by Krista Lakes
“Look, I know you. You’re going to think about it for the rest of the day. You’re going to research it and you’ll realize what I’m telling you is right,” Lucy told him. “Please don’t repeat RentTech.”
Nathan looked up at her. He had followed his gut on RentTech. He had done what he thought was best. And it had blown up in his face. RentTech was operating at a loss this year. He’d overpaid for the company and now it was likely it would never pan out.
Was he really doing the same thing with Elements Computer Technologies?
Lucy sighed and dug around in her bag. “Here. I already printed it all out for you. Here’s the numbers. The money never lies.”
She handed him a thick file of papers. They weighed heavier in his hands than just paper. It was the entire company in his hands.
“Thank you, Lucy.”
“I know you, Boss,” she replied, standing from the table. She fixed her gaze on him. “I’ve worked hard on this. Please do the right thing here. Don’t stop the move.”
She picked up her things and returned her tray to its station. She didn’t wait for Nathan to follow her before heading out of the cafeteria area and heading toward the next meeting. That was Lucy. Always ready for the next meeting.
Nathan set the file on the table with a thud. He thought about hiding in the R&D department again, but there were still more meetings he was expected to run. Everything felt overwhelming and he wished he could have a different life. He sighed with dread.
So he did the one thing he knew would make him feel better. He pulled out his phone and checked his bank accounts.
They were coming back up. It was no longer thirty million down. He was now at a mere ten million dollar loss. That was something he could handle. It made him feel a little bit better.
Money always did that. It didn’t care if he was stressed or sad. Money didn’t care if he was angry or happy. It just was. Money was his constant. He knew where he stood with money. Money never let him down.
Nathan slid his phone back into his pocket and stood. He tucked the file under his arm. It was time to go back to work. It was only a few more hours until he got to see Holly again.
And somehow, that thought comforted him more than his bank account did.
Chapter 33
Holly
“Ms. Jones! Ms. Jones!” Preston ran yelling from the back of the room. Holly immediately made a mental note of where the first aid kit was and which route was the fastest to the office. Preston sounded legitimately concerned.
“What is it, Preston?” Holly asked, going down to one knee.
“Laurie is violating my religious rights,” he told her. He wiped at his cheek.
“Your religious rights?” Holly asked, no longer worrying about the first aid kit.
“Yeah. She says Santa isn’t real.”
Oh boy. Holly thought to herself. She still had to stifle a laugh, though.
“How about we just don’t talk to Laurie for the rest of the day?” Holly suggested. She made one mental note to email Preston’s parents and another mental note on an already very long list to talk to Laurie about telling the other kids about Santa.
Winter break was all of ten minutes away and Holly could hardly stand the wait. The kids were antsy as well. They were ready to run outside. The big Holiday Parade was tomorrow, and everyone was excited. Then it was Christmas Eve and on to Christmas.
And best of all was dinner with Nathan in a few hours. She was actually more excited about that then she was for Christmas.
She looked at the clock. Eight minutes.
“Ms. Jones? If we move, will I ever see you again?” Kellie asked, her green eyes big and full of tears. She wiped at a freckled nose.
“I don’t know,” Holly answered. “I hope so, though.”
Kellie’s lower lip trembled. Holly had already had several kids burst into tears today at the thought of leaving everything they knew for a new city.
She needed to get them through these last few minutes.
The kids were standing at the ready. Everyone already had on coats and hats. Backpacks were full to bursting with all the year’s art projects and homework assignments. The energy in the room was palpable. Holly needed to do something or the kids were going to rebel.
That’s when she saw the snow. They were just tiny flakes, more rain than actual snow, but it was enough.
“Everyone outside!” she yelled, closing the buttons on her jacket. “Last five minutes is recess!”
The kids streamed out of her classroom and into the yard. Most of the parents were already there and waiting for their kids, so she was able to safely see her students off. Those who rode the buss sprinted to the waiting yellow caravans, ready to be free of the school’s reach.
Holly waited for the last of her students to get safely away with parents or friends before heading back inside to finish cleaning up her classroom. She shivered as she closed the door behind her. The temperature was dropping as the flakes came down.
Most of the work was already done. She’d been prepping all week for the end of the year. Now, she just went around the room and removed the last few things that needed to come down. The snowflakes, some artwork, and their reading log for the year. She would put up new things once January and the new semester rolled around.
The room looked bare and strange without the decorations. She checked her watch. Still another hour and a half until dinner with Nathan. She could leave the school, but home would be cold. The school was warmer and had better internet.
She sat in her chair and spun around in lazy circles for a few moments before actually deciding to do it.
She picked up her phone, opened her web browser, and put in a job search for California.
It’s just looking, she told herself. There’s no harm in seeing what’s available.
She wasn’t sure she was actually okay with the idea of moving to California. Granted, many of her students would be there with the company moving, so that would be a plus. But, her dad would still be in Colorado, just without the anchor of the store.
