Page 59 of My Secret Santa Dallas

It came down to me, and she turned to Dallas. “Merry Christmas.”

His head snapped back, and shock ran over his face before he took the bag and plucked the new hat out. It was slate black with a silver Cattleman Crown. He whistled and placed it on top of his head. Then he took out the pack of knives and peered at me. “Did you find my Christmas list from when I was thirteen?”

I laughed along with half of the room. “No.”

“Dallas Donovan, it is your time,” Betty said. He stepped away and plucked something out of his jacket: a voucher book.

Huh?

“So, I have had the foggiest idea of what to get you for Christmas, so I figured, why not letyou tell me,” he shrugged. “Those are thirty empty vouchers you can redeem at any point. If you want to go shopping, if you want a tree stump yanked out, your oil changed; honestly, it is endless. But please don’t take a million hours in the mall. I’ll go bat crap crazy.”

More laughter, but I hugged the voucher book like it was the most precious gift on earth. “Are we amenable to negotiating on the mall situation?”

“I’d expect nothing less," Dallas grinned.

THE END