“It smells authentic.” The room was giving her a pleasant feeling, and she wondered if it was relaxation, something she wasn’t used to experiencing as she chased Cheer around the world, constantly on the go. For the moment, she was enjoying the slower pace.
“So, tell me more about your family,” Ash prompted then took a bite of melon wrapped in prosciutto, which had been brought as an appetizer.
“Oh, well.” Holly tensed, her mind working quickly. “I don’t have any family in the American sense of the word. But I have a… tight-knit community. We take care of one another like family.”
Holly thought she detected a hint of concern in his expression.
“You don’t have any family?” He set down the prosciutto.
“Well, I did. But my parents have both passed on. I didn’t have any siblings.” Holly had always thought of the elves as siblings, but she couldn’t explain that to Ash.
“Holly, I’m so sorry.”
Ash touched her hand, causing a warm jolt like she’d experienced when he’d touched her arm on the street. She tried not to jump away from him. If Ash noticed it, he didn’t react.
“It’s all right. They were ready to go.” Passing on was different for Clauses, and humans couldn’t understand. “What about your family?” she asked, ready to change the subject.
“Well, I have my dad here. He lives about an hour away, in a cabin on the river. He’s living his retirement fantasy, waking up and fishing every day.”
An older version of Ash standing on the riverbank in waders, fishing as the sun came up formed in her mind, making her smile.
“You already know about my mom from Sofia. And I don’t have siblings either. I know what you mean about community, though. This community has been my family ever since I can remember.”
“And now you take care of them,” Holly said.
Ash’s eyes widened with surprise. “Yes, I guess I do. Or I try to. I just want to give back a little piece of everything I’ve received. I want to make this place the best it can be. It has so much to offer.”
Holly nodded. As someone responsible for the Christmas Dreams of humans all around the world, she understood that better than most. “That’s a big responsibility.” She sensed that the weight of it was more than he would admit and wondered if that was true for herself as well.
“Sometimes. But I always get more than I give, you know?” Ash said then took another bite of bread.
“I do.”
Just then, their meals arrived. Holly thought she and Ash were kindred spirits in many ways. She felt she’d had a glimpse into his soul in that moment. But with all the half-truths and layers of magic she was operating under, he could never fully glimpse hers. Still, though her watch was vibrating uncontrollably, during the rest of their meal, Holly briefly forgot her Cheer meter existed at all.
ChapterTwenty-Six
The remainder of the evening passed pleasantly as they ate and chatted more about their backgrounds and interests. Holly had a tendency to answer questions very succinctly, almost as if she were trying to tell him something without telling him everything. He wanted to know everything about her, but he tried not to ask any follow-up questions when it seemed like she wanted to move on, and she seemed grateful for that.
An hour later, by the time they finished dessert, most of the restaurant had cleared out. Enzo approached their table, grinning. He’d always been friendly, but he’d been extra attentive that night, stopping by their table now and then with a quick word for Holly.
That she spoke Italian had been a surprise. She had so many layers to uncover, and he wondered what there was in her past or possibly even her present that caused her to hold back. Everything he’d seen of her was incredible. He couldn’t imagine there was any part of her that wasn’t worth sharing.
“You two have had a lovely night, yes?” Enzo leaned casually on a nearby chair.
Ash glanced at his watch then looked around to notice they were the last two patrons in the restaurant. “Whoa, I didn’t realize what time it was. Sorry about that, Enzo. Dinner was great. Holly, are you ready to get out of here?”
Holly nodded and stood as Enzo slid her chair out for her. She said something to Enzo in Italian again, and Enzo beamed at her.
“Come back any time, you two,” he called after them as they left the restaurant and headed for Ash’s truck.
Ash held the door open for Holly and hoped she wouldn’t be too cold in the truck. He should have gone out to start it before he’d paid the check. Time had flown by with her, and he’d forgotten about everything else.
“I think you may be Enzo’s newest favorite customer. He’s probably going to try to get you to move to Emerald Hollow,” Ash said jokingly after he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine. He quickly switched on the seat heaters and adjusted the temperature dial.
He noticed Holly had gone quiet. Maybe he was talking too much. Or maybe she was tired. Italian food often had that effect on him. He hesitated. The soft, spicy scent of cinnamon had crept into his truck with her, and it distracted him. “Sorry for keeping you out so late. I hope you don’t have to be up too early tomorrow.”
That line of thought had him sitting up straighter. His overflowing to-do list had somehow completely exited his mind while they’d had dinner, but it was back in full force. The next night was the chamber meeting in the café, and he had a few things he needed to prepare for.
