Page 103 of A Very Merry Enemy
Maybe that’s enough.
Maybe being me is exactly what I need to survive this.
I let myself be present in the moment instead of spiraling while thinking about the future.
Right now, I’m happy. And it’s Lucas’s fault. He was the only one who could ever turn my frown upside down. Seems like that still stands true.
CHAPTER 21
LUCAS
I’ve changed my shirt three times, like I’m seventeen again and trying to impress Holiday Patterson before taking her to the county fair. Except now, I’m thirty-four and should know better than to care this much. Clothes have never impressed her, but I can’t help but notice how her eyes slide over me when we’re together.
I settle on a black button-up and jeans. It’s casual and cool, like I’m not trying too hard, even though I absolutely am.
At five forty-five, I look up at the clock, almost nervous about tonight. The last time we were alone, she confessed she came back to Merryville for me, and I admitted that I never stopped having feelings for her. We both said things we can’t unsay, and I have to pretend like it didn’t happen. But I know the truth and I’m fucking shook.
Headlights sweep across my front window, and my pulse gallops in my chest. I watch as she parks next to my truck and takes a few extra seconds to study her as she pulls her visor down to check herself. Her hair is down in soft waves, and she’s wearing deep red lipstick that makes my mouth go dry. She’s still in that dark green turtleneck she wore to the bakery this morning.
Holiday eventually gets out of her car, and I meet her at the door before she can knock.
“Hi,” she says, and when she smiles at me this time, it actually touches her eyes. It gives me butterflies.
“On time, per usual.” I grab my jacket, then pull the door closed as I walk out with her. “Ready?”
“Where are we going, exactly?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She narrows her eyes. “I told you, Ihatesurprises.”
“Yeah, yeah. Come on,” I say with a laugh, placing my hand on her shoulder as I lead her to my truck. I open the door for her and she climbs in. I catch the hint of her perfume, the same one she’s been wearing since high school. The one that used to linger on my clothes after I’d sneak into her bedroom and hold her when she couldn’t sleep.
I close the door and walk around to my side, taking a second to get my shit together as her eyes follow me. Being alone with her feels like a dream. And if it is, fuck, I don’t want to wake up.
I start the engine and pull out of the driveway. The radio is already on the local station that’s been playing nothing but Christmas music since November first.
“So,” Holiday says as we turn onto the country road that leads to Merryville. “We’re going into town?”
“I thought we’d look at Christmas lights.”
“Like we used to.” She glances over at me with appreciation. “That sounds perfect.”
We drive down Main Street, and it’s like the whole place has been dipped in red and white twinkling lights. Every storefront is already decorated, shining in the darkness—it’s city code, required by the Monday before Thanksgiving. Garland and red ribbons wrap around light posts with big wreaths on every door. Glenda’s Diner has the windows painted with snowmen and a Santa that looks just like my dad. It’s packed inside.
“Wow,” Holiday says. “It’s better than I remember.”
“It’s legendary.”
She laughs and the sound fills the truck. I realize I’m at ease in a way I haven’t felt in a long time.
Her hand rests on her thigh, and I’m mildly aware of how easy it would be to reach over and lace our fingers together. But I keep my hands to myself.
We drive past the square where the festival is being set up. It kicks off this weekend, and once it does, downtown will be impossible to enjoy. Tourists and vehicles will line the streets and sidewalks; that’s why I wanted to do this now. This year’s theme is Winter Wonderland, and a Christmas village has been constructed to give the full North Pole experience.
“It’s beautiful,” Holiday says, staring out the window.
“I agree,” I say, but I’m not talking about the town. She’s breathtaking, without even trying.
