Decked Out with Ivy (Red Maple Falls #13)

Chapter 14

Cody survived the gingerbread competition at her parents’ house, so Ivy felt like they could survive just about anything. Cody had been a real trooper. He even won over Rome and Trey, which was no easy feat. Cody had texted her to meet her at the movie theater but didn’t elaborate further.

At first, she thought maybe he was going to show her a rough cut of the movie he was currently filming, but there was no way they were even near having a rough cut, and this theater only used 35mm film. There was a reason all the movies they showed were from over twenty years ago.

Bex had said she thought about donating updated equipment, but she and everyone else agreed that it would take from the charm of the theater. Though there was a discussion about updating one of the two screens. Maybe then Ivy would be more up to date on movies. She would drive to Conway when Cody and Bex’s movie came out. She would always support the people she cared for.

Sadness settled in her stomach. She wondered when that would be and where Cody would be. Whatever it was they had, she couldn’t deny there was an end date. Once the movie was done filming, he would be getting on a plane and going home to California. He’d be on the other side of the country with no reason to return to Red Maple Falls.

The thought wasn’t just sad—it physically hurt. She didn’t want to think about it. For now, she would enjoy the time they had left. She pushed those unwanted thoughts to the back of her mind and opened the theater door.

There wasn’t a single person in sight, which wasn’t unheard of, but it felt different than usual.

“Good evening, Ms. Parker,” Felix said, his black hair flopping over his forehead. He was seventeen and in his senior year of high school. When she was his age, before she owned the store and had only worked there, she had fitted him for a tuxedo for his aunt’s wedding.

“Felix, you have never called me Ms. Parker before. Don’t start now.”

He leaned toward her to whisper, “It’s part of the surprise.”

“Surprise?” she asked.

“Hi, Ivy,” Cody said, and Ivy gasped when she saw him adorably decked out in a pair of Christmas pajamas. Red and black plaid bottoms and a white top with black sleeves and a Christmas llama in the middle.

They were perfect.

She had no idea what he was up to, but excitement bounced around inside her. “What are you wearing? What are we doing here?”

“You’ll see, but first you have to change.”

“Into…?” she asked, looking at her winter coat and jeans, wondering if she had missed the memo.

Felix reached behind the register and retrieved a Christmas bag, handing it to Cody.

“Thanks, Felix.” Cody held the bag out to her, and with a cocked eyebrow and curiosity running through her, she took it. A smile spread far across her face as she pulled out a matching pair of Christmas pajamas.

“Seriously?” she said, unable to control the laughter that mixed with her words.

“Seriously. Go change. I’ll be waiting.”

She hurried to the bathroom, excited about whatever else Cody had planned for the night. Whatever it was, it was going to be hard to top Christmas pajamas. Taking the pajamas out of the bag, she slipped them on and placed her jeans and top in the bag before returning to Cody.

He took the bag and her coat and handed it to Felix, who placed them behind the counter.

“What do you want? Candy? Popcorn? Soda?”

“Yes, please.”

He laughed. “All of the above it is. Felix, you heard the lady.”

She didn’t tell him that if he told Terry, she would have come with a Tupperware full of food and dessert, but it was very quiet tonight.

Felix went to work behind the concession counter, putting popcorn in a Christmas themed bucket, pouring a soda into a Christmas themed cup, and placing several candy options on the counter. Ivy happily grabbed the soda and candy while Cody handled the popcorn.

“What movie are we watching? Back to the Future? Ghostbusters?”

“You’ll see.” Cody placed a few bills on the counter that looked more like hundreds than tens by the look on Felix’s face. “Thanks for your help.”

Felix’s eyes shot wide, and he fumbled with the cash before making eye contact. “O-of course, Mr. Chance. It’s my pleasure. The movie will start shortly. It’s already to go.”

“Are we the only ones here?” Ivy asked as they walked into theater two.

“I bought out the theater for the night. No one else is coming.”

“What are you up to, mister?”

He didn’t say anything, just smiled and walked to a middle seat a few rows back so they didn’t have to bend their neck through the whole movie.

The lights dimmed, and Cody took her hand. He leaned into her, his breath warm against her skin. “You’ve shown me so many traditions, and while this isn’t exactly a tradition, it’s one of the few good memories I have from Christmas.”

Clay trees appeared on the screen, the nostalgia of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer immediately putting a smile on her face. “Rudolph?”

“One year, my mom bought us matching pajamas, and we watched Rudolph together. I was five.”

