“Yeah.” She chuckled. “One year, she decided that our house wasn’t festive enough. She wanted it covered in lights like one of those holiday Christmas cards. So, she spent hours outside hanging lights and nearly broke her neck on the ladder. She was so excited to turn them on, and when she did, only half of them worked.”
“Oh no.”
“She called it art,” Holly laughed. “The next year, she took the same lights and spelled out ‘Merry Christmas’ on the lawn with them. It was great until the local teenagers came by and changed it into the shape of a giant penis.”
Nathan couldn’t help the immature chuckle that escaped him.
“She kept the penis. She added those decorative tree balls to the testicles. She didn’t change it until the neighbors complained.”
Nathan was starting to see where Holly’s love of Christmas came from. It would be easy to love the holiday if he had memories like these.
“She would always just laugh about stuff. She loved anything to do with Christmas. It’s how I got my name, even though I was born in July. She was the one who came up with the Christmas gifts at their bookstore. She felt it was really important to share the season of giving with the community. So she did.”
“The gifts at the bookstore?” Nathan remembered she had mentioned something about a bookstore before. Her father owned one.
“My parents own a bookstore. Or my dad does now. Every year on Christmas day we hand out presents to all the kids that come in. It’s become a town tradition. My dad dresses up like Santa and all the kids come and the parents hang out.”
“That sounds amazing,” Nathan said, feeling a twinge of jealousy at something he’d never had. Something that he’d never thought he even wanted.
“Yeah.” Her smile fell a little, but she shook her head. “Anyway, enough about me. What are your Christmas traditions? Do you make giant glowing dicks in your front yard too?”
Nathan laughed at the idea. “No. Christmas was never big in my house. I remember a couple of good Christmases with my mom, but then she died when I was little. My dad was never in the holiday spirit after that.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Holly looked down at her empty plate. “I wouldn’t have asked if I had known.”
“Then how would you have found out? Anyway, my dad kicked me out when I was sixteen. I discovered that I could make a lot of money working on Christmas because no one else wanted to. It just kind of stuck.”
“So you don’t really do anything for the holidays?” Holly asked, tipping her head and looking at him like he might be from a different planet.
“I do this.” He motioned to the ski resort. “My company has a big party. Graham has an amazing party that I love going to every year.”
She nodded thoughtfully, then smiled at him. “I’m glad I got to be a part of your Christmas traditions this year.”
“Maybe I’ll become a part of yours next year.” He said it without thinking. The words just popped out.
Luckily, she just took it in stride. “That would wonderful. I promise not to make you waffles.”
Nathan chuckled.
“You want to go to the hot-springs now? I mean, I know we’re supposed to wait half-an-hour before swimming, but...” Holly shrugged and gave him a flirtatious grin.
“That sounds amazing.”
Nathan stood and Merryweather was there to take their plates. “You two have a marvelous day. Enjoy the magic of the snow.”
Holly thanked her and Nathan made sure to leave a generous tip on the table. Then, he showed Holly to his private pool.
Chapter 17
Holly
When Nathan said that he had a private pool, Holly had assumed it would be something like a hot tub near the main pool, maybe slightly enclosed or with some potted plants making it more private.
She was wrong.
It was a private pool that was very private.
The resort’s hot-spring river started at the base of the mountain and ended at the big swimming pool just outside the main building. A steaming creek meandered around the property with small ponds branching off at various locations as it snaked down toward the main pool. There were bigger public pools for up to ten people, and smaller quiet pools that fit three or four. Trees and bushes helped create the illusion that there was lots of space between the pools and gave some privacy. The best pools were gated off from the others, but the very best were hidden.