It Started With A Christmas Tree - A Lizzie Fuller Christmas Novella Read Online Free PDF Page B

someone else and
Earl gave the wrong one to you.”
    “I don’t know. There was only one tree to
take,” I shrugged.
    “Why don’t you go back and ask Earl about
it? If it was meant to go to someone else and he gave it to you by accident
then he might be stressing. Poor guy sounds really sweet, I’d hate to think he
was in trouble for selling it to you,” said Danny, wrinkling his brow.
    “Maybe, but honestly, I think it was just
a promotion thing. Get a free bauble with every tree.”
    “It looks pretty expensive,” said Molly,
holding up and inspecting it. “In fact, I think it might be crystal.”
    “You think so?” I asked, taking it off of
her and having a closer look. “It looks like glass to me.
    “Ask your mum,” said Drew. “She’s been
collecting crystal for years. If anybody would know, she would.”
    “Yeah, maybe. I’ll show her on Sunday at
dinner if I remember to take it.”
    By the time the pizza arrived we had
finished decorating the tree and had all consumed our fair share of the wine. I
am happy to announce that I can now drink a little bit more than half a glass
without getting drunk. I’ve moved up to a full glass.
    I sat on the couch snuggled into Riley,
Andrew and Danny were sitting together on my oversized chair and Molly was on
the floor with Harper asleep in her lap. Life was pretty good right now.
    Just as I was closing my eyes and
listening to the story Drew was telling us of a Christmas he spent I Mexico,
Molly’s phone rang. I watched as she pulled it out of her bag, read the caller
ID, turned red and stood, ready to step outside to take the call. Once she was
out of earshot, I spoke up.
    “Did anybody else see that?” I asked,
excitedly sitting forward in my seat.
    “Yes!” exclaimed Danny. “She went as red
as Rudolph’s’ nose!”
    “I wonder who she’s talking to?” I stood
and moved into the hall, trying my best to eavesdrop. Danny followed me. As we
both stood with our ears pressed against the door, we heard a distinctive
giggle from Molly.
    “She’s got a boyfriend!” said Danny.
    “How about you give her some privacy?”
said Drew from the lounge room.
    “Bugger privacy. If she’s got some hunk of
spunk chasing after her, I want to know about it.”
    “Yeah and what about letting us in on the
details?” I sulked. “She wanted to look at my handy man when I hired him.”
    “Yeah and look how handy he’s turned out,” said Danny quietly.
    “I heard that,” called Riley.
    I giggled. Molly giggled some more.
    Hearing her goodbyes, Danny and I quickly
retreated to the lounge and sat back pretending we had never been
eavesdropping. Molly walked into the room, her eyes shining brightly.
    “Hear enough?” she asked, looking between
Danny and myself.
    At least I had the graciousness to blush.
    “Not really,” said Danny. “Who is he?”
    “None of your business,” she replied.
    “Oh come on, sis. We have to meet him
sometime.”
    “No you don’t. I quite like this guy and I
want more than a few dates with him, so meeting this family isn’t going to
happen for quite a while.” Yeah, I could see her point. I had wanted to keep
Riley away from them for a while too.
    “Pfft. We grow on people. Look at Riley, He
loves us now,” said Danny, pointing his thumb towards Riley.
    Riley nodded. “I do. Some of you more than
others,” he smiled, kissing my neck.
    I felt the tingle all the way to my toes.

 
    ****

 
    Sunday dinner came around
pretty quickly and thankfully I did remember the ornament. I had it safely
tucked into my bag where I would ask mum later to have a look at it. If it were
crystal then I would go back to ‘Happy Christmas Trees’ in the morning and see
if I could talk to Earl. If it were meant for someone else then it would be the
right thing to do.
    “Pass the potatoes, please,” Danny asked Grandma.
Grandma was usually a barrel of laughs but today she looked sombre and cranky.
    Ignoring Danny, she stabbed at