A Family Made at Christmas by Scarlet Wilson

Author:Scarlet Wilson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-11-23T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

EVEN THOUGH IT was early afternoon, the sky was already darkening and the lights from the garden centre twinkled in greeting to them. Finn pressed his nose up against the window of the car, sending steamy breaths up that smoked his view. ‘Is this where we get the Christmas tree?’

April nodded. She’d spent the last few days trying to make up an excuse not to be around Finn and Riley—each of them more pathetic than the one before. Her stomach had been in a permanent knot for the last few days. Finally, she’d realised it was almost like being a teenager going on a first date. Mallory used to tease her relentlessly about it. April had nearly always been sick before a first date, whereas Mallory had walked about the house singing.

And as soon as she’d had that thought, she knew she was going to go.

She smiled at Finn. ‘They have lots to choose from. You’ll find the perfect one.’

Riley opened the door of the car for Finn so he could climb out. The car park was busy; a group of children were crowded around the outside display—Santa’s sleigh being pulled by reindeers.

‘Look!’ gasped Finn as he wriggled free of Riley’s grasp and ran over to lean on the barrier. He stretched to touch the carved wooden reindeers. The largest one was just out of his reach. April looked around and gave him a bump up, so his fingertips could brush against the roughened wood. ‘I touched him!’ Finn squealed excitedly. ‘I touched Rudolph!’ April laughed as she let him down. Sure enough, someone in the garden centre had painted the nose of this reindeer bright red. Finn pulled her down towards him and whispered in her ear, his eyes sparkling, ‘Are these the real reindeers? Do they come to life on Christmas Eve so they can deliver all the presents?’

April glanced conspiratorially around her. ‘What do you think?’ she whispered back. Finn’s smile spread from ear to ear. Riley was standing behind them with his hands in his pockets.

‘Come on, you guys. Let’s go pick a tree.’

April nodded; she slipped her hand into Finn’s and he took it without question. As they walked through the main entrance she gestured to a blacked-out area to the left. ‘All the neon trees are in here. The real trees are on the other side. I wasn’t quite sure what you would want.’

Riley bent down to Finn. ‘Should we take a look at them all?’

Finn nodded excitedly. The area was encased by a giant black tent and, as soon as they pushed the curtain aside, Finn gasped. The tent was full of trees, all different sizes, all pre-lit, some multi-coloured, others with just white lights. Some of the lights were programmed, twinkling intermittently, or staying bright the whole time. Finn walked slowly from one tree to the other, stopping in front of one tree that was covered in bright blue lights. ‘I like this one, Dad,’ he breathed.

Riley glanced at April, then bent forward and lifted the price tag.

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