A Perfect Christmas Gift

by Wilde, Lori

  He tightened his grip, and she made a soft little noise of approval, encouraging him to keep up what he was doing. They kept kissing and kissing and kissing, caught up in the beautiful moment, hidden from view by the Christmas trees.

  Finally, they had to come up for air, and Evan loosened his grip on her a little.

  “Um, I guess I should say I’m sorry,” she whispered, although she wasn’t at all. “Kissing you out of the blue like that.”

  He smiled slowly and told her, “I’m not sorry, and you shouldn’t be either.”

  Shyly, she returned his smile. “Good. Me neither.”

  Evan took a step closer, and she was fairly certain he planned on kissing her again…

  “I found it!” Peter shouted from somewhere deep in the pine tree thicket.

  “So much for that,” Chloe murmured.

  “Let’s talk later.” His eyes lowered, and the look he gave her was so sexy that Chloe had to remind herself to take a breath.

  She nodded and tried to get her runaway pulse under control. “Yes, let’s do.”

  “For now, we better go find out what Peter found.” His smile sent a tingle jumping along her nerve endings.

  “Uh-huh, I’m dying to see just how big this tree is.”

  He inclined his head and swept out his arm for her to go ahead of him as if she were royalty. Chloe simply couldn’t help herself. She giggled like a schoolgirl with a mad crush.

  “Evan!” Peter bellowed. “Where are you?”

  They followed the sound of Peter’s voice and found him standing with Ruby next to a King Kong-sized tree.

  Peter’s face was lit up like the Las Vegas strip. He walked around the tree, hands clasped behind his back, eying the pine from the tip-top branch to the base of the trunk.

  Her mother, however, looked appalled. “This thing is huge.”

  “I know.” Peter gleefully rubbed his palms together.

  Ruby stretched her head as far back as it would go, sizing up the massive tree. “I think it’s for businesses.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I’m not even sure it will fit in the house you are renting. The ceilings are high, but not high enough for this tree. It’s got to be twenty feet tall.”

  “Nonsense.” Peter laughed. “Sure, it’ll fit. It’s just a tree.” He turned and looked at Evan. “Go pay for this and schedule it for delivery.”

  Evan looked at his boss for a long minute, then looked at the tree. He opened his mouth, then closed it. Chloe could tell that he wanted to argue, but he didn’t.

  “Fine,” Evan said, an exasperated expression crossing his face. “But for the record, I agree with Ruby. This tree looks too big for the house.”

  “Bigger is always better,” Peter said, sounding like a petulant thirteen-year-old. “When you pay for the tree, ask them if anyone around here offers tree decorating service. There’s got to be someone who decorates trees for old people or the infirm.”

  There were a few people Chloe could recommend for the chore, but she was reluctant to provide Peter with that information.

  “And whoever you find,” Peter went on. “Make sure they know this tree needs that wow factor. I want jaws to drop and eyes to go wide. If you can’t find anyone in this one-horse town, call up my people in Dallas and get them out here ASAP.”

  Evan scowled, pulled up the collar of his coat against the sudden gust of wind, flattened his lips, and shook his head. “Fine,” he said, the word coming out brittle as flint.

  Chloe tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t sound judgmental, but she couldn’t think of a thing. She hadn’t been lying when she’d said she believed people should have the tree that brought them joy, and Peter clearly looked joyful. But it was the joy of showing off, not the joy for the tree itself.

  “Why is it so important to knock the socks off people with a tree?” she asked, knowing she should drop it. “I thought the point of this party was to make amends to the people of Kringle.”

  Ruby shot her an expression that said keep your opinions to yourself, sweetheart.

  But Chloe couldn’t help herself. “I thought you wanted to be like Scrooge after the ghosts. After the ghosts visit him, Scrooge is generous and kind.”

  Peter laughed and shot her mother a glance. “Your girl is naïve, Ruby.”

  “Thank you, Peter,” her mother said calmly.

  Peter’s eyebrows shot up on his forehead. “I didn’t mean that as a compliment.”

