Page 42 of Three Days of Holiday

She shivered, and I turned up the heat, regretting that she left her house without a coat because the place we were going didn’t have heat.

“I’m truly sorry you didn’t win the competition yesterday, but there really is always next year.”

Since we weren’t going far, I drove slowly down the driveway, never going more than five miles an hour. Most of the action happening in the Oceanview Orchards farm was children running to meet Santa, and I didn’t want any accidents. I caught Holly scoff in the quiet car.

“Doubtful,” she said, leaning up against my seat and enjoying the benefit of a heated butt warmer.

“Yes, there will be a next year because you’re going to have a secret weapon.”

She jerked her head to face me, her eyes questioning. “What’s that?”

I stopped at the end of her driveway and turned right, pulling the car to the side of the road. “Me.”

Holly was busy staring at my smile and missed the fact that parked directly in front of us was the large truck I drove to Clearwater with our supplies. I put the car in park and turned it off, timing it perfectly as Jack opened the rolling door of the truck.

The sun slipped behind the only cloud in the sky and the snow, which had fallen for hours, increased. Itmatched the fake illusion we created in the back of the truck. Jack and I spent the entire evening talking and then Christmas Eve morning rearranging our supplies, renting a storage unit to hold the extras, and decking out the truck to resemble the experience I created at the competition.

I tossed my keys to Jack for him to drive my car home and led Holly to the truck.

I’d draped black fabric over the ceiling and walls. Stars dotted a makeshift evening sky. Our projector created the illusion of snow falling around us as I helped her into the tall truck.

She turned in a circle, looking at everything and taking it in. I pulled her to the couch at the back of the truck, hopeful she wouldn’t recognize that I’d stolen it from my friend’s house.

“What is all this?” Holly asked, staring deeply into my eyes.

Mine were so full of emotion I wasn’t sure I could explain everything I needed. “I wanted to take you camping, but I ran into a few problems with my plan.”

Holly’s smile faltered, and for the first time I questioned maybe it wasn’t the best idea to re-create the experience I used to win the competition, but we were too deep into it now.

“You see, we live in Maine and it’s December, so camping would be freaking cold. Also, I haven’t camped since I was a Cub Scout.”

Holly closed eyes, and a soft chuckle escaped.

“I want to experience so many things with you, more of them than stars in the sky. I want everything with you, Holly Halliday. I would give up everything I have rightnow for just a chance to have a new beginning with you. What lies ahead of me will be so much better than anything behind me.”

She studied me, her hand reaching out and cupping my chin as her thumb rubbed against the stubble I hadn’t had time to shave that morning. “Why?”

I swear I saw her heart beating in her chest. Our breathing matched up, and I brought her closer, wanting to share this spectacular moment. “That I cannot put into words. Not exactly. But I can tell you this. My life has been wrapped up in the Causebay Family Farms for as long as I can remember. They are all that mattered. I used to hate Christmas and everything it meant with my father.”

“You hate Christmas?” she asked, pulling back a fraction.

I nodded. “Yes, Christmas means preparing for the competition and then getting ready to dominate. It’s not about family in the Causebay household but winning. I hated Christmas, but with you beside me I’d take three full days of holiday.”

Holly stared at me as if she wanted to believe every single word I said, but I still saw a lingering doubt in her eyes. “I just don’t know, Will. How could we ever make it work? You’re a Causebay.”

I was a Causebay, and I’d carry that last name forever, but that didn’t mean I had to continue the traditions my family ruined. I could spend my nights alone worried about work or I could spend them underneath the stars with the enemy. It was a simple choice.

“Would it help if I told you my father kicked me out of the family?”

Her eyes widened in shocked. “When? Why?”

I chuckled because even though I’d already decided, I really couldn’t believe I found the courage to walk away from everything. “Last night when he offered me control of Causebay Family Farms and I turned him down.”

Holly covered her mouth and lowered her fingers long enough to ask the next question. “Why would you do that?”

That answer was simple. “Because I can’t be the CEO of Causebay Family Farms while dating a Halliday.”

“Holy crap,” was all Holly got out before she covered her mouth again. She sat there stunned, staring at me for a good thirty seconds before my nerves demanded I keep going.

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