Page 25 of The Holiday Honeymoon Switch
George’s tone is proud as he says, “Plaskett Farms is a special place indeed. Three generations it’s been in my family, and it’s always been a Christmas tree farm.” The merry twinkle in his eyes dims a few watts. “Sometimes, I worry about what might happen to it, when I can’t live here anymore. There are always developers sniffing around. I can’t imagine these trees ever being gone.”
“Let’s not worry about that today,” Aiden says, but Holly can tell from his expression that heisworried, probably worries about it all the time. She feels a wave of admiration for the studious boy she used to know in high school, who has clearly grown into a compassionate man. Meanwhile, Mrs. Claws hops onto George’s lap, and Holly can hear purring from across the coffee table. As they continue chatting, George’s eyes start to droop a little. He stifles a yawn. “How rude of me.”
“Not at all,” Aiden says. “We should get going. I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Thank you, my boy. And lovely to meet you, Holly. I hope you forgive me for not seeing you out, but…”
“A sleeping lap cat must never be disturbed. Especially one as sweet as Mrs. Claws.”
“I hope I see you again before you go back to the city?”
“I hope so, too,” Holly says, genuinely meaning that.
As Aiden’s truck meanders back down the driveway, through the fairy-tale forest and out onto the main road, Holly feels a pang to be back out in the real world. She hopes she does get to return and visit with George again, and wants to say that—but Aiden seems lost in his thoughts, silent as he drives toward Krimbo. She watches his side profile, getting the sense that he doesn’t ever feel the need to fill silences with needless words. It’s okay to be quiet, companionable. It’s nice, actually.
She sighs happily and leans back, watching the wintry scenery fly by out the window as they head toward Krimbo so she can do her shopping. Soon enough, the trees grow sparser and the village of Krimbo comes into view. They drive slowly down Main Street, passing a smattering of diners, cafés, and restaurants, a clothing store called Viola’s Dress Barn, a hardware store, and a bookstore. Every establishment has Christmas lights in its windows, which add a warm and welcoming twinkle to the dull light of the winter midmorning. Aiden heads off to run his own errands, then meets her back at the grocery store parking lot.
“Thanks for today, Aiden,” she says when they’re back at the cabin and he’s helping her unload her groceries. He puts the last bag down on the deck.
“You call me if you need anything at all,” he says, and she can tell he means it.
She stays outside, waving goodbye as he taps his horn anddrives away. When she unlocks the cabin door and goes inside—the interior is still warm from the successfully lit wood pellets—she doesn’t feel lonely. She has Krimbo, with all its humanity and charm. The magical giant Christmas tree farm. George and Mrs. Claws. And Aiden, an old friend, somewhere out there in the gentle snowfall.
7
Ivy
December 19
Kauai, Hawaii
Ivy awakes to her phone ringing out theFriendstheme song.
“Holly!”
Ivy holds the phone above her face in bed and blinks blearily as her friend comes into focus on FaceTime.
“I’m sorry! I woke you! I completely forgot about the time difference.”
“No, it’s fine. I wanted to get up early anyway. I thought the roosters would wake me, or, if not them, maybe the sound of hot sex coming from the two very attractive people downstairs.”
“The people downstairs?”
“Oh, um, it’s just the people below me are a super-attractive couple, and I…I’m just surprised I didn’t overhear them last night, that’s all. So, how are you?”
“I’m good, actually,” Holly says with a genuine smile.
Ivy looks at her friend more closely on the screen. “You do seem…kind of happy.”
“I think I am,” Holly says, her smile widening. “I’m having a nice time here. I take back everything I said about Aiden in my last text.”
“Eco Superman?”
“He’s a good guy.” Ivy reclines against her pillows as Holly tells her about a Victorian Christmas manor she visited earlier that day on a now mostly defunct but truly magical Christmas tree farm, a charming old widower, a cat named Mrs. Claws.
“Honestly, that all sounds kind of romantic,” Ivy says. “Are yousureyou don’t want to heal your broken heart via a rebound with Captain Ecology?”
Holly laughs. “It’s EcoSuperman, thank you. And it’s good to have a friend here, that’s all.”
