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“I better go with them or they’ll drink all our beer,” Noel said.
“Good point!” Merry laughed.
Noel hugged them both in turn and headed out the door. “See you later.”
Holly looked around the shop, admiring the array of red, green, and white, enjoying the twinkling lights and hints of glitter on the garland.
“You ready to get out of here?” Merry asked.
“Yeah, I just need to lock up. You can go if you want. I’m sure Clark and everyone are done with the set up by now.”
Merry shook her head. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
Holly laughed. “You afraid I’m going to get attacked on the way to my car?”
“No, but in case I’m wrong, I’ll stick around.”
“Why don’t you wait in here with me? That way we can keep each other safe and see our next birthday.”
Merry giggled. “Only have about two weeks. I think we can manage that, don’t you?”
Holly waved her hand in a so-so motion. “Could be dicey.” All the Winters siblings were born in December two years between each. Nick was the oldest and turning thirty this year. Merry would be twenty-eight, and Holly was about to be twenty-six.
“Pretty sure Nick and I are safe, so that makes you our wild card,” Merry said, poking Holly in the ribs. “I just hope the Adventure Elf doesn’t do something wacky like play chicken with a chainsaw wielding maniac.”
“The stunts I pull are things ordinary people do every day.”
“Ordinary people with a death wish.” Merry waved her hands in a shooing motion. “Now, hurry up.”
“I’ll only be a minute.”
Holly took care of the back door and then grabbed her purse and coat before heading back to the front. “Let’s motor, baby.”
“Vroom vroom!” Merry said, heading out the front door ahead of Holly.
“I was thinking about those peen designs you showed me earlier and I’ve decided my favorite is the mistletoe Johnson and the reindeer Johnson.”
“Duly noted. I will work on the reindeer and debut it this week and mistletoe next week. I sold my last turkey yesterday, so I am officially out of fall Johnsons.”
Holly and Merry fell into step together and walked along the sidewalk to where their cars were parked, passing by the front corner and display window of Mistletoe Hardware. Holly slowed down to study the window display, which had an open tool box and some power tools covered in dust, the same display the hardware store had had for over a year now.
She stopped, staring into the window, and an evil plan formed in her mind.
“What are you doing?” Merry asked.
“Hatching a diabolical prank,” Holly responded.
Holly jogged back to the front door of her shop, ignoring her sister calling for her to stop. In the storage room was another full box of those Christmas gnomes, and Declan Gallagher was going to benefit from the leftover inventory. She couldn’t wait for him to get in tomorrow and appreciate her generosity.
“Seriously, what are you doing?” Merry asked from the doorway.
“I think the window next door could use a makeover. Don’t you?”
Merry’s eyes widened. “Holly. Let’s not do anything crazy. I wouldn’t put it past Declan to press charges.”
“Is it B and E if I have a key?” Holly grabbed the emergency key Mr. Gallagher had given her two years ago off the hook on the wall and lifted the box into her arms. “You coming or do you want plausible deniability?”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Merry said.
