of the attic to get vaulted ceilings in there, which meant the tree could be tall. Up to that point, he had just gone with whatever I wanted, but getting him to buy a ten-foot-tall Christmas tree took some doing. Once we had settled on one, I called Justus and Nicolas paid the bill. I was worried because it was a lot, but he didn’t even blink.
I introduced him to Justus, and we loaded up the trees with the help of the store employees. Once everything was secured, and we were ready to go, I looked at the back of the truck. “Hey guys, do you think we can get these in the house, or should we call in reinforcements?”
Nicolas and Justus looked at each other and smiled, and then at the same time said, “Reinforcements.”
“Okay, I’ll make some calls and see who can meet us at the house.”
Chapter 7
Nicolas
We went back to the house with Justus following behind in his truck. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed having my friends around until Justus and I were working together trying to load up that damn ten-foot tree. Every now and then, you meet someone and immediately it’s like you’ve known them forever, and meeting Justus was like that for me. I wasn’t attracted to him, it was obvious that he was way too commanding for my taste. Besides, I was kind of developing a thing for a cute little flower shop owner. But still, I had a feeling Justus and I could be good friends.
I glanced over at Terry sitting in the passenger seat of my car. He was flipping through pictures of decorated rooms on his phone. He’d look at one for a second, tilting his head, and then either shake his head no and move to the next, or nod yes and save the picture. It made me wish we had farther to go because I could have watched him all day, his face was so expressive. He looked up to tell me something a
nd caught me watching him. His cheeks reddened. “Shouldn’t you be watching the road?”
“I should, yes. But I’d much rather watch you.” I turned my head back to the front but not before I caught the cute grin on his face.
We pulled into the driveway and Justus pulled in behind us and hopped out. “Why don’t we start with you guys putting the tree stands where you want the them, and then once everyone gets here, we can take the trees in and set them up?”
“Great, come in with us while we do that and you can have a tour of the house,” I said.
“That would be great. I’m dying to see it. Charles told me a little about it while he was working on it and it sounded fabulous. I know he was excited about some of the things you let him do.”
“He was great to work with, that’s for sure,” I said, taking some of the bags from the car. Terry and Justus grabbed some as well and we all carried them in.
“Let’s put the stuff in the great room. I want to save decorating that room for last, so we should be able to leave everything spread out in there.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let’s do that, and then I’ll show you around, Justus,” I said, leading the way through the house.
We put everything in the great room, but before I had a chance to show off the house, there was a knock at the front door. “The cavalry has arrived,” Terry said, going to the front door to let his friends in. Justus and I both followed behind him. “Come on in, guys. Nicolas was about to give Justus the house tour, so you’re just in time to see it.” He turned to me and smiled. “Nicolas, this is Mikah and Walker. They used to be my roommates until I got tired of their shit and moved out.”
“Yeah, yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Sullivan. We all know who got tired of who,” the one called Walker said, and the other stepped forward and held out his hand.
“I’m Mikah. Ignore these two. They’ve been bickering since second grade, and after a while, you learn to just tune them out.” He rolled his eyes good-naturedly and I laughed.
“You guys all went to school together, then?”
“We did,” Walker confirmed. “Did I hear Terry say something about a house tour, because I can’t wait to see it. Charles told me he used recycled-glass countertops, and I’m dying check them out.”
“Speaking of Charles, where is he? I thought he was coming?” Terry asked.
“You guys are friends with Charles, as well?” I asked.
“Yeah, small towns, you know? He actually dated my sister until he broke her heart by breaking up with her to date Walker there,” Mikah said.
“Don’t listen to him, Nicolas. That was in, like, the fifth grade. Our dating, as he calls it, consisted of texting each other how much we liked each other for a whole week, and his sister’s heart wasn’t broken. She’d moved on to Patrick Osborn by the time lunch was over. Now let’s see that countertop.”
“Walker is a glass artist, so he’s maybe a bit obsessed with all things glass. He has a shop down on artist row.”
“Wow, really?” I asked. “I keep meaning to go over and see what all is there, but I haven’t made it.”
“Well, before you go back to the city to buy your Christmas gifts, you should give us a shot. There are artists of all kinds and we basically have something for everyone. Like, in my shop for example, I have a mix of practical items, decorative items, and straight up art. Most of the shops on the row are that way.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Now if you come with me through here, I’ll show you the kitchen.”
I’d known when I first saw what Charles had done with the house that it was perfect, but I hadn’t expected to get to show it off. I figured Todd would be the one showing it when he had prospective buyers, but in just one day, Terry had brought people into my life and given me a chance to see their reactions to the remodel. I’d wanted the house to look modern without completely losing its traditional appeal, and I knew Charles had managed it.
I was about to show them around when the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find Charles standing there.
“Hey, good to see you,” he said.
