A Christmas Worth Billions (Countdown to Christmas Book 4) Read online

  Lily's best friend, Ann, looked up from the note she was writing. “Oh, there you are, Lily. A few bill collectors have called, and I didn’t know what to say. ”

  “I was hoping they’d give us until after Christmas.” Lily sighed. This diner had been her grandma’s, and Lily had done everything she could to keep it open.

  “Well, if business keeps going like today, you should be able to pay a few of those bills. Could you help out before you call them back? Spencer called in sick, and Cindy hasn’t shown up yet,” Ann said.

  “Of course.” Lily grabbed her paper and pen and headed toward the first table. “Welcome to Nelly’s Diner. May I take your order?”

  The family rattled off what they wanted, and Lily did her best to keep up. When she read it back, they had to make a few corrections. She loved the diner, but she preferred to stay behind the scenes, making the food.

  She passed the order on to the cook and made her way to the next table, where a young couple sat. They ordered eggs and toast, and complimented her on the decorations. The same Christmas decorations that had been used when her grandma owned the place. She didn’t have the heart to switch them out.

  The bell over the door rang, and the man from the church the night before came in. Lily’s heart fluttered, and she considered hiding in the back, but she took a deep breath and walked over to the counter. “Hi. What can I do for you?”

  “Hey, how’s it going? I didn’t know you work here.” He smiled.

  “I own the diner, but I’m usually in the back.” She wanted to check her hair to make sure it wasn’t a mess, but she kept her hands on the counter. He was just another customer. Another customer who was extremely good-looking.

  He sat on the barstool. “Ah. I guess that makes sense. Can I get a coffee and some toast?”

  “White or wheat?” She wrote down “coffee” in the notebook.

  “Surprise me.” He rubbed his hands together.

  Lily smiled and went to the kitchen to fill the order. She prepared the pieces of toast and poured his coffee before heading back to the counter. “Here you go.”

  He laughed. “One white and one wheat. Clever.”

  “Thank you.” She nodded and moved on to the next set of customers. She couldn’t help noticing that he kept glancing over at her, and she felt her face redden.

  When he was finished, she walked over and picked up the cash he’d left to pay for his food. Her stomach dropped when she saw the hundred-dollar bill wrapped up in the smaller bills. She looked around to find him, but he’d already left. On the receipt, he’d written,

  Buy something for those beautiful children of yours.

  ~ David

  Lily’s eyes filled with tears as she rolled the money up and shoved it in her pocket, and put the rest into the register. She wanted to give it back, but Mary and Patrick needed coats. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks before moving on to the next customer. She’d pay David back. Someday.

  “Are you okay?” the older lady asked.

  “I’m fine, thank you. Are you ready to order?” Lily got her paper and pen ready.

  The woman pointed at the pancakes. “I’ll have that, and some extra bacon.”

  Her husband closed the menu and handed it to Lily. “I’ll have the special with some orange juice.”

  “Great. I’ll have that right out to you.” She smiled and turned to walk away.

  “Was it that David character? What did he say?” the woman asked.

  Lily looked back at her in surprise. “You know him?”

  The woman nodded. “He lives next door to us. Never says much, and doesn’t get out. I’ve heard he hasn’t been the same since his wife died.”

  “His wife died?” Lily asked, frowning. How awful for him.

  “Just recently. That’s why he moved here.”

  “Edith, that’s enough. You don’t need to be telling that poor man’s life story.” The old man shook his head. “Don’t mind her. She gets bored sitting inside all day.”

  “It’s okay. I’ll place your order.” Lily smiled to herself as she walked back to the kitchen. She leaned against the wall to get her bearings. Too many things had happened in the last few minutes, and she hadn’t been able to process it. She walked over to Ann and pulled out the hundred-dollar bill.

  “Look at what one of the customers left me.” She held out the money and the note from David.

  Ann read it, eyes wide. “I’m thinking the splitting of tips doesn’t count here, right?”

  Lily bit her lip. “Are you sure? It’s a lot of money.”

  “You must have made quite an impression on him. He didn't take his eyes off you.” Ann smiled. “And he’s cute.”

  Lily took a pot of coffee to refill the mugs. Was she the only one in the whole town who didn’t know anything about David? She went back to her office and called the collectors to set up payments. They would be willing to wait until after Christmas, but she wondered if she’d even be able to pay then.

  She went to find Ann, putting on her coat. “Hey, I need to get my kids. I’ll be back later.”

  Ann waved and went back to taking orders.

  Lily clocked out and hurried down the street to the small department store. She couldn’t wait to see her children’s faces when they saw their new clothes. Usually, they had to wear what clothing she could find, and it was always too small or too big for them. Poor Mary had grown so much in the last month, nothing fit anymore.

  The choice of clothing was almost overwhelming as she tried to guess what sizes they should be wearing. Maybe it would have been better to bring them. She started for the door, deciding to come back later.

  “Excuse me? Can I help you?” a woman asked. She obviously worked there, by the name tag and polo shirt she was wearing.

  Lily hesitated. She wanted to run, but the woman’s smile was kind. “I need coats for my kids, but I don’t know their sizes. I’ll just come back.”

