'Tis the Season for Love: A Charity Box Set

by Maggie Dallen

“You can help me load the new tree into the truck.” I flashed a look her way to see how she’d react.

  “Oh, will I?” Now her smile grew. “We’ll see about that.”

  Chapter 5

  Megan

  When I agreed to this alternate holiday plan, I figured I’d spend time with Mom, ease into life with a step-family, maybe eat some glazed ham.

  Not on my list?

  Driving to a home improvement store in the sticks with a stranger. A cute but annoying stranger.

  Nick Bennington wasn’t a stranger to anyone else in this town.

  Yet another familiar-to-Nick face stopped him in the parking lot on our way inside the big box store. Two others had already stopped us. “How is your mother?”

  Nick smiled warmly. “She’s doing well, thank you.”

  “I’m on the library board.” The woman turned to a squiggling girl in pigtails whose hand she held. “This is my granddaughter Addison. Addie, this is the mayor’s son. His name is Nick. Can you say hello?”

  The girl ducked behind the folds of her grandmother’s long wool coat. “Do you know Santa?”

  Nick crouched to the girl’s level. “As a matter of fact, I do. Our mayor’s office receives a special telegram from Santa every year.”

  “What’s a telegram?”

  The grandmother laughed.

  Nick grinned, and the little girl stared, captivated. “It’s an old-timey way people used to communicate. Like sending text messages without a cell phone. Santa is coming in three days. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah!” the girl squealed. She and her grandmother took off toward their car.

  Well, color me captivated, too. “What, are you the holiday whisperer or something?” I mean seriously, who was this guy? He didn’t even seem annoyed.

  Nick paused at the automated doors, waiting for me to walk ahead of him. Once he caught up, he grabbed a cart. “I’m used to it. Before my mother became mayor, she sat on the city council and every committee you can name in this county. Our family owns a printing business that connects us to all the surrounding towns. Being out in public for me, this is how it is.”

  I zeroed in on the holiday decor at the front of the store. “I would hate so much attention. Having total strangers come up to me.”

  “I guess living in Chicago helps, huh?”

  “I can grocery shop in peace and nobody needs to be told my life story a hundred times over.”

  “Must be nice.”

  I expected a snarky expression to pair with that statement, but Nick appeared thoughtful. Probably thinking I’m the nutbag who doesn’t want to socialize when I’m out shopping for necessities like tree stands for a ten-freaking-foot tree. A tree more fit for a mayor’s mansion than my stepdad’s house. How was I supposed to know the tree was meant for charity? I’d made such a stink about it and now Nick told me to keep the tree. The ten-footer belonged to me now. For better or worse.

  The holiday decor section lacked anything remotely useful. No tree stands, for starters. Beyond that, a rack of blinking stringed lights—who used blinking lights? No thanks. A snowman lawn ornament missing half its carrot nose tipped toward me in a desperate plea. “This place is so picked over.”

  Nick held up a crushed velvet stocking with the name Noah stitched on the cuff. “Well, Christmas is in three days.”

  Fair point. “You’d think the number two destination for the winter holidays would keep stock aside for stragglers. If they’re still selling trees, why not tree stands?” I turned only to find my rant landed to empty space. Great—ditched.

  A young guy wearing a store vest approached. “Miss, I believe I have a few tree stands left in the lot outside.”

  Standing beside him, Nick. “I got help.”

  “Oh. Thanks.” I turned to the salesperson. “Thank you. We’ll head out there.”

  So, maybe Nick had a helpful side. Which included kindness to children and nosy grandparents. That didn’t mean he escaped the spoiled and privileged tags.

  We reached the fenced-in area with potted holiday greens, wreaths and the remaining trees. Pickings were slim but at least there were pickings.

  “How about this one?” Nick stood beside a rather nice, though short, tree. The bottom branches extended with a fluffier flair than the others. If you could call a tree fluffy.

  “Sure. It’s cute.”

  He squinted, sizing up the tree. “With a purse and a scarf, sure. It could be cute.”

