Page 74 of Bright Lights, Big Christmas
“You look like a big, gorgeous stud-muffin,” Kerry told him. “Claudia is the luckiest woman in New York tonight.”
“I’m counting on me being the luckiest guy in the city tonight,” her brother countered as he stood, looking across at Lombardi’s.
chapter 42
The first fat fluffy flakes of snow landed lightly on Kerry’s eyelashes at precisely 10:05 on what had been an interminably long, cold, lonely night.
She’d sold three more trees for a combined total of sixty-three dollars—the odd number caused by her latest customer, a half-drunk college kid who swore he only had three bucks in cash and a Metro- Card on him. She’d handed over the tree, along with a candy cane, and he’d given her a boozy hug before strolling away, dragging a hundred-dollar tree behind him on the icy pavement.
At ten thirty, she texted Patrick.
How’s the patient?
She stared down at the phone, watching the tiny text bubbles.
Sleeping, finally. Can you come up?
Could she? Kerry looked around. Four lonesome trees leaned against the railings of the Christmas tree stand. The snow was falling faster now and people spilled out of neighboring bars and restaurants, laughing and chattering in the chilly night air.
She whistled for Queenie, who, clever girl that she was, had burrowed into a couple of moving blankets beneath the worktable. The dog poked her nose out and looked at Kerry.
“Come on. Let’s put you up for a while.” Kerry led Queenie into the trailer, where she happily leapt atop Murphy’s bunk before curling up on his pillow. Then Kerry closed and locked the trailer door.
Outside, she pulled the bungee cord across the entrance to the tree stand, hanging theCLOSEDsign. She started to walk away, then changed her mind.
She took down the hand-painted price list, crossing through it with a bold red marker, writing across it in large letters:
FREE TREES! MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE TOLLIVER FAMILY.
Patrick buzzed her into the lobby and met her in the hallway outside the apartment.
“Come on in.” He gestured toward the open door, and kissed her as she walked past.
“I’m so glad you texted,” she whispered, as she tiptoed into the apartment. “I was freezing and dying of boredom down there.”
“No need to whisper,” he told her. “Austin is passed out in his room. A herd of elephants couldn’t wake that kid when he’s sick.”
As Kerry stood looking out the window, watching the snow drift past, Patrick slid an arm around her waist and kissed her neck. “Can I get you a glass of wine?”
“That would be nice,” she said, looking down at the street below.She saw a young couple holding hands, running gleefully into the Christmas tree stand, clapping their hands as they read the sign she’d left behind. The woman pointed at the largest of the remaining trees, one that had been priced at three hundred dollars a few hours earlier, and the man wrestled it out of the stand and began dragging it toward the sidewalk.
Patrick was back, handing her a wineglass. “Hey! They’re stealing your trees. Want me to go down there and stop them?”
“They’re not stealing. I’m giving them away.”
“Why?”
“Why not? It’s almost Christmas. Whether I leave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, what’s the difference?”
He touched her chin, swiveling her face until hers was inches from his.
“It makes a difference to me. I need more time with you. I’ll take whatever I can get.”
“Another reason to close down the stand and give away the rest of the trees. Instead of standing down there, miserable and cold, I can be up here with you, warm and—”
He was kissing her now, and she leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Dad?” A small, very familiar voice floated across the room. They both froze.
