Page 35 of Mistletoe Latte

When it landed, the sap-covered trunk slammed to the once-clean floor, Nick shook his head. “Don’t need one.”

“And I couldn’t help but notice your place of business is without a real tree.” The kid kept going through his spiel without listening to a word Nick said.

“I quite like it that way. Last thing people want to deal with are needles falling into their coffee. Get it out of here.”

“But we carried it all the way here, through the snow.”

There was at most a quarter-inch of slush on the sidewalk. Nick steadied his shoulders for a long fight when Emma appeared, and the Explorers went wild. Tiny hands already covered in pine goo and who knew what else lunged for the donuts. Nick stepped in the way. “Those are for customers. And seeing as how you’re here to exploit me…”

“Is that a Christmas tree? It’s adorable.”

Oh, no.Emma placed the tray of donuts on the counter, still in range of the children who could somehow reach eight feet when they weren’t supposed to. Her eyes glistened like new-fallen snow and her cheeks ruddied like a bowl full of cherries as she gazed in wonder at the tiny, shedding tree.

“Yes, it is, ma’am.” The leader found his opening quicker than a prisoner with a shank. He sidled up to Emma and raised the pathetic tree. “Our troop is selling it for poor children who might not have a merry Christmas.”

“Uh-huh, and what’s the charity exactly?” Nick asked.

“The League of Explorers Charity fund,” the kid came back with. Meaning all the money would go into buying them spray paint cans and Swiss army knives.

He rolled his eyes, ready to hustle the kids out. But when Emma cupped her hand under the branch and drew her fingers back with such a delicate touch, he knew he was screwed. At his look, she pulled away her hand and dropped her gaze. “It would help make the place more festive.”

“You don’t have anything Christmasy, mister. What do you have against Jesus?” one of the boys with the least badges shouted at him.

“I don’t have anything against…it causes a mess. And.” There was no winning. Nick let himself get walked into a trap. With a resigned sigh, he went to the cash register and opened it. “How much for the tree?”

All business, the head boy slapped his hands to the counter. “Forty-five.”

“Dollars? I can get an eight-footer for that down at the hardware store.”

“But do they hand-deliver?” he offered, earning him a slow glare. “It’s for charity, mister.”

“Fine. For charity. But I’m going to need a receipt.”

“Not a problem,” the boy called as he pocketed the money then whistled for the others to haul up the tree. He jotted down the gist on a scrap of paper with a grocery store coupon on the back.

Nick didn’t care. He was too busy watching Emma excitedly carry the tree to the unpainted corner. She nearly danced in place, fussing over the branches to make it look as perfect as possible. He knew he’d pay a lot more than forty-five bucks to see her smile like that.

“Hey, mister. How much for the donut?” The boy flush with cash stared at the tantalizing treats.

Snickering, Nick beckoned them all closer. “Forty-five dollars for a dozen.”

WHAT WAS SHE going to do with the tree?

Emma didn’t mean to adopt the little Christmas tree. She just found it adorable. Now it leaned against the wall, needing a stand to keep it upright. Nick finished with the boys that had brought it in and joined her by the tree.

“What now?” she asked, slipping the needles through her fingers. This one was soft, and waxy, and smelled like a winter forest.

“You decorate it, I guess,” he summed up, leaving her adrift.

They both heard the back room door swing open and looked to find Skylar. She caught the donuts first and snatched up two.

“It’s not even one o’clock. What are you doing out of school?” Nick chastised her.

She rolled her eyes and crammed her cheeks with donuts. “Half day,” she said, took a big swallow, and finished. “Like I already told you.”

“Uh-huh, and you’re not skipping school out of some misplaced rebellion.”

“Right, ‘cause the cool thing to do is skip school in order to clean up coffee shits in the bathroom. I could leave if you like. Seems as if you’ve got everything in hand. Or should I say hole?” Skylar lifted a third donut and peered through it with just her eye.

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