  I scoffed, hiding a grin. I pulled out my phone to check messages, expecting to hear from Cam or Zahira, laying on the guilt for convincing them to switch shifts. Huh. No messages. I tapped one out to Cam to check up anyway.

  “Are you going to help me, or what?”

  I looked up. Nick shook his head with forced annoyance, staring at me.

  “You lifted the ten-footer into your truck and you need me for this twig?”

  He grinned. “I told you I’d make you help.”

  Make me. Hardly. Gah. Why did he get under my skin so easily? I marched over. “You have younger siblings, don’t you?”

  “A brother. Were you reading up on me?”

  “I could tell by your pestering ways. I bet you teased him a lot.”

  “A fair amount.”

  “Besides, when would I have time to look you up? We met today.”

  “Just now. On your phone.”

  “I checked in with work. Now, what do you need my help for again? This tree is like half the size of the other one.”

  “I don’t. I wanted your attention.” He flashed a grin that maybe dazzled the ladies on the Illinois-to-Wisconsin border, but would not penetrate these hardened city boundaries.

  “Nice. Try.” Okay. Maybe my boundaries weren’t so secure. I hid my face to cover my blush.

  With that, I bent at the knees, grabbed hold of the tree from the middle, and lifted, tightening my abs and using my leg muscles. Groupon-acquired Cross-Fit for the win. Needles jabbed my face, but the walk to the truck would go quickly enough.

  I glimpsed Nick, slack-jawed.

  “You gonna pay for that?” he asked.

  “That’s on you, Mr. Mayor’s Son,” I called over my shoulder.

  “I hope you don’t mind, I have another stop,” Nick said once we were back in the truck, the new tree securely tied in the truck bed and the tree stand wrapped in a bag at my feet in the cab.

  “Another stop? The mission was to get a tree stand. Tree stand and your tree acquired.”

  Nick turned out of the store lot. “It’s on the way, in Crystal Cove town limits. Not far from your family’s house.”

  “Stu’s house,” I corrected.

  “Pardon my intrusion, but you’re going to have to get used to the Stu thing.”

  “Pardon not accepted. My family isn’t any of your business.”

  “Come on. Stu is a decent guy. My parents have known him for decades. His daughter made all-state track. She was two or three years ahead of me in school—”

  “Good for her,” I cut in. Stu’s overachieving kids prickled my nerves. I wasn’t proud of my irritation, but I couldn’t help it. “Sorry. This is all new for me.”

  “All I’m saying is give him a chance.”

  Nick drove silent and steady until we reached a four-way stop. “I need to stop by this supplier to get the decorations.”

  I tapped my phone awake, but no messages waited for me. Fine, then. I slipped the phone back into my purse. “Don’t you already have decorations?”

  He let out a slow sigh. “Remember when I said I may have left some of the benefit planning to later? Well, the deal is you’re supposed to pick a boutique to supply the decorations and they get the credit and free advertising. It’s a whole thing. Obviously, my mom is great at it. She even gave me a list.” He signaled toward a crumpled piece of paper in the cup holder.

  I grabbed the paper and spread the page across my thigh to de-crinkle. The names of floral and home decor shops were listed one through five with handw
ritten notes in a delicate, loopy script. Clearly, his mother’s handwriting. “So, which one are we going to?”

  “I figured I’d start with the closest one on Barrington Road.”

  “Start with?” I held up the paper. “Let me guess. You never followed up with them.” I looked at him, incredulous. “Any of them?”

  A beat of silence told me everything.

  “Nick.” I sounded far more exasperated than reasonably necessary given his emergency was not my problem. “It’s three days until Christmas. What, are you going to just walk into one of these shops and ask them to professionally decorate a tree with three days’ notice?”

  “Actually, two days since Christmas Eve is the night of the benefit.”

  I swatted him with the paper. It made an unsatisfying fwope against his shoulder. “What if they all say no? What if they’re already closed for the holiday?”

