Approximately Yours (North Pole, Minnesota #3)(53)

Holly jumped up and blocked the stairway. “No, no, no. I don’t need you to fight my battles. It’s what got us into this mess in the first place, right?” She had to do this on her own, for real. It was the only way she could ever possibly make things right with Danny. “Give me your phone.” She held out her hand.

“Again?” Elda cautiously placed her phone in Holly’s palm.

Holly pressed the four-digit code on Elda’s phone. “I’m just going to get his number out of your contacts. I’m going to text him, but this time I’m doing it as me.”





Chapter Eighteen


HOLLY: Hey, Danny. It’s Holly. Call me when you get a chance. Please.

HOLLY: I am so incredibly sorry. You have no idea. Actually you probably do.

HOLLY: The truth is, I’m bad at opening up to people. I suck at putting myself out there.

HOLLY: I’ve been looking at my grandma’s day planner tonight, and it’s like…she lived her life. She took risks. Maybe I need to take more risks.

HOLLY: (Game of Thrones “Come at me, Crow” Night King gif)

HOLLY: I should know better than to try to curry favor with you by sending you GoT gifs. I’m sorry for that, too. I realize by now that you’re not going to call, so I’ll just take the risk and say this: texting with you, spending hours every night getting to know the brain of THE Danny Garland? Best time of my young life so far.





Chapter Nineteen


Sunday, December 24

Danny had been right. Everyone played games, and everyone had an angle. He was never going to find someone with whom he could just exist, be himself, let his guard down. He’d thought he’d found that person in Holly, but nope. She’d been playing him the whole time.

Holly kept texting him all night from what was allegedly her own number, but Danny ignored the texts. After the first one, he didn’t even bother reading them. He’d turned off his phone so he didn’t have to hear another word from the Page girls.

The next morning, he dragged himself to his team’s basketball game out at the Countryside tournament. Or, really, he didn’t drag himself. Brian dragged him. Given a choice, Danny would’ve stayed far away from that place. The North Pole High basketball team was so far from his reality right now, and, frankly, he wanted nothing to do with it. He didn’t want to see Phil Waterston in his seat on the bench, or Kevin taking Danny’s spot on the floor, or Star cheering the team on from the sidelines. It was all part of a world Danny no longer belonged to.

But he kind of did want to get out of North Pole for a while, so he went, leaving his phone at home.

Brian dropped him off at Santabucks after the game, around one. Danny had promised his mom he’d work the afternoon shift until the third round of the gingerbread contest started at four. Brian had offered to bring Danny’s showstopper over to the town hall, so all Danny had to do was show up on time…where he would come face to face with the Page girls, whom he’d been avoiding all day.

He was on edge during his whole shift. Every time the bell above the door rang, Danny startled, worried that it’d be either Holly or Elda or both. He’d have to face them sooner or later, and he was banking on later. After today, he planned on hiding for the next week, until they left town. He’d stay in his house and play video games or something. It’d be fine.

But then the Santabucks bell rang, and in walked Elda with Dinesh. It wasn’t fine. She was glaring right at Danny. Dinesh had to stop her from lunging at him.

“So, you’re here,” Elda said. “You’re alive.”

Danny walked over to the register and leaned on his crutches. Elda was a customer, nothing more. And that’s how he’d treat her. He didn’t owe her anything. Not one stinking thing. “What can I get you?”

“Nothing,” she said. “Did your phone die or something? Did you drop it in the toilet?”

“We have a special today on eggnog lattes,” he said.

“I’ll try one of those,” Dinesh said.

Danny grabbed a cup and went over to the espresso machine.

Elda muttered to Dinesh, “We’re not ordering anything.”

“But I want one. He owes me. I let him into laser tag with his broken leg.”

“I’m on it, Dinesh.” Danny started making the latte. At least it was something to keep him busy, something to focus on instead of Elda’s angry eyes.

“Holly stayed up texting you all night.” Elda stood behind the espresso machine, peering around it to see Danny better. He still refused to look up. “She was trying to apologize, trying to tell you her side of the story.”

“You want whipped on this, Dinesh?” Danny knew Holly’s side of the story. She and her cousin had spent the past week or so pranking Danny, not even caring what it did to him.

“I know you think you’re the victim here, but you’re no less to blame than Holly.”

Danny glared at her as he placed Dinesh’s drink on the counter. How dare she? How dare she stand there with her hands on her hips like Danny wasn’t the one who’d had his heart trampled on. “Oh, really?”

Elda rested her hands on the counter. She and Danny were almost nose to nose. Her dagger-like fingernails were pointing right at him. “Yeah. Really.”