Bright Lights, Big Christmas(47)

Shortly after noon, she stretched the bungee cord across the entrance to the tree stand and dashed over to Lombardi’s to place a to-go order.

Claudia bustled around the busy main room, chatting with regulars. She wore a tight-fitting green sweater adorned with silver-tinsel-draped Christmas trees.

She met Kerry at the bar. “Well, hey there. Haven’t seen you in a while. How’s business?”

“Like a roller coaster. Down, then up, up, up—so much so that we sold out of trees and Murphy had to make a run back to the farm to pick up another load. He just got back.”

“Yeah, he called to let me know when he was on his way down there,” Claudia said, tucking a wisp of blond hair into her updo.

Kerry did a double take. “He did?”

Claudia laughed at her shocked expression. “Don’t be so surprised. He knew I’d be pissed. We were supposed to go out Friday night.”

“My fault,” Kerry confessed. “I kinda guilt-tripped him into going back to the farm.”

“He did blame it on you. But we both know you can’t make Murphy Tolliver do something he doesn’t want to.”

The bartender arrived with Kerry’s order.

“What’d you get?” Claudia asked.

Kerry opened the bag and inhaled the scent of garlic, oregano, and tomatoes. “Your minestrone, and an order of garlic bread. Gotta have something warm in my belly today.”

“Good choice,” Claudia said.

“Anyway, I’m sorry I ruined your weekend plans,” Kerry said.

“He’s got one more chance to make things right,” Claudia confided. “No more grabbing a late dinner here at the bar after we close the place down. I told your brother he’s gotta make real plans. I want to dress up and go out on the town on an honest-to-God date.”

“Good for you.” Kerry glanced out the restaurant’s plate-glass window and saw a young couple stopped in front of the Tolliver Family Farm stand.

“Oops. Gotta go sell some trees now. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure Murphy knows I’ll cover for him this weekend so you two can have a fun night out.”



* * *



The couple spent forty-five minutes agonizing over whether a five-foot or six-foot tree would have the most impact in their high-ceilinged loft. “Get the six-footer,” Kerry urged.

She gave them one of Jock’s favorite lines. “If it’s too tall you can always cut off a few inches—but I can’t make it grow any taller.” The woman laughed and her husband handed over the cash.

Customers arrived at a steady pace throughout the afternoon, picking up trees they’d reserved over the weekend, or choosing a tree for delivery, and she was relieved when Vic arrived on his bike, primed to start work.

“Man,” he said, looking around at the replenished stand. “How are we gonna sell all these trees before Christmas?”

“Check the tags,” Kerry said. “A lot of these are already paid for. And I’ve got an idea for a little promotion you can help me with, as soon as you come back from your delivery rounds.”

She was jotting down her shopping list when Austin came skipping into the stand, followed by his father.

Austin was bundled up against the cold and cradling a book against his chest.

“Is that a book you’re reading for school?” Kerry asked, after greeting the pair.

He grinned and shook his head. “Nope. Dad bought it for me at the bookstore. See?”

He thrust the book into her hands. “It’s all about dragons.”

The picture book was called Dragons Love Tacos, and Kerry smiled too, as she leafed through the pages with their whimsical illustrations and story of a taco-loving dragon who accidentally ingests an especially fiery salsa.

“Dragons, huh?” she said, handing the book back.

“He’s suddenly obsessed with them. Been talking nonstop about dragons all morning,” Patrick said. “He made me look up all the lyrics to ‘Puff the Magic Dragon.’”

Kerry blushed.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “I guess that’s gonna be our song now, huh?”

Austin was hopping up and down with barely contained excitement. “Kerry, do you think we could put some dragons in our story? That’s why I love this book. I mean, it’s kind of a baby book for a kid like me, who can read, but the dragon pictures are really cool.”

“Definitely,” Kerry replied, opening the book again to study the illustrations.

“Yeah. Our dragons could guard the gate to the forest,” Austin said. “I bet that would scare off the bad guys.”

She nodded and pulled her sketchbook out, turning to a fresh page. She quickly inked a dragon, giving it bat wings, a scaly body, spikes along its spine, a forked tail, feet that ended in fearsome claws, and an imposing head with powerful jaws and hooded eyes.

“Damn!” Patrick took a half step backward. “That dragon would definitely scare me if I were a bad guy.”

Austin studied her drawing and tapped the dragon with his finger. “Our dragon is friendly when he wants to be, right, Kerry?”

“Of course,” Kerry said. “But can we have one of the dragons be a girl?”

“I guess that would be okay,” Austin said.