Page 65 of Home for Christmas in July

“Next week is all about vegetables, clean proteins, and gallons of water to even it out.”

“Fair enough.” She pops another morsel of chocolate sponge into her mouth.

“That’s the spirit. Last night, you said you would help with open house. What about the library?”

“We close for the duration of the Christmas in July festival and let the performers use our parking lot.”

“Didn’t know. I always walk over to the gazebo.”

“In any event, I’m all yours.”

“I like the sound of that.” I lean over and nuzzle her neck.

She drops the cake and crawls into my lap. We’re making out like a pair of teenagers, when there’s a knock at the door.

I ease her to the floor and open the door to see Thyme standing on the little porch, wide-eyed.

“Morning, Thyme.”

“Good morning, Uncle Nick. Hi, Noelle.” She gives me an apologetic smile. “Holly wants to know whether you plan to join us or if you’re going to slack off all day.”

I glance at my watch. “It’s not even six-thirty yet.”

“Correct. But if you check the timetable, you’ll see that work assignments started at six o’clock.”

We stare at each other for a moment.

“What have I done?”

“It appears you created a monster, Uncle Nick. Rosemary is intense, but she has nothing on Holly.”

Noelle places a hand on my arm. “I’ll talk to her. She’s probably overcompensating because she’s afraid she won’t live up to Carol’s precedent.”

As soon as she says it, I know she’s right. My Grinchy heart grows at least one size as I think of the impossible task Holly’s set for herself. “No, I’ll do it. She needs to hear it from me that she’s doesn’t have to compete with her mom. She can put her own stamp on the open house.”

She smiles. “That’ll mean a lot to her.”

I give her a quick, chaste kiss, then turn to Thyme. “Please wait for Noelle so you can walk over to the inn together. I don’t want you to be alone. I’ll clear things up with the boss.”

Noelle protests. “It’s broad daylight. And it’s only seventy yards.”

I remember the icy fist of fear that gripped me when I saw the bedroom door hanging open and repeat myself. “And I don’t want to you be alone. Not even to walk across the property. Not until Bianchi’s off the street.”

She turns her mouth down, but nods.

“Tell me you understand.”

“I understand,” she pouts.

I give her another kiss‚ this one slightly less quick and marginally less chaste. “Good.”

Then I grab my coffee mug and wander out into the backyard to find my taskmaster daughter and talk her down before her unpaid workforce of siblings and cousins revolts.

CHAPTER 27

Noelle

The day speeds by in a blur. I see Nick in passing several times, but we don’t have time to talk. Even with the kinder, gentler version of Holly running the show, two o’clock is here before I know it. The Candlelight Chapel bell chimes the hour just as I put the star-shaped piece of pineapple atop the fruit Christmas tree I’ve created on a silver platter. Then I look down at my casual clothes.

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