A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) (10 page)

“Will you go make sure everyone has left the diner?” Lily asked. She dropped another pot into the dishwater. Once everyone had left, Mary and Patrick crept out of the office, and Lily handed them each a plate of spaghetti.

David washed the dishes while Lily dried. Eric and Susan swept the floors and washed down all the tables before moving on to the bathrooms and kitchen. When they were done with that, Lily had them take over the dishes and started on the prep work for the next day.

“So, this will end soon, right?” Lily asked. She rubbed the roast with spices and flipped it over.

“It depends on how much gossip they can get out of their few minutes of seeing you. Look, I am so sorry. I didn’t know anyone had followed me here. This is why I moved out of New York.” David leaned against the counter.

Lily set the roast in a pan and added the potatoes, carrots, and other veggies before wrapping it up.

“I’ll forgive you if you forgive me.” Lily set the roast in the oven and shut the door before meeting his eyes. “I might have taken advantage of the press by trying to make money off them.”

David laughed and pulled her into a hug. “Most people would kick them out and tell them to go away. Trust you to feed them good food before sending them off.”

Lily joined in, and it helped drain away her fatigue.  She stepped back and wiped the tears running down her face from laughing so hard. “Man, I needed that. Thank you. Go grab some food and join Mary and Patrick if you want. I’m almost done.”

“I can help. I don’t trust the press yet. If I go out there, it could be bad.” He scooped the chopped onions into the next pan and scattered them around the roast.

“So, this is your life?” Lily chopped some carrots next.

David stopped crushing the garlic for a second before starting again. “Yes. Well, it was. That’s why I drive the old truck. They don’t expect me to drive something so beat up. Or, at least that’s what I thought. I guess I slipped and forgot to watch for people when I headed out of work one day or something.”

“Must be a pain.” Lily walked over to the sink and washed her hands.

“It is.” David’s good mood seemed to have dissolved, and he was quieter than she’d seem him before. “I’m going to sneak out the back again and take the long way home. I’d give you a ride—”

“I’ll take her. You go.” Ann smiled at him and pulled on her coat.

David nodded and left the back way. Lily had the kids switch out the menus while she counted money and Ann did the recount. They had enough to pay Mike back the next day, along with the other deliveries they’d need. Lily set some aside to pay for the utilities as well and put the rest in the safe.

Ann took Mary’s hand, and Patrick took Lily’s as they locked and dead-bolted the door. They ran for the car and climbed in. Ann pulled out of the diner and drove around town a couple of times before taking Lily home.

“Let’s hope that worked. See you all in the morning.” Ann laid her head against the seat as Lily climbed out.

“Thank you. I’ll be there early tomorrow. Sleep in. You’ll need your rest.” Lily smiled and shut the door before hurrying inside. She shut and locked the door before leaning against it. “That was insane. Okay, you two have already eaten, so brush your teeth, and we’ll have prayers.”

Mary left the room and Patrick followed, grumbling. Bedtime was not his favorite time of day.

Lily walked into her room and dropped on her bed. She didn’t want to move, but she rolled over and made a few calls for deliveries before her kids came in for prayers. She listened to Mary’s sweet pleas to get help for her family, then Lily kissed their cheeks and told them goodnight. It had been a long day, and there was so much to be grateful for. That night, the tears in her eyes were of gratitude—something that had been a long time coming.

Chapter 7

David sat at the church for several minutes before going in. He’d been asked to ring the bells at night as well, and that night, he was grateful for the opportunity. He couldn’t believe that Lily had been dragged into the media mess. All the steps he’d taken to be left alone hadn’t worked.

The cold wasn’t quite as sharp when he climbed out of the truck. He walked into the bright cheeriness of the church. He waved at the pastor and waited for him to come down from the pulpit, where he'd been preparing for the service that evening.

“There you are. I’m so thankful that you are willing to do this for me. I thought it would be good for people to go to sleep at night with the tune in their heads. That, or they’ll come and yell at me, but either way, I’m getting to them.” Reverend Smith laughed and led the way to the bell tower.

“I guess that’s a good way to look at it.” David climbed the stairs and looked through the list of melodies he could play. He found a Christmas song and decided it would fit that night well. As he rang the bells to play
Silent Night
, he teared up. He could almost hear Sarah humming along. When it was over, the sounds still haunted his thoughts. He looked out and watched as Ann left the diner to take Lily home.

David went downstairs to find a few people sitting in the pews. He nodded to them and walked to the back of the church. He sat down and listened as the pastor spoke of service.

“Remember that service is not just for the holiday season, but something that’s important year round. Find those around you who might need help, and assist them in the best way you know how.”

David slipped out before the song was over and climbed into his truck. He drove home and made some popcorn so he could watch a movie. The Christmas tree distracted him, and he thought back to the night Lily had been there. It was the first time this place had felt like home, and he ached for it again.

* * *

David made it into the city early the next morning and did his best to be as visible as possible. He wanted to do anything he could to pull the attention away from Lily while making sure she still had plenty of business. Not that he had to try too hard for that—he’d learned that he was a walking advertisement for any place he walked into. It wasn’t so bad most of the time. He got a lot of free meals, and everyone went out of their way to make sure he had the best of whatever they served. He just made sure to tip heavily as he left.

After shopping for several hours to finish off the details for the party the next night, David dropped the supplies off at the reception hall where they’d be holding the party. Workers were busy hanging decorations, and the tables glittered from the silver and the goblets set at each place. He couldn’t wait to see how his employees would react to everything.

“Is everything to your liking, sir?” the owner, Steve, asked.

