Page 11 of The Christmas Book Flood

He would grant himself fifteen minutes—the amount of time he could have taken for a coffee break, since it was time for one anyway.

Not enough time to really get the details down, and certainly not time enough for painting.

But enough to get the rough image onto paper, anyway.

Light strokes that would be covered up with paint.

Straight lines for the books, soft curves for the females.

A dreamy expression on Tatiana’s face as she looked up at the night sky, all those books in her arms. An inquisitive one for Elea, so eager to learn and understand.

Once he added color, he’d give Tatiana red lips to match her skirt and jacket.

Elea he’d put in the green dress she’d worn her first day here, with the crisp white blouse beneath it.

Together they would look like Christmas.

He kept glancing at his watch as he worked, so that when his self-imposed time had run out, he put his pencil down again.

His gaze moved critically over the drawing.

It was hasty, yes, and he could see several things he’d tweak before he put color to it.

But it was close enough to his vision to make him grin.

He held it up for Elea to see through the doorway. “What do you think?”

She’d given up on her own work and had moved to stand in front of his desk at some point. He hadn’t even noticed, but she must have been watching him for a while. Her grin was quick and bright. “That’s... that’s just perfect . It’s us !”

“We’ll call it Jolabokoflod .”

Elea clapped. “Uncle Valdi should use it for an advertisement next year!”

He laughed, because Valdi had never once asked him to develop any art for advertising.

.. but it wasn’t a bad idea, really. With the success of the Book Bulletin, it was quite possible that they’d want artwork for it in the future.

He didn’t want to presume anything, of course.

But knowing Elea as he’d begun to do, she’d suggest it to her uncle without any help from Anders.

Which was perfect, really. She’d plant the idea, and if Valdi liked it, he’d bring it up to Anders. If not, it could be waved off as a little girl’s fancy, no hard feelings on either side.

For now, he set the paper aside. “All right, enough of that. I had better get back to work so that I can help in the warehouse again after lunch.”

Elea nodded. “Me too. Once I get the typewriter fixed, I still need to color it all in.” She motioned to the box of colored crayons she’d brought with her today.

He granted her a serious nod. “Indeed. And after you’ve finished, I can help you frame it, if you like.

I have plenty of them at home.” Once upon a time he too had given drawings to family members, so had begun buying up frames whenever he saw them for a bargain.

But after realizing they never displayed any of them, he’d given up.

Which meant he still had quite a stack of frames and only so much space on his own walls.

“Really?” Elea’s eyes twinkled. “And you’ll frame that one too? Aunt Tatta’s going to love it!”

He nodded, even as his stomach churned at the thought.

He’d never given Tatiana a gift. They exchanged names at the office, but he’d never drawn hers—and even if he had, that would have been different.

This... this was a voluntary gift. A personal gift.

It meant feelings were on the line. It meant.

.. something . Giving a gift to a beautiful young woman—other than family—was momentous, wasn’t it?

He’d never done it before. He’d taken ladies out on a few dates over the years, of course, but none had ever turned into relationships that lasted through Christmas.

Yet another reason his brothers taunted him and his mother was perpetually disappointed.

Anders the Red-Faced Bookworm was a lost cause in their minds.

He’d never actually convince a woman to marry him, despite the fact that he thought he’d make a decent husband and father.

Women don’t want a man who has his nose always stuck in a book , Ulric had pointed out just a few months ago.

Don’t you learn anything from those sagas you read nonstop?

They want strong men, capable of providing for them with the work of their hands.

They want men willing to fight for them, if it comes down to it.

Much as he wanted to think modern women were a bit more enlightened than all that and didn’t rate potential husbands solely on their height or musculature or propensity to get into fistfights, it was hard to argue with the elder brothers who outdid him physically in every way.

Who’d never shied away from a brawl, and who had all been married by the age of twenty-five.

Although let it be noted, Valdi was a bookworm too, and he had a wife and family who seemed happy with him. So perhaps there was hope for Anders yet.

He slipped his sketch into his briefcase, and not a moment too soon.

The familiar sound of Tatiana’s heels clicking on the tile floor sounded, Helga called out a greeting that was no doubt a warning, prompting Elea to cover up her drawing with another she’d begun of the Yule Lads.

A moment later, Tatiana’s beautiful blonde head peeped into the outer office, a smile on her lips. “How’s it going in here?”

Helga didn’t miss a beat. “Wonderfully. We should be ready to join you in the warehouse after lunch. How are things with the shipping department?”

She sighed, but it didn’t erase the happy gleam in her eyes.

“We’ll be cutting it close, but I think we’re on track.

All the orders that have farther to go should be in the post today and Monday.

That only leaves the local deliveries within Reykjavik and the surrounding towns to finish up next week. ”

“Ten days until Christmas.” Elea flashed a smile, though Anders didn’t miss the sorrow that underscored it, and he suspected Tatiana didn’t either.

The little girl drew her lip between her teeth.

“Mamma’s doctor is coming to visit today.

Do you think he’s been there yet? I hope. .. I hope the baby’s okay.”

Tatiana moved fully into the outer office so she could smooth a hand over her niece’s hair. “We’ll call her when we get home this evening. And whenever you start to worry, let it remind you to pray.” She offered a small smile. “That’s what I’ve been doing.”

A good reminder for Anders too. He’d been praying for Ari every time he saw the worry overtake Elea— that was easy to remember.

What proved harder was remembering to offer his own faults to the Lord.

When his thoughts spiraled like they did every time he thought of Tatiana, into all the ways he could alienate her, he never seemed to recall that he should pray about it instead.

Maybe that was why he’d gone five years without braving more than idle chitchat over the coffeepot. Why he’d never dared ask her to dinner or a movie.

If his brothers were to be believed, he ought instead to take a page from the Volsungs and just stride up to her and say, You’re the most beautiful and wise woman in the world, and I will spend my life with no one but you. You must marry me, because I want no other.

Right. Because that approach was sure to work for the average man.

Clearly oblivious to his thoughts, she turned to him with an easy smile. “I brought soup and bread for lunch. Helga’s joining us, and you’re welcome too, Anders. I have it heating in the break room.”

Were it not for the little one looking at him with such friendly acceptance, he probably would have hemmed and hawed and made an excuse to decline, lest he make a fool of himself.

Within two seconds, he’d have convinced himself that she only issued the invitation out of a sense of duty, a way of thanking him for helping with her niece.

That it wasn’t a genuine invitation, and that she didn’t really want him to accept.

But given Elea’s hopeful expression, he shoved aside the self-doubts and found the courage to smile. “I... thank you. I’d be delighted.”

Tatiana beamed a smile at him. One bright enough that he almost wondered... almost thought... almost dared to dream that she was as happy he’d said yes as he was.