She looked around her classroom and felt guilt paint her soul. She loved it here. She loved this school, her town, and this job.
She could go for a new apartment, but other than that, she was happy. She didn’t want to move.
But she might. For him.
It was at least something to consider. Holly browsed the job opportunities and searched out a neighborhood that she could afford to live in. She checked out how close she would be to the beach, and that idea was at least tempting.
Could she give up the mountains for the beach? She wasn’t sure.
She saved the job search and closed the browser on her phone. That was enough for today.
It was time for dinner.
Nathan was waiting for her at the restaurant. She’d picked her favorite Italian place, a cute little family owned place just off of Main Street. They had an intimate candle-lit table for two. Nathan already had glasses of wine out for them.
“You better be careful,” she told him, settling into her chair. “A girl could get used to this.”
Nathan grinned. His eyes glowed in the candlelight and drew Holly to them with their light. She was a moth to their flame.
“Maybe that’s my evil plan,” he replied.
“Step one: buy the girl dinner. Step two: do it again. Step three: take over the world.” Holly nodded thoughtfully. “It seems like it could work.”
Nathan chuckled and held up his wine glass for a cheers. She happily clinked her glass against his and took a sip. It was delicious. Definitely not just the house red.
“I wanted to ask you something,” Nathan said, carefully setting his glass down on the white tablecloth. The candlelight flickered against the wine, creating beautiful patterns on the cloth.
“Anything,” Holly replied.
“I’m thinking about keeping ECT here,” he said, watching her face.
Holly’s eyes went big and a smile filled her fa
ce. “Really?”
“Shh.” He glanced around. “It’s not official yet.”
“But you’re really going to do it?”
“The connection with the university is too good to lose. The staff is happy here and we can keep salaries priced for this area rather than trying to compete with the Bay Area,” he explained. “The more I think about it, the more I know it’s the right decision.”
Holly grinned at him.
“When I asked you to look into it, I didn’t think you were actually going to change the decision of the company,” Holly said softly. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he warned. “I still have to run this by the board of directors. I may be the official owner, but they are the ones that set the rules.”
“Thank you anyway,” she told him. “It means a lot.”
Nathan reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “It also means that I’ll be here more.”
Her grin widened. “Really?”
Maybe she didn’t have to look for jobs in California after all.
“I’d have to spend most of my time at the Paradigm headquarters, but I would have a good reason to come out here more often,” he replied. He made a nonchalant shrug. “Maybe we could hang out or something.”
She laughed. “Yeah. We could go to football game.”
Nathan laughed, squeezing her hand. “Basketball. Not football.”
Holly took a sip of her wine, using it to give her courage. “You’re not doing this for me, are you?” she asked him.
He smiled at her, his eyes dark and soft in the candlelight. “You’re a perk. You are the cherry on top. The sundae is the company being successful here. George struck gold with his college recruitment. He said, ‘get them before they know they’re talent.’ And he’s absolutely right. It’s brilliant. There’s so much potential for growth, and I have these ideas for a new... Why are you smiling at me like that?”
Holly was grinning from ear to ear. “Because you sound so excited about it. Like you came up with a solution to a difficult puzzle. You haven’t talked about your job once like this since I met you. But, right now, I can see that you love it.”
“I love parts of it,” he replied. “I like the idea of starting some new tech here. Elements has the setup I need to bring a new plan to the market.”
“And there’s that enthusiasm again,” Holly said.
She liked seeing him like this. He was alive with idea. She could see how he ran a business as big as Paradigm when he was like this. He was all energy and dreams.
“To be honest, it’s the first I’ve been excited for a while,” he admitted. “I don’t want to run the business. I’m not a great businessman, but Elements has the tech that can change things. I love working with that. I’ve been more excited to go to that office and play in the R&D department than anything else.”
“Do you like your job?” Holly asked him, tilting her head to the side.
Nathan looked at her surprised. “Usually.”
“Usually?” she asked. “You just said this is the first you've been excited in a while.”
Nathan looked thoughtful. “Honestly? I hate the meetings. Being a CEO isn't what I love,” he admitted. “I miss creating things. Creating solutions. I miss that.”
“And you can't do that?” Holly asked.
“Not if I'm CEO,” Nathan replied. “And it's the money that matters. So, I'll be CEO.”
“Is that part of why you’re keeping the company here?” she asked. “Because you can create things again?”
“Maybe. There’s something magical there,” he told her. “I’m probably boring you.”
She shook her head. “The exact opposite. You’re excited and I love seeing that. Tell me more. I want to know why you’re excited.”
He grinned. “Really?”
Holly nodded. She knew she wouldn’t understand half the techno-jargon that was about to come out of his mouth, but she loved his enthusiasm. His eyes lit up and his hands moved around. Everything about him became more animated. It was like making love to him without having sex. Just excitement.
