A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) (3 page)

“These two look good. Thank you.” Lily clung to the coats and picked up two thick pairs of gloves.

The woman smiled. “You’re welcome. Is there anything else you need? How about a coat for you as well?”

Lily could feel her face redden as she shook her head. “I’m fine. I only have enough to get things for my kids.” 

The woman frowned. “It’s cold out there. You really should get a warmer coat.”

“I’m fine. Really. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a few other things.” Lily tried to push down the anger and embarrassment, but it was hard. Of course she needed a new coat, but her kids needed these things even more. She grabbed a few pairs of pants from off the display table and hurried to the counter to pay for everything, avoiding the sales lady who had helped her.

There was just enough left for some firewood and a few groceries, but Lily would have to wait until later to buy them. Her arms were full, and it was time for her to pick up the kids from school. She jogged the last two blocks, hoping the exercise would help boost her body heat. It seemed like the temperature had dropped a few more degrees while she’d been in the store. She coughed and groaned. The last thing she needed right then was to catch her children’s cold.

The school bell rang, and the door opened to let the students pour out onto the lawn. Mary and Patrick followed behind everyone else, but started running when they saw their mom.

“Hi, Mom! School was fun today. We got to … what’s that?” Patrick pointed at the bags in Lily’s hands.

Lily knelt and set the bags on the ground. She'd been planning to wait until they got home, but with how cold it was, they needed the coats now. “Here you go.”

Mary’s eyes brightened when she saw the thick purple coat. “Wow. These are for us?”

“Yes. And I have enough for food and wood for a fire tonight.” Lily held out the gloves for each of them, and then shoved the empty bag into her pocket.

Patrick put his coat on, followed by his gloves. “I feel so warm. Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome.” Lily stood. “Let’s go get some groceries.” 

The grocery store was decorated with festive streamers and trees, and Christmas music played over the speaker. Lily went through the ad to find the sales before carefully choosing what they could buy. The kids looked hopefully at the candy aisle as they passed, and Lily’s heart hurt when she saw their smiles drop as they realized they wouldn’t get any.

“Hey, we have oranges and some eggs for breakfast tomorrow. That’s good, right?” Lily paid for the groceries along with the firewood.

Patrick and Mary took the two bags of groceries so Lily could carry the wood. She put the bag of clothes in Mary’s bag before they left the store.

They went to the diner, and Lily had Patrick and Mary sit down in a booth while she went back to pick up their dinners. She’d bring the kids to eat when she needed to close up, and Ann was busy with a Christmas party that night. Her kids did their homework and ate while Lily worked. The crowd was smaller than it had been earlier, but still busier than usual. Families and couples out in their nice clothes, most likely shopping or going to a party.

Lily went back to finish up the dishes, as it was nearing closing time. She turned off all the lights and made sure they had everything before heading out into the cold. Their trip home was slow because of the weight of their bags and the wood, and Lily could barely feel her fingers by the time they walked in the door.

The kids went through the bags and ran to their rooms to try on their new clothes. Lily started a fire before putting away the groceries—she wanted the house to warm up before bedtime.

“They fit, Mom! Look.” Mary turned in circles, her smile lighting up her face. “They look like the pants my friends wear. Thank you.”

“You look beautiful. I’m glad they fit.” Lily stood and hugged her daughter. “Go grab your pillows and blankets. We’ll have a campout in the living room tonight so we can stay warm.”

“Yay!” Mary ran back to her room and told Patrick what they were doing.

Lily took the blankets off her bed and laid them on the floor, then helped Patrick and Mary lay out theirs. She was the farthest from the fire, but she wanted to make sure they were warm. Mary was coughing more, and she’d heard Patrick sniffling as well. She put on an extra sweater before snuggling into the blankets, feeling warmer than she had for days.

Chapter 3

David leaned back in his chair and stretched. The plans for the work Christmas party had all been approved, and he had also finished signing the letters from HR, letting Peter and several other employees know that they’d be getting a pay raise and an extra bonus.

Silver Script Ad Agency was doing better than he’d hoped, thanks to a few jewelry ads that had been put together by one of his up-and-coming agents. He wished he’d been the brilliant one to have hired her, but that had been Debra’s idea. Both of them would be getting bonuses, along with Peter.

It was late when David walked down to his pickup. He’d wanted to stop by the diner again that night, but it would be closed by the time he got home. He stopped at a drive-thru and grabbed a burger instead.

Seeing Lily that morning had been a shock, since he’d eaten there a few times and hadn’t run into her. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing to drop the hundred-dollar bill with his check, but he’d seen the ragged coats her children had worn the night before, and he wanted to be able to help in some way. What good was money if you couldn’t share with others? It was something Sarah had asked many times, but David had laughed until now.

David pulled into his garage and closed it before heading inside. He got ready for bed and climbed under the covers with his laptop so he could get a few more things done. He would start ringing the church bells the next morning, which meant he’d get to work a little later than he had the last couple of days. A few of the ads needed to be reworked, and he wanted it done just right.

David stopped tweaking one of the clothing ads and climbed out of bed to turn up the thermostat.  He stared out the window at the falling snow, knowing how much Sarah had loved watching it. Maybe she was the one who'd urged to him to leave his work and glance outside. Flashbacks of that last snowstorm in March went through his mind. The ice on the road, the tree coming at them, his wife’s screams … He jerked out of his memory and tucked it back into a safe place in his mind, wiping away a tear.