  “If by naïve you mean my daughter is considerate and humble, I don’t see any other way to take it than a compliment.”

  Peter seemed flabbergasted. “I’m no Scrooge.”

  Ruby cleared her throat.

  “Scrooge was stingy,” Peter said. “I am generous. Look at the party I’m throwing for the entire town. Look at the size of this tree. Do you have any idea how much money this shindig is costing me?”

  Chloe couldn’t believe what he was saying. “You almost killed Kringle when you convinced the Madisons to move their candy factory to Dallas.”

  “That’s not on me. That’s on the town for putting all their eggs in one basket.” Peter snorted.

  Anger pulsed through her, and Chloe’s mouth fell open. “Y-you didn’t even care what you did to our town.”

  Peter’s eyes met Ruby’s, and he shook his head again. “Naïve as the day is long.” To Chloe he said, “Business is business. If I considered how every business transaction that I make would harm everyone involved, I’d be as broke as the rest of the people around here.”

  Yes, okay, maybe businesses couldn’t always make smart financial decisions that also took individual needs into account, but the impact of Peter’s maneuvering had been as huge as that pine tree he wanted stuffed into his house.

  Gritting her teeth, Chloe ground out, “And what about my mother?”

  Ruby moved toward her. “Chloe, Peter apologized, and I accepted his apology. This is between the two of us.”

  “You don’t even care that he left you at the—”

  “It was better that we didn’t get married,” Peter said. “It wouldn’t have worked. Our values are just too different. I’m big city, and she’s small-town country all the way.”

  Dear heavens, this guy was a total jerk.

  Several rude responses occurred to Chloe, but the look her mother gave her made it clear she wanted her to drop the subject. Chloe loved and respected her mother, and she knew that Ruby was more than capable of standing up for herself. She didn’t need—and didn’t want—Chloe to do it for her.

  Fine, she thought, echoing what Evan had said before he went off to pay for the tree. It was none of her business. Her mother could handle her own affairs.

  Hurt and angry, Chloe turned and headed toward the front of the tree lot, putting as much distance between herself and Peter as possible.

  Once she was out of view of her mother and Peter, Chloe stopped and took several long deep breaths, struggling to get herself under control. The air was ripe with the scent of pine trees, and for a moment, she simply enjoyed the smell. She had to be around Peter without getting so upset. She was letting him ruin her Christmas, and if she were honest, he wasn’t a danger to her or her mother.

  Why was she being so reactive?

  Her mother was a smart cookie, and it was clear she wasn’t falling for Peter again. No one in town believed his hooey anymore, so they expected nothing from him. She had to face facts. If she wanted Peter’s perfect Christmas not to ruin her perfect Christmas, she needed to ignore him.

  She found Evan at the front of the Christmas tree lot. He stood next to a small wooden table containing a cash box. Two teens, who’d just put money inside the cash box, were talking to Evan.

  “Hey,” she called out, and that breathless feeling she experienced whenever she was around Evan came over her again.

  Evan turned and smiled at her. “Hi there.”

  As usual, his smile made her heart race, and she grinned in return.

&nb
sp; Beside him stood that scraggly little tree he’d picked out.

  “You really bought the runt,” she said.

  “Of course. And a deal is a deal. You already agreed to let me plant it in your yard. You can’t change your mind now.”

  She had no intention of changing her mind. “A promise is a promise.” She chuckled. “I’ll also help you decorate it.”

  Evan picked up the tree and headed toward the car. “You say that as if you had a choice in the matter. I always expected you to help with the decorating.”

  Chloe laughed at his silliness, happy to have shifted off the grim mood she’d developed after talking with Peter.

  “I must drop by the store and get some decorations,” he said, picking up the Charlie Brown tree.

  Memories of her childhood flooded back to her. Memories of her dad buying just such a tree. Her heart squeezed, feeling a little lopsided with nostalgia and a strange kind of unexpected joy. “I have lots of decorations at my house. No need to buy more.”

