How (Not) to Fall in Love(77)
“Let’s go, Mom. We’ll talk about this later. Everyone’s waiting for us.” I forced a smile. “They probably already ate all the pizza.”
She took a deep breath and looked around one last time, her eyes drinking in the emptiness.
“Come on, Toby,” I called. He charged out the front door and down the steps toward Mom’s Volvo.
Mom walked through the doorway, tears glinting in her eyes. She squeezed my shoulder, then followed Toby.
I pulled the door closed behind us and didn’t look back.
Chapter Thirty
December 17
National Newswire BREAKING NEWS
Tri!Umphant! Harvest Industries held a press conference today from headquarters in Denver, Colorado. Acting president J.J. Briggs began the conference by reading the following press release:
“The board of directors voted today to file bankruptcy. A trustee has been appointed by the court to liquidate all assets and pay off all debts. All employees will be terminated as of the end of December.”
Mr. Briggs was asked to comment about the continued absence of Tyler Covington, the face of Tri!Umphant! Harvest.
“He’s not coming back,” J.J. said. “We had no choice but to file bankruptcy. We don’t even know if he’s still in the country.”
Mr. Briggs was asked if the return of Mr. Covington could change the board’s decision to file bankruptcy.
“That’s a moot question,” said Mr. Briggs. “Ty’s gone. For good.”
Mr. Briggs declined to answer any more questions.
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“I knew it! I knew that guy was a total fraud. Good luck getting refunds on your Harvest tour tickets.” –DaveInDenver
“He helped me through awful times. I don’t know what happened to him, but I’ll always love Ty.” –MissKT
“You true believers are nuts, MissKT. The guy might as well have held a gun to your head and robbed you.” –DaveInDenver
“I’m not going to argue with you, Dave. You can’t change my mind and I can’t change yours.” –MissKT
Lucas texted me as I unpacked a box in our new kitchen. “Can I come by your house tonight after work?”
Like I’d say no.
“Make sure your mom’s home, too.”
So much for the hot and heavy kissing session I was hoping for.
“Sure. C U tonight.” I wondered what he was up to. I tore open another box. I’d find out soon enough.
It was after ten when Lucas rang the doorbell. Mom had made hot chocolate and actually baked cookies when I told her he was coming over. She even used her snowman cookie cutter. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d seen her bake. The sight of her standing sentry over our professional grade Kitchen Aid mixer made me deliriously happy.
Toby barked when he heard Lucas calling to him from the other side of the door. Disloyal dog.
I flung open the door and my mouth dropped open. Lucas and Charlie stood on the top step, balancing a Christmas tree between them. The smell of fresh-cut pine filled my nose, flooding me with memories. Liz stood on a lower step, smiling up at me and holding shopping bags overflowing with wrapped packages. Pickles bounced up and down next to Liz, waving to me and giggling, wearing a headband full of jingle bells.
“What… Why…” My brain stopped computing.
“Can we come in?” Lucas asked. “Or do you just like watching me show off my muscles?”
Laughing, I stepped back and opened the door wide. The room filled with voices and laughter as Lucas and Charlie set up the tree next to the fireplace. Mom directed Lucas to the basement for the Christmas decorations. He returned with an enormous box of ornaments and cobwebs in his hair. Charlie queued up an Ella Fitzgerald holiday album on his iPod while Pickles stuffed herself with sugar cookies and hot chocolate.
Lucas pulled me into the darkened hallway for a deep, toe-curling kiss. I brushed cobwebs out of his hair when his kisses drifted down my jaw to my neck.
“Lucas,” I whispered. “There’s a parent and sibling here. Plus an uncle and my boss.”
“So?” he murmured, working his way back up my neck to my earlobe.
Pickles bounced into the hallway. “Presents!” she exclaimed. “We’re putting them under the tree right now!” She stared at us as Lucas came up for air. “Why are you eating Darcy’s ear?”
“I’m hungry,” he said. I whacked him on the chest.
Pickles wrinkled her nose. “You’re gross, Lukie.”
I shot him a warning glare but he just pulled me in close again.
“Go away, Pickles,” he growled. “We’ll be there in a minute.”
Pickles drifted back toward the living room but we heard her loud voice. “Lucas and Darcy are kissing. Because he’s hungry.”
Oh God.
We laughed against each other’s lips, but we kept kissing.
Later we all sat around the tree. As she hung ornaments on the tree, Mom told stories about all of the lame ones I’d made over the years. Lucas took the popsicle frame with my brace-face sixth grade photo and hung it from his shirt collar.