Page 33 of Holly Jolly Christmas

Holly

What? No. Luke, you can’t drive in this.

Me

I have a Range Rover. It’ll be fine.

Holly

They literally just sent out an alert telling residents to stay off the roads except in case of an emergency.

Me

This IS an emergency, Holly.

Pack a bag.

You’re staying here tonight.

I watched the typing indicator appear and disappear three times before her response came through.

Holly

Luke, that’s really sweet, but I can’t impose like that.

I’ll be fine. I’ll just put on more layers.

Sweet? She thought this was about being sweet?

This was about the fact that I couldn’t breathe properly, knowing she was sitting there freezing to death. That every second she spent shivering in that house felt like a personal failing on my part. That I had a warm home with multiple fireplaces, and she was sitting in an icebox.

That was simply unacceptable.

Me

You’re not imposing. I’m insisting. Pack a bag, Holly.

Holly

Luke …

Me

Holly, please.

Every bedroom in this house has a fireplace.

This isn’t … I’m not trying to be presumptuous here.

I just need you not to freeze to death.

The typing indicator appeared again and then disappeared. Five minutes that felt more like a hundred passed before she finally responded.

Holly

Okay.

Relief hit me so hard I had to sit down for a second.