Page 49 of If You Give a Grump a Christmas Tree Farm
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Rebecca—
A strong wind ruffles my hair and cuts through my coat. Thanksgiving is only four days away, and we open for business the day after. I feel good that we’re ready. JJ and I went over our list, and we just have a few last-minute things. Amanda and I got all the wreaths finished, and they’re loaded in the bed of the truck. As soon as this lunch is over with JJ’s parents, he and I are planning to deliver them to city hall.
JJ parked a block away, and as we turn the corner, he catches my eye. “You ready for this?”
“Probably not, but let’s just make the best of it and try not to get in an argument, okay?”
“Not making any promises, but I’ll behave if they do.” He holds the door for me, and we enter the small restaurant. There are two rows of booths on either side of the narrow storefront and one row of tables in the middle. The place is squeezed between the post office on the right and a hair salon on the left.
There are old-fashioned tiled floors and a pressed-tin ceiling. The beadboard walls are painted red, and the booths are red as well, with silver-trimmed Formica tables.
Cheery artwork of Santa and reindeer are displayed around the room.
An instrumental ofSanta Claus is Coming to Townis playing softly in the background.
Our tree stands just inside the door with our sign. They’ve decorated it with a bunch of Santa ornaments of varying sizes and shapes.
“How cute is this?” I say to JJ, pointing it out.
“The tree looks great,” he murmurs at my back. It’s a seat-yourself kind of place, and he spots his parents. “There they are in the middle.”
They’re seated at a table in the center of the room.
As we make our way to them, JJ says hi to someone at a booth.
“Hey, Scotty.”
“JJ. How are you?”
We stop, and they chat.
“Good. Is this the fam?”
“Yep. This is my wife, Kelly, and my daughters, Mia and Evie.”
The children look about five and three years old, and I smile and waggle my fingers at them.
JJ puts a hand on the small of my back. “This is my sister-in-law, Rebecca.”
The couple nod and say hello.
Scotty lifts his chin toward the table in the center of the room and says quietly. “Your folks are here.”
Something in the way he says it makes me think he’s warning JJ, but JJ only grins and puts a hand on Scotty’s shoulder.
“Thanks, man, but we’re actually meeting them for lunch.”
Scotty’s brows lift. “Really? Good luck with that.”
JJ chuckles. “Enjoy your meal. It was nice to meet you, Kelly.”
We make our way to the table where Tom and Janet sit, watching us. The looks on their faces say it all. They are not happy to see JJ with me, and I’m glad I never mentioned he was coming.
When we stop at their table, JJ pulls a chair out for me, and I sit with his father on my left. JJ takes the chair to my right next to his mother.
I scoot in and smile. “Hello.”