  “That’s generous, but what about your own tree?” he asked, walking toward his SUV. The tree was so small he carried it easily in his arms.

  She went ahead of him to open the back of the vehicle and then stepped back so he could angle the tree inside.

  “Did you already decorate your tree and you’ve got leftover decorations?” he asked.

  “I put up a tree at my clinic each year. Since I spend Christmas at my mom’s, I rarely have one at my house. I just help Mom with hers.”

  Except she hadn’t helped this year. She’d been so busy with work that she hadn’t been able to find time to help. But Peter had.

  Now, considering his current behavior, Chloe had to wonder why he’d been so helpful.

  She’d thought he was being nice, but now she wasn’t so sure. His motivation for helping with her mother’s tree had probably been self-serving. More and more of his actions looked like they were.

  While they waited for Ruby and Peter, they both leaned against the SUV. Chloe sent her mother a quick text. She waited two minutes, but Ruby didn’t answer.

  Chloe eyed the phone. “I’m not sure what’s taking them so long.”

  “I’m sure they’ll be along soon,” he said. “Unless…” He got a funny look on his face.

  When his words drifted off, Chloe turned toward him. “No way.”

  “I said nothing,” he pointed out.

  “You don’t need to. You thought that maybe they are kissing, but they aren’t.” Just the thought of it upset her. Surely her mother could see through Peter’s act and she wasn’t canoodling with the man.

  Evan shrugged. “Well, you know, this Christmas tree lot seems to inspire ideas.”

  Chloe could hardly argue since she’d kissed him not ten minutes ago. “That was different.”

  He shot her a questioning look.

  “I kissed you because you’d done something nice.”

  “Ah. And you have doubts that Peter can do something nice, right?”

  “Not nice enough to deserve a kiss.”

  “Maybe they’re fighting. Would that make more sense?”

  He might be onto something. Peter sure had gotten on Chloe’s unpleasant side tonight. Maybe her mother had lost patience with him as well.

  Just then Ruby and Peter walked out of the tree lot. Her mother didn’t seem the least bit agitated, and Chloe relaxed a little. From that total lack of tension between Peter and her mother, Chloe was pretty sure they hadn’t been kissing or fighting.

  “They will deliver the tree tomorrow morning,” Evan told Peter. “And the guy who owns this tree lot could find a company to decorate it. They’ll be by in the afternoon.”

  Without even saying “thank you,” Peter climbed in the front passenger seat and shut the door.

  Evan winced and shook his head, then moved to open the back door for Chloe and her mother to slide inside. He shut the door, got behind the wheel, and started the engine.

  Ruby said, “Peter, you wanted to say something to Evan, right?”

  Curious, Chloe glanced at her mother, but Ruby was staring at the back of Peter’s head as if she could drill common decency into him with just a look.

  “Um…er…” Peter mumbled. “Thank you for your help, Evan.”

  Chloe shot a smile at her mom, who smiled back. Ha! She should have known her mom would whip Peter Thomas into shape.

  * * *

  Standing in the living room of Chloe’s cute little bungalow, Evan tipped his head and studied the tree. The thin branches could hardly hold the lightest of ornaments. Decorating it with traditional balls and trinkets was out of the question. As soon as he hung a large red glass ball on the tree, it leaned.

  “It’s too spindly for decorations.” Evan sighed.

  “Poor little thing.” She removed the glass ball, and the tree straightened immediately, and she could have sworn it looked relieved. “Maybe we could make a garland out of construction paper? That should be light enough.”

  “Great idea.” Evan chuckled. He was glad to see Chloe looking relaxed and happy after the day they’d had with his boss.

  He knew that Peter annoyed her, so he was really glad that his boss had called it an early night and asked Evan to drop him off at the rental house. They took Ruby home first, then when they swung by the rental property to let Peter out, he and Chloe stopped long enough to check on Vixen.

  They’d gotten pizza and brought it back to her place and ate it curled up on the couch by the fire before tackling the tree. He perched on the edge of the fireplace hearth, the warm heat at his back from the gas fire, and tilted his head to consider the sad sack tree.

