AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Did I say that?” he asked, her teasing like a warm glow drawing him in. “I was simply agreeing with you.”
“Well, forgive me if I can’t tell when you’re criticizing me or not.”
“I don’t like the holidays. I’m not going to apologize for it. It doesn’t make me a bad guy.”
“Doesn’t make you a good one either,” she muttered.
“Fair enough.”
Holly hopped onto the railing, putting her back to the front yard. “Can you at least tell me why you hate Christmas?”
Declan stiffened, hating the earnestness he saw in her eyes. She was genuinely trying to get to know him, and he couldn’t bring himself to be honest. Not about his past, certainly not about his family.
“Santa didn’t bring you what you really wanted and you swore revenge against the jolly fat man?” Holly asked.
“Is that the plot of a movie?”
“Probably, but now I’m just throwing out guesses.”
“Why does it bother you so much?”
“Because I love it. I mean, I run a holiday shop and live on a street known for its Christmas lights display. My family owns a Christmas tree farm, we all were born in December, and all have Christmas-themed names. It’s ingrained.”
“Nick is supposed to be for?”
“Saint Nicholas, of course,” she said.
“Gotcha. But that explains why you love Christmas. Why do I need to like it?”
Holly didn’t answer for several seconds and finally shrugged. “That first day in the store, I thought you were cute. There was no point in making a move on you if you were a rotten Scrooge though.”
Declan reeled back in surprise. “You thought I was cute?”
“Until you opened your mouth and were a giant turd, yes.”
“I can see why you might have thought that. To be fair, your confidence about converting me rubbed me wrong.”
“Oh, so not only are you a Christmas-hating jerk, you’re against confident women?”
Declan spluttered. “That is not what I meant! I just don’t feel like Christmas is all it’s cracked up to be. The suicides skyrocket this time of year, power bills surge, people overspend and get themselves into debt.”
“And that’s why you hate it? Because of what other people do?” Holly grabbed his hand out of the blue and dragged him out onto the lawn.
“What are you doing? It’s snowing.”
“Barely, but hang with me for a minute. Look at my parents’ place and tell me what you see.”
Declan studied the dark roof lit up by flashing lights, the glowing wreath on the front door, and open windows where he could see the people inside talking and laughing.
“I see a house. Christmas lights. Snow-covered grass—”
“All right, Mr. Literal. Let me tell you what I see.” She pointed to the Santa on the roof that had almost killed Declan, and the eight reindeer arranged to appear as if they were about to take flight. “The bright lights make me smile, which creates this warm glow in my chest and that heat spreads throughout my entire body. The music you detest so much brings back memories of my mother baking cookies, my siblings and I hanging too many ornaments on a branch and my mom sneaking behind us to fix them. I see my family inside, and even though I know we don’t always get along there is so much love when we’re together. That is what the holidays are to me.”
Declan didn’t know how to respond, so he said nothing. He hated Christmas carols because they reminded him of when his family used to be happy together. He despised the smell of holiday baking because it brought back memories of his mom, which took him back to anger because she got out and didn’t come back. Christmas lights reminded him of traffic jams and his parents fighting about money—
“Declan?” Holly placed a hand on his arm and the warmth of her palm made him realize he was freezing.
“Yeah, sorry, was trying to relate and failed. I think I’m going to get my coat after all.”