“Okay. But, you can’t tell anyone about the plans,” he said, keeping his voice low. “I still have to run them past the board.”
Holly pretended to zip her mouth and turn a key. The motion made Nathan chuckle.
“Okay. So, I have this idea for the laptop case that will allow better airflow and cooling properties with a minimal adjustment needed....”
Holly nodded, catching only half of the words, but loving watching him explain his ideas to her. He was alive with ideas and she felt herself falling even more in love with this man.
Which was okay now because he would be staying here.
Chapter 34
Holly
“You’re coming to the parade today, right?” Holly whispered, her head cradled on Nathan’s bare shoulder. He smoothed her hair with his hand against his head. The room was still blissfully dark with only the edges of the curtains showing any hint of morning light.
“I am. I made sure to schedule it with Lucy and everything,” he replied.
She grinned, snuggling into him. This was heaven. She was warm, safe, and completely satisfied. If it weren’t the fact that she’d been looking forward to this parade for the last month, she would happily stay in bed with Nathan for the rest of her life.
She wondered what their future looked like. Would there be more days like this? She knew it wouldn’t be perfect or easy, nothing worth having ever was, but she hoped there would be days like this. Perfect, content days.
“What are you doing for Christmas? Since you’re working, will you be staying here?” Holly asked.
Nathan shrugged beneath her. “I think so. Would you like me to stay?”
She sat up and rolled to her side, turning so that he could see her full face in the dim light. “Yes. Very much.”
He grinned, his eyes still sleepy and soft. He looked younger, less troubled. There was a restfulness to him this morning that she found calming. He looked as happy as she felt.
“Then I’ll stay,” he said.
She kissed his cheek and then resettled into the hollow of his shoulder. “I can’t wait to show you the party. My dad dresses up like Santa and gives out gifts. There’s a potluck this year and Mrs. Stone promised to make her pumpkin pie. It’s exactly what Christmas should be.”
“As long as you’re there, I’m happy,” he told her.
She sighed with contentment, her cheek warm against his skin.
“You’re going to be late,” he warned her. “It’s almost eight.”
“I know,” she said, wishing that time would just stop for a little bit longer. “I just don’t want to leave. It feels so good here.”
She could feel him smile at her in the dark as his arms gave her a squeeze.
“Get up. You’ve been looking forward to this.”
She propped herself up on one shoulder and looked at him. “Thanks.”
“You can show me just how grateful you are later,” he said with a wink. She smacked his shoulder, but knew that she would happily “show him some appreciation” later. He had a body that made appreciating feel good.
She took one last comfortable breath, steeled herself for the cold of the room, and left the bed.
Except, Nathan had turned up the heat. The floor wasn’t ice beneath her feet and she didn’t immediately pop out in goose flesh upon leaving the blanket. She took her time heading to the bathroom and cleaning up. This time she had a fresh change of clothes and a real brush.
She came out looking like she’d spent the night at home, other than the glow he gave her. She couldn’t wipe the goofy smile off her face.
He was up and dressed in dark slacks and a white dress shirt. He kissed her and handed her a cup of to-go coffee.
“Have a great day,” he said, kissing her temple.
“I could really, really get used to this,” she told him.
He just grinned at her.<
br />
She kissed him once more and hurried out the door to get to the parade.
The parade staging ground was a mess. Someone had already given out one of the bags of candy that the floats were supposed to hand out. Now, kids in various holiday themed costumes were running around everywhere already hyped up on sugar.
Holly and Aliyah stood at the parade start line and evaluated the chaos. They were in charge of getting everyone ready to go. Once the parade started, Ms. Chellie was in charge so that Holly and Aliyah could ride on the floats.
“You ready for this?” Aliyah asked, tugging her hat down to cover her ears. It looked like she was a soldier preparing her helmet for war. Her eyes were fierce.
Holly took a deep breath and charged in.
“Zoe, I need you to get the floats lined up. Clancy, you stop hitting your brother. You do it again and we will be having a discussion, understand? Lilibeth, your mom is just over by the coffee station. Fred, I need more candy on float three.”
It came easily. She had been planning this for the last two months. She knew the parade route inside out and upside down. She knew each parade float and which kids were supposed to be where. Now, it was just a matter of getting everyone to where they were supposed to be.
Time flew by as she hurried between floats and checked in with the various crews. The fire department was running late since a Christmas tree went up in flames over on Elm street. The family was okay, and the house was saved, but Holly needed to move two floats up so that the fire truck could squeeze in when they got back.
She felt on top of the world. She felt like she could handle anything the world threw at her today. There was nothing that was going to knock her down. She had this. This was going to be a perfect Christmas day.
“I think we’ve got things rolling!” Aliyah told her, jogging past with a trio of lost kids. “You should head to your dad’s float. We did it!”
Holly grinned and gave her a big thumbs up. She checked in with Ms. Chellie on her walkie-talkie and headed to her float. It was now time for the fun part of the parade.
