was sure they’d depart sooner if they could. The only reason they stayed in New York as long as they did was because of the business. The holiday season made their year financially. Without the last-quarter sales, many retailers would struggle to survive. Finley’s Department Store was no different.
“You told Gabe you didn’t put up a tree,” Holly reminded him.
“I might’ve misled him.”
“You have a tree?” After everything he’d said, that shocked her.
“You’ll see.” His stride was purposeful as they continued walking. She soon figured out where they were headed.
“I can’t wait,” she said with a laugh.
When they reached Rockefeller Center, they stood gazing up at the huge Christmas tree, bright with thousands of lights and gleaming decorations. Jake gestured toward it. “That’s my Christmas tree,” he said.
“Gabe’s going to be jealous that I got to see it again—with you.”
Music swirled all around them as Jake slipped his arm about her waist. “When I was young, I found it hard to give up the kind of Christmas I’d known when my mother and sister were alive. Dad refused to have anything to do with the holidays but I still wanted the tree and the gifts.”
Holly hadn’t fully grasped how difficult those years must’ve been for him.
“Dad said if I wanted a Christmas tree, I could pick one in the store and make it my own. Better yet, I could claim the one in Rockefeller Center and that’s what I did.”
Instinctively she knew Jake had never shared this information with anyone else.
“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
