A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4)

by Weist, Jaclyn

David followed Peter out and locked his office door before heading down to his truck. Yes, he was serious. He just hoped she would let him into her life.

  Chapter 4

  Lily lay in bed, enjoying the heat from the space heaters David had placed throughout the house. She’d been in and out of sleep for a few days while people from her congregation watched over her house. She’d been vaguely aware that David had been there, playing with the kids, but she was too weak to get out of bed.

  Meals had been brought, and the women made sure she got food to eat, then fed the children. Ann had stopped by once or twice to bring bills or let her know how the diner was doing.

  This was the first morning Lily felt like getting out of bed. She went into the bathroom to take a hot shower, something she’d been craving for days. She put on some old gray sweats and socks before leaving her room. Patrick and Mary were playing with an old train set Lily had found at a thrift store.

  Mary jumped up and hugged her mom. “You’re awake! I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. Have you been behaving?”

  Patrick nodded and looked up from the trains. “Reverend Smith wanted you to call when you feel better. And there are lots of notes on our door. They wanted to talk to you, but Mrs. Franklin made them leave.”

  “Okay. Thank you, sweetie.” Lily pulled the notes off the door and closed her eyes. Final notices for collections weren’t the best things to find after being sick for days, but at least she could get it over with.

  She called Ann to let her know she was alive, then wandered into the kitchen. She opened a cupboard to get a cup so she could take some medicine, but she stopped.

  Her eyes widened, and tears poured down her cheeks. The shelves were filled with food. Granted, they were filled with things like ramen and soup, but they looked heavenly. She had food to give her children. She located the medicine above the stove and called the kids into the kitchen.

  “Do you know where all of this came from? Did the church ladies bring it?” She pointed at the cupboards.

  Patrick shook his head. “It was David. He’s filled it a little bit every ti—”

  Mary quickly shushed him. “We weren’t supposed to tell.”

  “I’m glad Patrick told me. Now let’s get some breakfast in you.” Lily couldn’t help the small flare of annoyance that David gave them so much, but she pushed it down as she watched her children talking and laughing while they ate marshmallow cereal.

  Lily pulled out the accounting books for the diner that Ann brought by and set them out on the table. She had to figure out where she’d get the money for food and other supplies.

  "Here, Mom. I made this for you." Mary set a bowl of cereal on the table next to the books.

  "Thank you." She ate while she looked over the numbers.

  Mary and Patrick helped wash the dishes before running off to their rooms, leaving their mom at the table.

  The numbers weren’t looking good, but she knew that from the notes sitting next to her. Lily ran her fingers through her hair. Cutting down the menu items was an option. She could get rid of the steaks and other more expensive cuts of meat, and buy the cheaper napkins. But that would only help for so long. In the meantime, the collectors would begin repossessing inventory until she could pay the debts.

  Mary came into the kitchen with her coat and gloves. “Hey, Mom? Can we play in the snow? We’ll keep warm.”

  Lily nodded. “Of course. I’ll have hot chocolate ready for you when you get done.”

  Patrick cheered and followed Mary outside. Lily could hear them shouting back and forth to each other. She walked through the house and stood at the window to watch them play. A few of the neighbor kids came by with their sleds, and they took turns riding behind a snowmobile.

  Lily pulled her sweater tighter and went into the kitchen to start the water. She went back through the numbers, hoping to come up with a different solution, but it was looking more and more hopeless. If things didn’t pick up soon, they were in big trouble.

  A knock at the door made Lily jump. She stood and opened it to find David standing there, covered in snow.

  “What happened to you?” she asked, moving out of the way so he could come in.

  “Snowball fight. I lost.” David laughed and wiped himself off before coming inside. “Your boy knows how to throw. He should play football.”

  Lily smiled. “That’s his dream.”

  “I was worried when I didn’t see you at the diner again this morning. I thought I’d check in on you.”

  “I’m feeling much better, thank you. I just don’t want anyone to get sick, so I decided to stay home for one more day. What are you doing here? Don’t you have work?” Lily poured some hot water into a mug and added the chocolate mix before handing it to David.

  “Snowed in. Everything is shut down, so I’m working from home today. I just wanted to get out of the house for some breakfast.” David stirred his drink and took a sip. “That’s really good.”

  Lily nodded. “That’s my grandma’s recipe. I make sure to keep a jar of it at all times.”

  “I like that rule.” David took another sip and watched out the window. “Your kids look like they’re doing better.”

  “Thanks to you.” She wiped down the counters, self-conscious. “You saved our lives.”

  David stared at her for a moment. “You scared me. I thought you were gone when I picked you up out of the snow. It’s freezing out there. Don’t you have a coat?”

  Lily could feel her face burn as she turned away. “No. Everything I get goes toward the diner or the kids. I’ll get a coat when we have the money.”

  “Don’t you realize that without you, there would be no kids and no diner? You have to take care of yourself.” David stood. “I can get you a coat.”

  “No!” She stopped and took a breath. No need to lose her temper. He was just trying to help. “Thank you for the offer, but you’ve already given me enough. With groceries and my kids’ coats taken care of, I can get myself something with the next paycheck.” Never mind that would be months from now. If ever.