He climbed back in bed and pushed his work aside. That could wait until tomorrow. The window was just visible from his bed, and he watched the snow until he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The morning was crisp and cool. The snow had stopped sometime during the night, leaving everything bright and new. David found himself whistling as he made his way to the church. Reverend Smith stood just inside, and smiled when he saw David.

“Ah, you came. Thank you. Come through this way.” He led David to the tower. “It’s just up there. Most churches have the ropes coming down to the lower level, but this church wasn’t built that way. Take the stairs, and the notes on how to ring the bells are in a frame next to the ropes.”

David glanced at the old rickety stairs and nodded. “Got it.”

“Are you coming to the service?” Reverend Smith asked.

David shook his head. “Not this time. Maybe tomorrow.” He climbed up the stairs and tried to ignore the creaks and groans with each step. He’d need to repair the wood if he was going to do this every day.

The instructions for ringing the bells were posted just like the reverend had said, and David did as he was asked. When he was done, he stared out at the valley that he now considered home. Several people had stopped to look up at the bell tower, so he moved away from the edge. No need to gain extra attention. He climbed back downstairs and nodded to the pastor as he slipped out the backdoor. The church had already begun filling, and he didn’t want to walk through the crowd to leave.

A snow plow passed by as David stopped to cross the street. That would make it easier to get into work. He took a step, but hesitated, then turned to go to the diner.  He’d skipped breakfast that morning to ring the bells, and he was hungry. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling that he was really going to see the woman from the church. He didn’t have time for anyone right then.

The diner was quieter than it had been the day before, but there were still a few families. He sat up at the counter again so he wouldn’t have to be reminded that he was alone. Lily came out of the kitchen and stopped when she saw him. He watched her straighten her apron before walking toward him.

“Fancy seeing you here again.” He laughed.

She laughed too, and the sound lifted his spirits more than he would have thought was possible. She leaned forward and glanced around before speaking. “You have no idea how much your tip meant to me yesterday. Thank you.”

David wanted to reach out and wipe the tear from her cheek, but stopped himself. “I’m glad I could help. Your children are beautiful, like their mother.”

Why had he just said that? He never said things like that. Ever. The way Lily stiffened, he knew he’d gone too far.

She licked her lips and stood straight. “Thank you. They’re my life. Now, what can I get you? Toast again?”

David cleared his throat. “Yes, that sounds great. And can you add eggs this time? And maybe some hot chocolate instead of coffee. Lots of whipped cream on top as well, please.”

“Got it.” She turned away, but not before David caught the slight smile on her face.

He tapped his fingers to the old Christmas music that played on the radio and waited for his food to be done. The snatches of conversation about how lovely it was to hear the old church bells again warmed David’s heart. Maybe it was worth it to continue. Plus, it would give him a great view every morning.

“Here you go.” Lily sat the plate in front of David, making him jump.

“Thank you. This looks amazing,” David said. She’d made him the same white and wheat toast that she’d made the day before, and the whipped cream was a good two inches above the mug.

“I would’ve added more, but it was starting to tip. Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached below the counter, then dropped a cherry on top. “There you go.”

David popped the cherry in his mouth and enjoyed the burst of flavor. “Do you always keep cherries under the counter?”

“Only the ones I use for milkshake toppings.” She walked away to take orders from a small family in the corner.

David shook his head and took a bite of his eggs. They were so much better than anything he could have made at home. The hot chocolate was perfect as well.

Lily was busy with other customers when he was finished, so he paid the other waitress and left. Going to the diner that morning had been just what he needed.

The trip to work was a little better than the day before because of the snow plows, but it still took him half an hour longer than he’d wanted. He’d already missed one meeting, and had to rush up the stairs to get to the next one.

David slipped inside and sat near the back to listen to Erin give her report on the earnings for that month. The ring on her finger sparkled as she brushed some hair behind her ear. She’d not only had a successful campaign, but she’d also walked away with a new fiancé. David hadn’t been at work during that time, but Peter had kept him up-to-date.

The sales numbers were higher than they’d anticipated, meaning a higher commission for the company. David clapped with the rest of the group when the presentation was over, and then left for his office. He went through the numbers and found that if they had just a few more weeks with this much success, they would be able to take on more projects.

There was a short knock on the door before Peter walked in. “Hey. The invites for the company Christmas party have been sent out. You sure you’re up for this?”

No. Not at all.
“Our employees have given us a very successful year, and it's time to thank them for it. I may leave early, but I want to do this.” David couldn’t help glancing at the picture of Sarah on his desk.

“She’d be proud of you.”

David cleared his throat. “Thanks. It’s just too bad it took this long to figure things out.”

Peter nodded and put his hand on the doorknob. “Same lunch as yesterday?”

“I think I’ll just have something small. I ate a big breakfast.” David turned to his laptop.

“Sounds good. I’ll be back later.” Peter left the office and shut the door behind him.

David leaned back in his chair and rubbed his face in frustration. His mind kept going between Sarah and Lily, and it was making him dizzy. Was it so bad that he found Lily attractive? That he wanted to anything in his power to make her laugh again?  It was too soon to even think about anyone else.

It was time to get both off his mind and get back to work. He spent the next few hours setting up meetings with the different clients who had called, and preparing PowerPoints for the appointments he had the next day.

Later that afternoon, he was still buried in work, and jumped when Peter knocked and opened the door.

“Here you go.” Peter set a sandwich and chips on David’s desk. “Figured you’d want to eat sometime today, so I grabbed this.”