“You’ve surpassed my liking. Seriously. This is why I chose you to put on the party.” David gestured to the bags he’d brought with him. “Here are the gifts I want to hand out. Do you have a spot for them yet?”

“Of course. They’ll go up near your seat.” Steve whistled for help, and two men came by to grab the bags and followed them to the front. “You and your date will sit here, as will your assistant and the others you recommended.”

“Perfect. I have everything wrapped and ready to go. However you decide to display them, I want these three to be last.” David pointed to three smaller packages.

Steve wrote it down in his notebook. “Wonderful. Is there anything else you need? Otherwise, I need to go make sure the food is prepared correctly.”

“I’m leaving it all in your hands. Thank you.” David nodded at him and left the hall, smiling at the employees as he walked past. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Lily’s face when she saw it.

And speaking of Lily, he still needed to arrange her dress fitting. He climbed in a cab and directed the driver to a building near Times Square. He climbed out and smiled at the few photographers who were waiting outside—he’d let slip that he’d be here later that day—and climbed upstairs.

“Hello. I need to speak to Mr. Walker,” he said to the receptionist.

Her eyes were wide as she called her boss to let him know David was there. It was only a minute or so before David was called back. He sat down on the plush chair in front of the desk and waited for Mr. Walker to speak.

“It’s a nice surprise to see you here. I trust you have good news about our campaign?” Mr. Walker folded his hands on the desk.

“Oh, it’s ready to go. My secretary will be calling you Monday to set up a meeting so you can see it. I’m here to talk about something else, actually.” He cleared his throat. “My date needs a dress for the party tomorrow night, and I want to make sure it’s perfect. I was hoping to bring her by tomorrow afternoon to be pampered and dressed for the evening. Are your employees up for it?”

Mr. Walker stared at David for a moment before smiling. “This must be some special woman.”

“You have no idea.”

“I’ll agree, but only if you let us create your tuxedo as well.”

David laughed. “It’s a deal. I was thinking around three o’clock. Will that give you enough time to have things ready?”

“We’ll be ready.” He stood and shook David’s hand. “Thank you for allowing us this opportunity.”

“You’re welcome. We’ll see you tomorrow.” David left with a big smile on his face. He couldn’t wait to see what they designed for her.  He left and headed to work to pick up his truck. He wanted to help Lily at the diner, but he needed to make a couple of stops first.

The drive through the city was slow because of rush-hour traffic. He should have left an hour before. He stopped at a florist just outside the city and bought some red roses, then drove to a small cemetery. A frozen white blanket covered the ground, but he could have made it to the headstone with his eyes closed. The flowers stood out brightly against the white surrounding them. David brushed the snow away from Sarah’s headstone and knelt down.

“I can’t believe another month has gone by since you left me. I hope you’re proud of the changes I’ve made in my life. I’ve made them for you, and you’re right. I’m so much happier when I serve.” David wiped his eyes. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I met someone. I think you’d like her. She’s beautiful, smart, and has a wonderful laugh. And two of the most amazing kids. I just … I don’t know what to do.”

He sat in silence for another few minutes before standing and touching the headstone. No answers had come, but he hadn’t really expected one. He knew she would be happy for him.  That’s all she’d ever wanted. The question was, could he allow himself to let go and move on?

It was another hour before he finally got back home. The diner’s parking lot was packed with cars again, and he saw flashes going off in several places. He drove past and parked in his garage before walking around the long way to go in the back door.

Lily was trying to do several things at once, so David stepped in to help out. He kept the mask and hairnet on and made sure to stay away from the window into the dining room.

“I see things haven’t calmed down much,” he whispered as he took a plate from Lily.

“I think it’s worse today.” She threw some more noodles into a pot and handed the spoon to David to stir, then took another two dishes to the window.

David went to the pantry to look through the spices. He pulled out the ones he needed and set them on the counter, and then pulled out another pan. He sautéed the garlic and added onions and a few other spices to the mix.

“What are you doing?” Lily stared at the pan in front of him.

“Making my pasta dish. I know it’s not on the menu, but it makes a lot, and it’s fast.” He set the pan aside and grabbed a pot for the noodles he’d need.

Lily nodded. “Right. We’ll just add that to the specials list.”

“So you don’t have anyone else to help?” David asked. “It’s kind of insane in here.”

“I have two friends who should be here any minute. If you have suggestions on how to calm this down, I’d love to hear it. Not that I don’t love the business. We’re just almost out of ingredients.” Lily pulled some chicken out of the oven and set it on the counter to dish up.

David poured the noodles into the pot and turned the heat down. “I have an idea, if you’re willing to do it.”

“What’s that?” Lily asked.

“Come to a movie with me. We’ll go out the back, but accidentally be seen so they’ll follow us. But that’s only if you want the diner to empty out. You sure you want to lose the business? And more importantly, are you okay with them following us to the movie?”

Lily glanced at the window to the chaos in the dining room and sighed. “As much as I love the business, I need to restock before we can make anything else. Are you okay with that, Ann? I could just announce that we're out of food, but then what would the reporters say?”

“A break from the insanity? That’s a big yes. You two go, and I'll deal with it.” Ann grabbed a few plates and left the kitchen.

David helped Lily put on her coat, and they had Mary and Patrick follow them outside. David walked around the corner and waited until the crowd noticed him. He put his arm around Lily and took Patrick’s hand while Lily held Mary’s hand. They walked to the theater slowly to make sure they had reporters following them.

“Where are we going?” Mary asked.

“To a movie,” Lily said.