  David’s frustration was evident as he watched the kids outside the window. “Okay. I’m sorry. I probably overstepped my bounds. I just don’t want to see you get sick again.”

  Lily’s heart softened when he looked at her with his dark brown eyes. How she’d managed to end up with someone so handsome in her kitchen was beyond her. She leaned against the counter. “No, I should be sorry. I was rude. I just can’t accept anything else.”

  David smiled at her, but she could still see the hurt in his eyes. “It’s fine. I’d better get going. With a day off, I should probably stock up my own pantry.” He stopped with his hand on the door. “I was thinking of putting up a Christmas tree tonight. Would you and the kids like to help out? Doing it myself would be a little depressing.”

  “We’d love that. Thank you. What time were you thinking?” Lily hadn’t had a Christmas tree in the house for years. This would be perfect for her kids.

  “I’ll come and pick you up around six o’clock. That is, if I can get out of the driveway.”

  Lily laughed and looked outside. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to let up any time soon.”

  “No, it doesn’t. I guess we’ll have to chance it.” David stepped outside and picked up a handful of snow, packing it into a ball. “But now, I have to plot my revenge.”

  Patrick ran around the corner just then, and his eyes widened when he saw David standing there. He turned back around and screamed at Mary to run away.

  David tossed the snowball and it hit Patrick in the back, knocking him to the ground. With a look of horror, he ran and rolled Patrick over, resulting in a face full of snow. Patrick laughed and took off running again.

  Lily leaned her head against the cool doorway and coughed into her arm. When it didn’t stop, she went inside to get a drink of water. The coughing spell finally passed, so Lily went in search of a blanket to wrap around herself. The kids
had been outside long enough that she had to heat the water back up again. She found a few more sweaters to slip on over the one she was wearing, and put on a hat, hoping it would be enough to keep the air from chilling her again.

  She walked outside to silence. Where had they gone? She’d only been inside for a couple of minutes. Panic settled in her stomach, and she ran out to find them. They were her life, and they were gone.

  The streets were clear of cars because of the snow, and she couldn’t see Mary or Patrick anywhere. “Patrick? Mary?”

  The screen door to the side of the house slammed, and Lily whipped around to see Patrick standing there.

  “Why are you going through that door?” Lily knew she sounded shrill, but her heart was still beating rapidly.

  Patrick held up a carrot. “We’re building a snowman, and I needed the nose.”

  Relief flowed through her. “Why aren’t you out here in front? That’s where I left you.”

  “We needed more snow.” He pointed toward a trail in the snow that led to the side of the house. Lily followed him around to find Mary and David waiting for them.

  They had built a huge snowman on the side of the house. Patrick carefully inserted the nose in the face, and David added arms.

  Mary pushed the buttons in, and then set her stocking cap on its head. “There. We’re done.”

  “It’s great. And huge. How’d you get it so big?” Lily coughed and pulled her blanket closer.

  Patrick hit his gloves together to get the snow off. “Each of us took a ball until they got too big. Then we all helped.”

  “Okay, kids. Let’s get you back inside. I have it on good authority that your mom made some hot chocolate. Then you can come help me pick out a Christmas tree.” David looked up at Lily with a questioning glance. The plan had been to go over later that night, not to pick out the tree.

  But how could she say no with his eyes dancing like that? She smiled, put her arms around her cheering children, and guided them into the house. “You coming?”

  “Of course.” He pulled Patrick up onto his shoulders and walked next to Lily. “You’re sure you’re okay with helping to pick out the tree? I should have asked first.”

  “It’s fine. They’ve never been able to do that before.” She stopped at the door and opened it, letting Mary in before looking up at him. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome. Like I said, you’re helping me too.” He set Patrick down, then pulled out the mugs and poured the water while Lily took the snowy clothes off Patrick and Mary.

  Lily took the jar down from the cupboard and scooped powder into the mugs, then added spoons. She handed one to David and then set the others in front of Mary and Patrick.

  “Where are we going to get the tree?” Patrick asked, wiping hot chocolate off his face.

  “Well, I used to go out into the woods to pick the perfect one, but since you’ve all been sick, I figure we can try the Christmas tree farm just outside of town.”

  “What’s a Christmas tree farm?” Mary asked.

  “It's a big farm filled with trees where you can pick out your favorite one to take home. Why don’t you two hurry and get your warmest clothes on, and we’ll go.” Lily ruffled Patrick’s hair and picked up the mugs to put into the sink. She put water into each of the cups to soak and turned to see David watching her.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with going outside? I don’t want you to get even sicker.”

  Lily sat down across from David and put her hand on his. “If I get tired, I’ll sit in the car. This means the world to my kids, and I wouldn’t miss it.”

  David left his hand under hers for a moment before pulling away, looking uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. “That sounds good.”

  “I’ll go make sure they’re ready.” Lily stood just as Patrick and Mary came bounding into the kitchen.

  “Ready!” Mary announced. She held out Lily’s old coat and a worn pair of gloves. “Here. I brought these for you.”

  “Thanks, sweetie.” Lily kissed Mary’s forehead and slid the coat on. Patrick held out her stocking cap. “I think that's it.”