“You too, come on in. I was just about to show off your work. You can tell them all about it.”
“Charles, good to see you, man. I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”
“I would’ve been here sooner, but Wyatt pulled me over.”
“Again?”
“Again. I’m getting really tired of his shit.”
“Why did he pull you over this time?”
“My fucking break light was out. But whatever, I’m excited to see how everything looks now that someone is living here.”
“Well, then let’s go take a look.”
After I gave them the tour, we set up the Christmas trees. It only took us a few minutes because Terry had brought in way more help than we needed, and more than anything else, that told me a lot about Terry. All he had to do was make a couple phone calls and this many of his friends were willing to come and help.
When we were all finished with the trees, everyone left and I went through the house and turned out all the lights. I grabbed something to eat, a book to read, and settled in for the night. I’d just gotten to a good spot in the book when my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was my mom. I considered not answering, but I knew she’d keep calling until I did.
“Hey, Mom.”
“How are things going, Nico? Are you settling in?”
“I am, I actually had some guys over at the house tonight.” It was a slight exaggeration since Terry invited them and they were only here to set up the trees, but she worried about me being here by myself.
“Oh great! I’m glad you’re making friends.”
“How are Rhea and the kids? Any word on when William will be home?” I asked. My sister had a set of seven-year-old twin boys and a four-year-old little girl. Her husband was military and had gone on a deployment two months ago. It was one of those where it could be six months or it could be a year.
“They’re doing okay. She talked to William and he said he had decided against re-enlisting, so worst case, he’ll be home in time for the twin’s birthday in April.”
“I know Rhea will be glad to have him home.”
“She will. I wanted to let her know what the plan is for the holiday, we never decided anything at Thanksgiving.”
“You know, I’m doing this Christmas home tour thing, and the house will be all decorated, why don’t you guys come here? It would be a great distraction for the kids.” I’d never had my family come to my house for a holiday, but it was only an hour and a half drive, so it wouldn’t be too far.
“Really? That would be amazing. We could come a couple of days before and you could show us your town.”
“Umm, sure.”
“Great, sweetie, I’ll talk to your father and sister and let you know.”
“Sounds good, Mom. Talk to you later.” I hung up and shook my head. Well, it could be worse, I guess. They could be coming for a week.
Chapter 8
Terry
I woke up the next morning excited about the day ahead. I loved the idea of decorating Nico’s house. It was such a beautiful place and having basically an unlimited budget was a dream come true. He’d mentioned that he worked from home and that it had to do with computers, something that was easy to see in his office space. That was one of the rooms that would be kept off limits during the tour, so I hadn’t got a good look in there, but what I saw was impressive. The room was painted white and had what looked like framed movie posters on the wall, but I couldn’t be sure if that was what they were at a glance. There were multiple computer monitors and all kinds of laptops sitting around. He’d also mentioned that he had room-darkening blinds for when he needed to work with no distractions. I never really thought the sun was a distraction, but I didn’t work on computers, so who knows. What I did know was, if the remodel and his willingness to buy whatever we needed for the house was any indication, he did pre
tty well for himself.
I stopped by the flower shop to make sure Jerri had everything she needed. She had been sweet when I asked her if she could run the shop today. She hadn’t even hesitated. I let her know that if it got crazy busy all she had to do was call me, and she’d shushed me out of the store and told me to go have fun. I went down the street to the bakery and bought us some pastries. I preferred the sweet ones, but I knew a lot of people didn’t like sweet first thing in the morning, so I got an assortment since I had no idea what Nico liked. I’d sent him a message asking if he wanted a cup of coffee, but he’d told me not to worry about it. He’d already made a pot and he had cream and sugar.
I was practically bursting with nervous energy, and I wasn’t sure if it was seeing Nico or all the work we had ahead of us today, but either way, I was ready to get started. I pulled in his drive, grabbed the box of pastries, and before I even made it to the door, he was there. He smiled and my heart sped up and my breath caught. Okay then, looked like the excitement was all about Nico.
“Morning,” I said, handing him the pastry box. “I grabbed us some breakfast. I got both sweet and savory kolaches, so whatever you prefer.”
“Sounds great. Let’s take them in the kitchen and get a cup of coffee to go with them.”
I followed him and as we walked through the house, I imagined how great it would look decorated. “This house is going to look fantastic,” I said once we were in the kitchen. “The dining room is going to be stunning with the crystal snowflakes, and I can’t wait to put those giant ornaments on the tree in the living room.”
“I’m glad you enjoy this stuff because it just really isn’t my thing.”
“So you’ve said, but we’ll see about that. Speaking of which, I have the friend I told you about coming to do the outside on Wednesday, so you’ll be set for the parade route with time to spare, but don’t you make any plans for that day. You, Mr. Christmas just isn’t my thing Stavros, will be spending the day with me.”