  A horn honked behind us and Nick turned left. “They’re all still open today. I’m not that much of a Fail Hard.”

  I wanted to believe him. He seemed like a decent guy, but it was like he expected life to fall in line around him. Life required effort. Work. Responsibility. Everything didn’t simply work out.

  I chose my words carefully. “The coffee shop where I work recently expanded to include event space. I’ve been the main contact to book musicians and private parties. So far, it’s been a great boost for business. We’ve had to turn down a few requests because people called too late. We need adequate staffing for an event. If we don’t have enough lead-time, it’s too hard to cover with our limited staff.”

  “Makes sense.” He turned again, onto Barrington Road. A small white building with a parking lot beside it and a sign for Vilmer’s Floral came into view. Nick pulled in and parked. “I’ll take you back after this. You don’t have to come in. I’m sure you have people to message.”

  He opened the door and got out. The truck door shut again, the sound reverberating inside.

  I flung open my door and followed.

  Nick turned to me stomping toward him in the snowy lot. “What are you doing? This is my mess. I’ll deal with it.”

  “With what, your Bennington charm?” I folded my arms and waited.

  His chest rose and fell. “Yup.” Only the yup wasn’t the confident response he’d had earlier. Defeat deflated his whole demeanor.

  “I’m coming with you.” I breezed past him. “One thing I’m sure of. You need me right now.”

  Chapter 6

  Nick

  The bell chimed over the door at Vilmer’s Floral. Inside, a pale woman with graying hair worked on an arrangement behind the front counter. She looked familiar but I couldn’t place her name.

  Didn’t matter since Megan took charge. “Hello. My name is Megan. I’m here visiting my family for the holidays and your shop came recommended for a special request.”

  “How wonderful. Hello, I’m Nanette.” She looked past Megan. “Nicolas Bennington?”

  I cleared my throat. “Hey. Um, hello. Yes, I’m a Bennington.” You’d think I could stick the landing on my own name.

  “We’ll be seeing you on the twenty-fourth for the benefit.” She smiled, looking between Megan and me with an unreadable expression. “I can’t wait to see who the mayor chose for the holiday decor this year.”

  Oh, man. This would be a rough one. Megan nailed it. The biggest Fail Hard in history title belonged to yours truly.

  Suddenly, Megan slipped her arm through mine. I flinched and made a move to step back, but she shot me a look. I know what I’m doing.

  “This has been such a hectic year,” she said to Nanette. “With Mayor Bennington ill, we’ve realized just how much she does for the town.”

  Nanette’s eyes softened. I never knew eyes getting soft was a thing, but her eyes had this squishy squint around them. She took us in—the me and Megan together thing—and nodded along.

  Megan took in a measured breath. “I never would have believed we’d be in this place right now.”

  We? She squeezed my arm, hugging my body closer to hers. Honestly, I didn’t mind. My heart flipped in my chest like some middle schooler seeing their crush in the lunch line. Except my crush held my arm. No, not my crush. A woman I happened to fail at convincing to give me her Christmas tree, who somehow ended up swindling for me. I’d owe her so big.

  “We’re planning a scaled-down benefit this year. Streamlined.” Megan smoothed her hand across the counter for emphasis. “Really focusing on the charity instead of the pomp and circumstance, if you know what I mean.” Her voice became gentle. “We want to be respectful of Mayor Bennington and not go overboard. I know it’s terribly short notice, but we wondered if you had the time or desire to be part of our benefit. We’re asking for decorations for one small tree.”

  Nanette stood in thought. “I’m so tickled you came here, but I’m afraid we’re low on time. We wouldn’t be able order what we need, or have the staff to put it together. Other than what we have currently in the shop.”

  No way would I interject anything at this point. I looked at Megan for the next move.

  She stepped away from me and leaned her elbows against the counter. “Are all of your supplies spoken for? With orders? Would we be able to help put this together?”