  David opened the door. “We’ll have to squish inside my truck. I’d take my other car, but it doesn’t have four-wheel drive.”

  “This is perfect.” Lily grabbed her blanket and locked her door before climbing in next to Mary. David closed the door and ran around to the other side. Lily rubbed her hands together, wishing she’d brought another blanket with her. The cold seemed to go right through her jacket.

  They drove through town and stopped at a new, rather large house. David hesitated before turning to Lily. “I’ll be right back. I need to grab something.”

  “Okay.” Lily watched him run inside. She’d walked past these newer homes many times, but had never been this close.

  “Whoa. This is his house?” Patrick asked, his eyes wide. “He must be rich!”

  Lily laughed. “He is. Very rich. He owns a huge company in New York City.”

  “Whoa,” Patrick whispered.

  David came out with a black fur coat and climbed in the truck. His eyes were slightly red and swollen when he handed the coat over, but he smiled. “You can borrow this for today, if you want. It’ll keep you warm.”

  Lily took the coat from him, amazed at the softness of the fur. She could feel the warmth as she laid it on her lap. She wanted to hand it back, but she had to admit, she was freezing. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” David swallowed hard and pulled out of his driveway. “Okay, who’s ready to go get a tree?”

  The kids cheered as they left the small town behind them. The storm had lightened up enough that they were able to enjoy the drive. Plows had been through, but there was still packed snow on the ground. Mary and Patrick talked nonstop about school, what they wanted for Christmas, and how cool it would be to sled down the hills. It allowed Lily to stare out the window at the scenery around them. She hadn’t been out of the city for so long because it cost too much money to license her car—let alone paying for the gas to run it—and it felt good to get out.

  They pulled up to a farm and parked next to the entrance. Lily climbed out and slipped the coat on. It was heavier than anything she’d worn before. The sleeves fit perfectly, and the coat hung down to her knees. David pulled the hood up onto her head.

  “Thank you. Wow, I think I could survive Antarctica in this thing.” Lily made sure everyone else was wearing their gloves before they walked into the farm. The lot was packed full of several different varieties of pine trees. She watched Mary and Patrick dart from tree to tree, trying to find the perfect one.

  “So, were you a fake tree or real tree person growing up?” David asked. He stood close to Lily, and it was hard for her to concentrate on anything, including breathing.

  “Fake. An old pink one that had tinsel hanging off of it. It's been passed down ever since artificial trees were invented, I’m pretty sure. My mom didn’t have the heart to get rid of it, so we just kept on using it.”

  David laughed. “So where is it now?”

  “In the attic. Where it belongs. The kids and I used it a few times, but it’s falling apart.” Lily searched for Patrick and found him next to a large fir tree. “I think Patrick found one he loves.”

  “Looks like it.” David followed Lily over to the tree. “Wow, this is a beauty.”

  “I want you to get this one. It’s so big.” Patrick’s grin melted Lily’s heart.

  Lily looked at the price tag. There was no way she'd let David spend that much on a tree. “Sweetie, this one is too much, I think.”

  Patrick’s face fell. “Okay.”

  “It’s okay, Lily. It would look perfect in the family room.” David walked around it. “I might have to get more ornaments, though.”

  “It's fine if you want to pick a smaller one.” Lily avoided the disappointment on Patrick’s face and searched for another one. Mary was looking at a small tree that was just a little taller than her. Lily walked ov
er and put her hand on Mary’s shoulder. “How pretty.”

  Mary nodded. “Can we have this one?”

  “What do you think, David?” She turned to find him missing. “Where’d he go?”

  “I don’t know. Look, though. The price is good, and the note says that they don’t drop needles as much as some of the others.” Mary held out the note for Lily to read.

  Lily read the note, impressed at the work Mary had put into finding one. “We can ask David when we find him. Speaking of which, do you know where Patrick is?”

  Mary nodded over to the far corner, where Patrick sat in the snow with his head buried in his arms. Lily walked over to him and knelt down.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “I just wanted that tree. It was the best one they had, and I thought it would look good in David’s ginormous house.” Patrick sniffled.

  Lily patted his shoulder. “I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. It’s just … wait. Look what David’s doing.”

  Patrick looked up, and his eyes grew wide. “We’re getting it?”

  “It looks like it. Let’s go help get it in the truck, okay?” Lily stood and watched as Patrick ran toward David, but she took her time. The energy she’d had that morning had worn off, and she was feeling weaker than she cared to admit. Mary took her hand, and they walked out to the truck.

  Lily helped the kids into the truck and watched as the farmers brought not one, but both of the trees and secured them into the bed of the truck. David really needed to stop spoiling her kids. It would get their hopes up, and then he’d leave. They always did. She wanted him to be different, but there was just no knowing.

  After thanking the farmers, Lily and David climbed in and headed toward his house. The cab was louder than it had been on the way to the farm, and that was saying something. Lily was surprised at David’s patience with the giggles and yelling. It would have set other guys on edge.

  They pulled into the local department store, and David turned off the truck. “I need to grab some more decorations, along with a few other things.”

  “Okay.” Lily headed into the store. “Let’s split this up. What else did you need?”