  Immediately, Chloe’s fluffy white dog hopped on his lap.

  “I don’t believe it.” Chloe laughed. “First the tree and now Snowball.”

  Huh? Confused, he straightened his chin and met her steady gaze. “What are you talking about it?”

  She sat next to him on the hearth. “My dog likes you.”

  “Is that monumental?”

  “Oh, very. Snowball doesn’t like people,” she said. “Especially men. She hates them. As long as I’ve known her, she’d let no men touch her. And even with women, she takes forever to warm up to strangers. She just hopped right into your lap.”

  “She’s a sweetie. I’m really starting to like dogs.” Evan glanced at the animal snuggled in his lap and scratched behind her ears. “She seems happy now.”

  “She likes you.” Chloe flashed a grin at him.

  They exchanged glances. A beat passed.

  Audibly, Chloe sucked in her breath and said, “I like you, too.”

  Evan didn’t hesitate. “Ditto.”

  They grinned at each other.

  He leaned over to kiss Chloe, but Snowball started barking.

  Evan pulled back.

  Snowball stopped barking and settled into his lap once more.

  He leaned in again, lips pursed.

  Snowball growled.

  He eased away from Chloe.

  Snowball thumped her tail.

  Evan and Chloe both stared at the dog, then at each other, and burst out laughing.

  “Um…” Evan said. “I hate to break it to you, but I think your dog is jealous.”

  Chloe laughed again, a light, carefree sound. Evan quickly joined in.

  “How odd. She’s never acted this way before. In fact, my mom is the only other person she likes. She tolerates a few other females, but you really are the first male she’s bonded with.”

  Evan petted Snowball. “I’m flattered.”

  “You should be.”

  Just to test the theory, Evan leaned toward Chloe again, and Snowball barked at Chloe.

  “Oh, my goodness,” Chloe said. “She is jealous.”

  “Some people have got it,” Evan teased. “And some don’t.”

  “Downshift the ego, buddy.” Chloe giggled. “We have another problem.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The tree. Poor thing look
s too skimpy all naked there.”

  At the word “naked,” Evan felt his entire body light up, and an image so provocative popped into his mind. An image involving Chloe and a lack of clothing.

  “We should get on that construction paper garland,” she murmured, her gaze fixed on his mouth.

  “We could make snowflakes from computer paper too,” he suggested. “It’ll be fun.”

  “I’ll go get my laptop and look up images.” She hopped up from the hearth and headed to her bedroom.

  For the next half hour, they printed paper ornaments and cut them out, adding them to the tree one by one. After they added just a few scattered snowflakes and the construction paper garland, the tree listed to one side again.

  “This is one wimpy tree,” Evan moved some ornaments around to even out the weight and straightened the tree once more. “We’re already maxed out on decorations.”

  Smiling, Chloe circled the tree. She seemed unconcerned about the tree’s inability to take on more ornaments. “The tree has heart. That’s what really matters.”

  He liked the way she thought.

  Deciding that they’d done all they could do, they moved the doggy gate so Snowball wouldn’t be able to get at the tree, and then they watered it.

  “Well, Snowball, now you have some company,” Chloe said.

  Snowball seemed to approve of the tree. She ran over to the gate and peered at the small pine through the bars. She did a little merry dance, wriggling her tail and turning in a circle, and looked up at Evan with expectation.

  “What is it, girl?” he asked, bending at the waist and resting his palms on his upper thighs.

  She barked and wagged her tail harder.

  “Um, does she need something?” He glanced up at Chloe.

  “She wants to go for a walk,” Chloe explained. “She must think you’re the kind of fella who’s up for a moonlight stroll.”

  Evan chuckled. “Sure, I’m game. Where’s her leash?”

  Chloe got the leash, and they put on their coats, then headed out the door.

  “Which way?” Evan asked once they were on the sidewalk.

  “Let’s wander downtown,” she said. “And see the lights.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”