  “I can help you. How old are they?” the lady asked, walking toward the children’s section.

  “My daughter is nine, and my son is seven. They’re both small for their age, but my daughter is going through a growth spurt.” Lily watched as the woman riffled through the racks.

  “I’m guessing they’re around these sizes. Do you see one you like?” The woman held up a few. Lily checked the thickness of the coats, along with the prices.

  “These two look good. Thank you.” Lily clung to the coats and picked up two thick pairs of gloves.

  The woman smiled. “You’re welcome. Is there anything else you need? How about a coat for you as well?”

  Lily could feel her face redden as she shook her head. “I’m fine. I only have enough to get things for my kids.”

  The woman frowned. “It’s cold out there. You really should get a warmer coat.”

  “I’m fine. Really. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get a few other things.” Lily tried to push down the anger and embarrassment, but it was hard. Of course she needed a new coat, but her kids needed these things even more. She grabbed a few pairs of pants from off the display table and hurried to the counter to pay for everything, avoiding the sales lady who had helped her.

  There was just enough left for some firewood and a few groceries, but Lily would have to wait until later to buy them. Her arms were full, and it was time for her to pick up the kids from school. She jogged the last two blocks, hoping the exercise would help boost her body heat. It seemed like the temperature had dropped a few more degrees while she’d been in the store. She coughed and groaned. The last thing she needed right then was to catch her children’s cold.

  The school bell rang, and the door opened to let the students pour out onto the lawn. Mary and Patrick followed behind everyone else, but started running when they saw their mom.

  “Hi, Mom! School was fun today. We got to … what’s that?” Patrick pointed at the bags in Lily’s hands.

  Lily knelt and set the bags on the ground. She'd been plan
ning to wait until they got home, but with how cold it was, they needed the coats now. “Here you go.”

  Mary’s eyes brightened when she saw the thick purple coat. “Wow. These are for us?”

  “Yes. And I have enough for food and wood for a fire tonight.” Lily held out the gloves for each of them, and then shoved the empty bag into her pocket.

  Patrick put his coat on, followed by his gloves. “I feel so warm. Thanks, Mom.”

  “You’re welcome.” Lily stood. “Let’s go get some groceries.”

  The grocery store was decorated with festive streamers and trees, and Christmas music played over the speaker. Lily went through the ad to find the sales before carefully choosing what they could buy. The kids looked hopefully at the candy aisle as they passed, and Lily’s heart hurt when she saw their smiles drop as they realized they wouldn’t get any.

  “Hey, we have oranges and some eggs for breakfast tomorrow. That’s good, right?” Lily paid for the groceries along with the firewood.

  Patrick and Mary took the two bags of groceries so Lily could carry the wood. She put the bag of clothes in Mary’s bag before they left the store.

  They went to the diner, and Lily had Patrick and Mary sit down in a booth while she went back to pick up their dinners. She’d bring the kids to eat when she needed to close up, and Ann was busy with a Christmas party that night. Her kids did their homework and ate while Lily worked. The crowd was smaller than it had been earlier, but still busier than usual. Families and couples out in their nice clothes, most likely shopping or going to a party.

  Lily went back to finish up the dishes, as it was nearing closing time. She turned off all the lights and made sure they had everything before heading out into the cold. Their trip home was slow because of the weight of their bags and the wood, and Lily could barely feel her fingers by the time they walked in the door.

  The kids went through the bags and ran to their rooms to try on their new clothes. Lily started a fire before putting away the groceries—she wanted the house to warm up before bedtime.

  “They fit, Mom! Look.” Mary turned in circles, her smile lighting up her face. “They look like the pants my friends wear. Thank you.”

  “You look beautiful. I’m glad they fit.” Lily stood and hugged her daughter. “Go grab your pillows and blankets. We’ll have a campout in the living room tonight so we can stay warm.”

  “Yay!” Mary ran back to her room and told Patrick what they were doing.

  Lily took the blankets off her bed and laid them on the floor, then helped Patrick and Mary lay out theirs. She was the farthest from the fire, but she wanted to make sure they were warm. Mary was coughing more, and she’d heard Patrick sniffling as well. She put on an extra sweater before snuggling into the blankets, feeling warmer than she had for days.

  Chapter 3

  David leaned back in his chair and stretched. The plans for the work Christmas party had all been approved, and he had also finished signing the letters from HR, letting Peter and several other employees know that they’d be getting a pay raise and an extra bonus.

  Silver Script Ad Agency was doing better than he’d hoped, thanks to a few jewelry ads that had been put together by one of his up-and-coming agents. He wished he’d been the brilliant one to have hired her, but that had been Debra’s idea. Both of them would be getting bonuses, along with Peter.

  It was late when David walked down to his pickup. He’d wanted to stop by the diner again that night, but it would be closed by the time he got home. He stopped at a drive-thru and grabbed a burger instead.

  Seeing Lily that morning had been a shock, since he’d eaten there a few times and hadn’t run into her. It had been a spur-of-the-moment thing to drop the hundred-dollar bill with his check, but he’d seen the ragged coats her children had worn the night before, and he wanted to be able to help in some way. What good was money if you couldn’t share with others? It was something Sarah had asked many times, but David had laughed until now.