  “Let me take a look.” Nanette opened a spiral book and moved to a desktop computer at the counter. “We had a failed delivery with no follow-up—some nice holiday greens with beautiful red accents we could donate as a table feature. We of course have holiday ribbon, some artificial berries, those types of things we could give to you.”

  “The table arrangement would be perfect. We’ll be including all the businesses who donate in the printed program for the guests.” Megan caught my eye and I gave her a thumbs up. Printed program—I could make that happen.

  After ten more minutes, we walked out of Vilmer’s with a huge holiday arrangement in a rustic looking planter. Nanette had given us a bag of ribbons and other stuff I had no idea what to do with.

  “Boo-yah!” Megan pumped a fist in the air after the shop door closed behind us.

  I stopped at my truck. “What was that back there? I mean, thank you, but…why are you helping me?”

  She grinned ear to ear. This victory—a victory for me—boosted her into some sort of entrepreneurial master.

  “Everyone seems to love your mom. I guess I feel bad she might not get the benefit she deserves. It was a worth a try.”

  Worth a try to help me. “I owe you a huge thanks.” I set the arrangement in the truck bed, tucked in between the tree and a sandbag.

  Back in the truck, I put the keys in the ignition. “I’m not sure I get the arm thing. You know, you putting your arm, like, being next to me all close.” I mimed how she’d been touching me.

  Her eyes danced with mischief. “Are you afraid I have cooties?”

  “No,” I blurted. Full blown idiot status achieved.

  “I knew she’d only take me seriously if she thought I was your girlfriend.”

  “That’s…”

  “Sexist? Small-minded? More like a shortcut. She knew you by sight. It wasn’t going to make sense to tell her the whole meeting-by-accident with the tree story. Besides, I never said we were dating. I implied it and let her fill in what she wanted.” She beamed.

  A flash of heat surged through me. I wouldn’t mind having anybody think Megan and I were together. She used social engineering to get us a desired result. In college, I’d studied communications and business. I knew what this was. A means to an end.

  I turned the key. “I’ll get you home.”

  “What about the other shops?”

  “What about them?”

  “We only have one donation and some floral supplies. You’re going to need these other shops to fill a whole mansion.”

  Heat spread into my fingers. “The mansion, it’s not all that big. We all just call it that because it’s the oldest house left in town and it used to be the largest. I’m only decorating
the ballroom. Anyway, I’ll figure it out.”

  “Nick. Think about your mom. What will make her happy? This party?”

  It would. Taking a back seat in planning devastated her, especially in her final year as mayor. I’d promised her I’d make it special.

  Now it seemed Megan cared whether I made it special. “Like I said. I should get you back.” I turned onto the road. “You have better things to do.”

  She didn’t say anything until a blinking yellow light met us at a crossroads. “My family is expecting me. You’re right. I guess I got a little excited about the party planning part.”

  We pulled into Stu’s long driveway. “Today probably wasn’t what you expected. For me either.”

  She looked at me, like she expected me to say more. She tugged at a strand of hair, curling it around one finger. Something about that one move set my bones to jelly. She wasn’t the hard shell she put out there. She saw a bonehead in need (that would be me) and cared to help. Unlike me, who preyed on a woman in the guise of helping. I didn’t deserve her kindness.

  Megan deserved to have a nice holiday with her family. Not to worry how I screwed up with mine.

  I stared through the windshield, not willing to look back at her. To fully see how I’d tried to scam this obviously nice person. A beautiful, nice person who pretended for fifteen minutes to be my girlfriend.

  “I wish you the best with planning. Sorry for all the mix-up about the tree.” She opened the passenger door. “Thanks for the ride, Nick. I’ll see you around.”

  If only I could be so lucky.

  Chapter 7

  Megan

  “How was touring the town with the mayor’s son?” Mom asked the second my boots came off.

  Ah. The familiar sensation of immediate questioning upon entering the house. How had I forgotten? I held out the store bag. “Tree stand acquired.”

  Mom hugged me again. “I’m so glad you’re here, honey. Once your brother gets in, everything will feel so right.”