Page 33 of The Duke Who Saved Christmas
There was only one person in Castleton who would need multiple Christmas trees who hadn’t already ordered or collected them.
ME: That’s the strangest ransom demand I’ve ever had.
UNKNOWN: Do you receive many?
ME: Not since I sent a dick pic to my university fling.
UNKNOWN: Interesting.
ME: Why do you need Christmas trees, Sylvie?
SYLVIE: Darn it. I was hoping you wouldn’t figure out it was me.
ME: The only person who could need multiple Christmas trees this close to Christmas is you.
SYLVIE: That’s true. Do you have Christmas trees spare?
ME: Do you think they’re all sold out?
SYLVIE: Never mind. I’ll find another tree farm.
ME: We’re the only one in a twenty-mile radius. Good luck with those delivery fees.
SYLVIE: Sigh. What a smack in the face having you give you money. It’s like the cricket ball all over again.
I groaned.
Not the cricket ball.
ME: Haven’t I apologised enough for that? I can’t believe you’re bringing that up. It’s been twenty years.
SYLVIE: A woman never forgets.
ME: Evidently. How many trees do you need? How tall? When and where do you need them delivered?
SYLVIE: Uh… Can I just meet you at the tree farm? No offense, but there’s no way I’m letting you choose them.
I laughed. I should have known she’d say that.
ME: Are you free now? I was heading there in about half an hour.
SYLVIE: Let me see if I can borrow Gramps’ car. Mine isn’t made for snow and the council didn’t grit our road.
I grimaced.
No.
Of course they didn’t.
ME: All right. Let me know.
***
Sylvie slammed the door on her grandpa’s old Land Rover and shivered. “Good grief, it’s cold.”
I watched as she walked over all bundled up like she was going on an arctic expedition. “You’ve gone soft living down south.”
“Watch your mouth, Thomas,” she shot back. “I just need a few days to get used to it again, that’s all.”