  David pulled into his garage and closed it before heading inside. He got ready for bed and climbed under the covers with his laptop so he could get a few more things done. He would start ringing the church bells the next morning, which meant he’d get to work a little later than he had the last couple of days. A few of the ads needed to be reworked, and he wanted it done just right.

  David stopped tweaking one of the clothing ads and climbed out of bed to turn up the thermostat. He stared out the window at the falling snow, knowing how much Sarah had loved watching it. Maybe she was the one who'd urged to him to leave his work and glance outside. Flashbacks of that last snowstorm in March went through his mind. The ice on the road, the tree coming at them, his wife’s screams … He jerked out of his memory and tucked it back into a safe place in his mind, wiping away a tear.

  He climbed back in bed and pushed his work aside. That could wait until tomorrow. The window was just visible from his bed, and he watched the snow until he drifted off to sleep.

  * * *

  The morning was crisp and cool. The snow had stopped sometime during the night, leaving everything bright and new. David found himself whistling as he made his way to the church. Reverend Smith stood just inside, and smiled when he saw David.

  “Ah, you came. Thank you. Come through this way.” He led David to the tower. “It’s just up there. Most churches have the ropes coming down to the lower level, but this church wasn’t built that way. Take the stairs, and the notes on how to ring the bells are in a frame next to the ropes.”

  David glanced at the old rickety stairs and nodded. “Got it.”

  “Are you coming to the service?” Reverend Smith asked.

  David shook his head. “Not this time. Maybe tomorrow.” He climbed up the stairs and tried to ignore the creaks and groans with each step. He’d need to repair the wood if he was going to do this every day.

  The instructions for ringing the bells were posted just like the reverend had said, and David did as he was asked. When he was done, he stared out at the valley that he now considered home. Several people had stopped to look up at the bell tower, so he moved away from the edge. No need to gain extra attention. He climbed back downstairs and nodded to the pastor as he slipped out the backdoor. The church had already begun filling, and he didn’t want to walk through the crowd to leave.

  A snow plow passed by as David stopped to cross the street. That would make it easier to get into work. He took a step, but hesitated, then turned to go to the diner. He’d skipped breakfast that morning to ring the bells, and he was hungry. He tried to ignore the nagging feeling that he was really going to see the woman from the church. He didn’t have time for anyone right then.

  The diner was quieter than it had been the day before, but there were still a few families. He sat up at the counter again so he wouldn’t have to be reminded that he was alone. Lily came out of the kitchen and stopped when she saw him. He watched her straighten her apron before walking toward him.

  “Fancy seeing you here again.” He laughed.

  She laughed too, and the sound lifted his spirits more than he would have thought was possible. She leaned forward and glanced around before speaking. “You have no idea how much your tip meant to me yesterday. Thank you.”

  David wanted to reach out and wipe the tear from her cheek, but stopped himself. “I’m glad I could help. Your children are beautiful, like their mother.”

  Why had he just said that? He never said things like that. Ever. The way Lily stiffened, he knew he’d gone too far.

  She licked her lips and stood straight. “Thank you. They’re my life. Now, what can I get you? Toast again?”

  David cleared his throat. “Yes, that sounds great. And can you add eggs this time? And maybe some hot chocolate instead of coffee. Lots of whipped cream on top as well, please.”

  “Got it.” She turned away, but not before David caught the slight smile on her face.

  He tapped his fingers to the old Christmas music that played on th
e radio and waited for his food to be done. The snatches of conversation about how lovely it was to hear the old church bells again warmed David’s heart. Maybe it was worth it to continue. Plus, it would give him a great view every morning.

  “Here you go.” Lily sat the plate in front of David, making him jump.

  “Thank you. This looks amazing,” David said. She’d made him the same white and wheat toast that she’d made the day before, and the whipped cream was a good two inches above the mug.

  “I would’ve added more, but it was starting to tip. Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached below the counter, then dropped a cherry on top. “There you go.”

  David popped the cherry in his mouth and enjoyed the burst of flavor. “Do you always keep cherries under the counter?”

  “Only the ones I use for milkshake toppings.” She walked away to take orders from a small family in the corner.

  David shook his head and took a bite of his eggs. They were so much better than anything he could have made at home. The hot chocolate was perfect as well.

  Lily was busy with other customers when he was finished, so he paid the other waitress and left. Going to the diner that morning had been just what he needed.

  The trip to work was a little better than the day before because of the snow plows, but it still took him half an hour longer than he’d wanted. He’d already missed one meeting, and had to rush up the stairs to get to the next one.

  David slipped inside and sat near the back to listen to Erin give her report on the earnings for that month. The ring on her finger sparkled as she brushed some hair behind her ear. She’d not only had a successful campaign, but she’d also walked away with a new fiancé. David hadn’t been at work during that time, but Peter had kept him up-to-date.

  The sales numbers were higher than they’d anticipated, meaning a higher commission for the company. David clapped with the rest of the group when the presentation was over, and then left for his office. He went through the numbers and found that if they had just a few more weeks with this much success, they would be able to take on more projects.