“Well, you’ve got the biggest, most beautiful Christmas tree in the city,” she said, leaning her head against his shoulder.
“I do,” he murmured.
“Jake,” she said carefully. “Would you consider having Christmas dinner with Gabe and me?”
He didn’t answer, and she wondered if she’d crossed some invisible line by issuing the invitation. Nevertheless she had to ask.
“I know that would mean not joining your father when he leaves for the Caribbean, but you could fly out the next day, couldn’t you?” Holly felt she needed to press the issue. If he was ever going to agree, it would be tonight, after he’d witnessed how much it meant to Finley’s employees that he’d attended their party.
“I could fly out later,” he said. “But then I’d be leaving my father alone on the saddest day of his life.”
“I’d like to invite him, too.”
Jake’s smile was somber and poignant. “He’ll never come, Holly. He hates anything to do with Christmas—outside of the business, anyway.”
“Maybe so, but I’d still like to ask him.” She wasn’t sure why she couldn’t simply drop this. It took audacity to invite two wealthy men to her small apartment, when their alternative was an elaborate meal in an exotic location.
She was embarrassed now. “I apologize, Jake. I don’t know what made me think you’d want to give up the sunshine and warmth of a Caribbean island for dinner with me and Gabe.”
“Don’t say that! I want to be with you both.”
“But you don’t feel you can leave your father.”
“That’s true, but maybe it’s time I started creating traditions of my own. I’d be honored to spend Christmas Day with the two of you,” he said formally.
Holly felt tears spring to her eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.
She turned to face him. He smiled as she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck. Standing on the tips of her toes with a light snow falling down on them, she pressed her mouth to his.
Jake held her tight. Holly sensed that they’d crossed a barrier in their relationship and established a real commitment to each other.
“When I come, I’ll bring the robot for Gabe and hide it under the tree so it’ll be a real surprise.”
“I’ll give you the money on Friday—Christmas Eve.”
Christmas Eve.
“Okay.” She knew he’d rather not take it, but there was no question—she had every intention of paying.
Jake called his car service, and a limousine met them at Rockefeller Center fifteen minutes later. When he dropped her off at the apartment Mrs. Miracle was sound asleep, still in the blue chair. Jake helped her out to the car, then had the driver take her home. Holly was touched by his thoughtfulness.
Even after Jake had left, Holly had trouble falling asleep. Her mind whirled as she relived scenes and moments of what had been one of the most memorable evenings of her life. When the alarm woke her early Thursday morning, she couldn’t get up and just dozed off again. She finally roused herself, horrified to discover that she was almost half an hour behind schedule.
She managed to drag herself out of bed, gulp down a cup of coffee and get Gabe up and dressed and over to the Krantzes’.
Filled with dread, Holly rushed to work. As she yanked off her coat, she heard her name being called. Breathless, she flew into Lindy Lee’s office; as usual, Lindy looked pointedly at her watch.
Holly tried to apologize. “I’m sorry I’m late. I’ll make up the twenty-five minutes, I promise.”
Lindy Lee raised one eyebrow. “Make sure you do.”
Holly stood waiting for the lecture that inevitably followed. To her astonishment, this time it didn’t. “Thank you for understanding.”
“See to it that this doesn’t happen again,” her employer said, dismissing Holly with a wave of her hand.
“It won’t … I just couldn’t seem to get moving this morning.” Thinking she’d probably said too much already, she started to leave, then remembered her resolve to discuss a Christmas party with Lindy Lee.
Aware that Holly was lingering, Lindy Lee raised her head and frowned. “Was there something else?”
“Well, yes. Do you mind if I speak freely?”
“That depends on what you have to say.” Lindy Lee held her pen poised over a sheet of paper.
“I was at the employees’ party for Finley’s Department Store last evening,” she said, choosing her words carefully.
“It was a wonderful event. The employees work together as a team and … and they feel such loyalty to the company. You could just tell. They feel valued, and I doubt there’s anything they wouldn’t do to help the company succeed.”
“And your point is?” Lindy Lee said impatiently.
“My point is we all need to work as a team here, too, and it seemed to me that maybe we should have a Christmas party.”
Lindy Lee leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “In a faltering economy, with flat sales and an uncertain future, you want me to throw a Christmas party?“
“It’s … it’s just an idea for next year,” Holly said, and regretted making the suggestion. Still, she couldn’t seem to stop. “The future is always uncertain, isn’t it? And there’ll always be ups and downs in the economy. But the one constant is the fact that as long as you’re in business you’ll have a staff, right? And you need them to be committed and—”
“I get it,” Lindy Lee said dryly.
Holly waited.
And waited.
“Let me think about it,” Lindy Lee finally mumbled.
She’d actually agreed to think about it. Now, this was progress—more progress than Holly had dared to expect.
Chapter Fifteen
The best vitamin for a Christian is B1. —Mrs. Miracle
Jake Finley was in love. Logically, he knew, it was too soon to be so sure of his feelings, and yet he couldn’t deny his heart. Love wasn’t about logic. He’d been attracted to Holly from the moment he met her, but this was more than attraction. He felt … connected to Holly, absorbed in her. He thought about her constantly. Over the years he’d been in other relationships, but no woman had made him feel the way Holly did.
When he arrived at work Thursday morning, he went directly to his father’s office. Dora Coffey seemed surprised to see him.
“Is my father in yet?” Jake asked her. “Yes, he’s been here for a couple of hours. You know your father—this store is his life.”
“Does he have time to see me?” Jake asked next. “No meetings or conference calls?”
“He’s free for a few minutes.” She left her desk and announced Jake, who trailed behind her.
When Jake entered the office, his father stood. “Good morning, son. What can I do for you?” He gestured for Jake to take a seat, which he did, and settled back in his own chair.
Jake leaned forward, unsure where to start. He should’ve worked out what he was going to say before coming up here.
“I suppose you want to gloat.” J.R. chuckled. “You were right about that robot. Hardly anyone else forecast this trend. I turned on the TV this morning and there was a