Page 16 of First Christmas

We were in the local bookstore and I was letting Nat pick out her part of her mom’s Christmas present. Books. So many new books. Becks had always bought them used and then donated them to the library when they had to run again. She’d never owned any because it would’ve been too much of a hassle to move them. She was in the habit now of trading them out when she was done even though I had a bookcase in the living room for her.

Old habits die hard.

Our surprise was going to change things though. She was going to be able to keep whatever book she wanted and loved. I would buy her signed copies. She could treasure them and read them again and again. I was going to spoil the hell out of her.

“Okay.”

I watched Nat take off to find the rest of her present and grinned.

“Lucas?”

I jumped, turning around and seeing Monica standing there.

“Oh! Hey, Mon.”

“What are you and Nat doing?” she asked, definitely suspicious.

“Just letting Nat shop for Becks’ Christmas present.” I said, trying to appear nonchalant.

Monica leaned around me, taking in the books in the cart, her eyes nearly bugging out of her head.

“LUCAS!” she exclaimed. “Those will fill up that bookcase you bought her for the living room and then some.”

“Oh…” I trailed off, “You think?”

“Yes. Jesus. What are you thinking, you goof?” she walked closer to the cart, looking at the titles we’d been picking out. “Are you nuts?” she laughed, looking up at me.

I sighed. I was busted. It was time to fill someone else in on my secret.

“Listen, Monica. If I tell you what’s going on, you cannot breathe a word of it to Rebecca” I said.

Monia raised an eyebrow, “Now I’m even more intrigued,” she grinned.

I leaned over, speaking softly to her, relaying everything that had been happening the last month, watching her eyes get huge, then start watering, until she was full-fledged crying in the bookstore. We were definitely drawing some attention to ourselves.

“Do you think she’ll like it? Are these good tears?” I asked, unsure, patting her shoulder.

“Yes, you idiot. She’s going to die when she sees what you’ve done for her, Lucas. Oh my God.” said Monica, wiping her tears. “I’m going to go help Nat grab a few titles she may not know her mom likes.”

“Oh yeah?” I asked, raising my own eyebrow now.

“You’ll definitely like them too. Y’all can reenact scenes from them,” she threw back her head, laughing as she walked away.

I laughed with her as she went off to search for Nat, feeling like a weight had rolled off my shoulders. If I told Becks’ best friend what I was doing, surely she could help hold Becks off a few days.

“Don’t think we need any help in that department!” I called after her, shaking my head. Maybe I could get Monica to help me with the decor part of the surprise. She knows what Becks likes.

Chapter 7

“And he says everything is okay, and he’s just planning some epic surprise. But, my head is just not accepting that for whatever reason.” I trailed off, looking across the cafe’s table at my best friend. I ran my fingernail around the rim of the oversized coffee cup and sighed.

“Becks. Lucas Marshall is head over heels in love with you,” Monica’s voice was calm and soothing. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and tilted her head, “That man can’t even imagine looking at another woman. I promise that whatever is going on, it's going to surprise you,” she smiled, shaking her head.

“I know that look” I said, narrowing my eyes on her. “What do you know?”

“Nuh-uh!” she exclaimed. “I’m not saying a single word. I’ve sworn an oath to secrecy,” she throws her hands in the air after pretending to lock her lips and throw away the key.

I heaved a dramatic sigh, scowling at her.

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