Excitement and joy filled her at the fact he wanted to share this with her, but she was also sad. This special memory of Christmas was so long ago. “Five? That’s your only good memory of Christmas?”

“It was,” he said, cupping her cheek. “Until the Red Maple Falls Christmas Queen threatened to make me fall in love with Christmas. Now I have more good memories of Christmas than I ever thought I would.” He kissed her nose, and she wanted to capture his lips, but Burl Ives’s voice boomed in the theater.

Cory wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and they snuggled in together, watching the slow-motion picture. His hand ran up and down her arm, making her feel comforted and warm. His lips kept finding her head, placing soft kisses along her crown.

This was everything she ever wanted—a man who was willing to open up to her, to share in Christmas traditions together, and not judge her while she gorged herself on popcorn and chocolate.

They watched the entire movie, sharing kisses in between scenes. The credits rolled, and the lights turned on.

“Other than Clarice, Rudolph’s family and friends were kind of dicks,” Cory said, and a laugh burst from Ivy.

“They really were.” She’d seen this movie so many times as a kid, and it even made the Christmas movie marathon her aunt and uncle hosted many times, but maybe Ivy hadn’t paid much attention to her cousins’ bickering. Still, nothing could take away the nostalgia. She still loved it.

“No wonder my mom liked this movie.”

The lack of Christmas in his childhood weighed heavily on her chest. Ivy took his hand, linking her fingers with his and rubbing her thumb along his knuckle. “I’m sorry you didn’t have a better childhood.” She wished he grew up in Red Maple Falls. She would have made sure he got to experience the true joys of Christmas. But she would settle for being able to show him now.

“It prepared me for life. Expect the worst. Wait for the other shoe to drop.”

It was a horrible way to live, and she hated that for him, but she hoped maybe her Christmas joy had worn off on him, even if just a little. “Is that what you’ve been doing this whole time? Waiting for things to get bad?”

He shook his head. “It’s the only time in my life when I haven’t, and it’s been nice. Really nice.”

“How about we go to my place and have some hot chocolate by the fire?”

“Haven’t you had enough chocolate?” He gestured at the empty boxes.

“We can have some of Old Man Simpson’s moonshine. Or I can combine both.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

***

Back at her house, Ivy kept the lights off, only turning on the lights on the tree. Rays of red, blue, green, pink and yellow reflected against the walls and floor. He brought in firewood and helped her start the fire. She placed the wood inside and put the starter beneath it.

“Have you ever started a fire before?” she asked.

“My fireplace is electric, and I never really had a need for it, but I’m enjoying watching you in action.”

Her phone vibrated again and again. “I’m sorry. The family chat is going haywire.” She grabbed her phone off the coffee table and tapped into the chat.

“The results of the gingerbread contest are in.”

“Oh!” Cody said with more enthusiasm than she expected. It warmed her heart to see him genuinely seem to care about her family's silly tradition.

“So, who won?”

“Cynthia won. Rome came in second and is demanding a recount. I came in third.” First place was always out of her reach. She had fun, though, so that’s all that mattered.

“That’s awesome,” he said. “Though if I had the final vote, you would have won. Your Christmas cottage was adorable.”

“Thank you, but apparently people really liked the log cabins this year.”

“Maybe next year I can place,” he said, and her attention snapped to him.

She didn’t want to hope, didn’t want to think he could want more than this fake relationship that didn’t feel fake at all anymore. It felt real to her, and that had scared her. She knew what they had shared had a deadline, and it was nearing the end. But if what he was saying…

“Next year?” she asked, her voice breathier than she meant for it to be.

He took her hand, kissed her knuckles, and those green eyes bore deep. “I’m done with faking it. I want to give this a real shot. No more pictures. No more paparazzi.”

“No more paparazzi?”

“Just me and you and this.”

“I don’t think you keep the paparazzi away if you tried.”

“Whether I like it or not, they’re part of my life. But if Bex and Chase can make it work, why can’t we?”

“You live in California. My life is here. My store. My family.” They lived very different lives, and she couldn’t expect him to uproot his life for her, just as she would hope he didn’t expect her to uproot hers.

“There’s nothing holding me in California. Since coming here, I’ve realized I haven’t been living. I’ve been in this endless cycle of surviving and robotically going about my day. I came here, and suddenly, I’m stopping to look around, to take in the trees, smell the pine and feel the cold biting at my skin.”

“This town has that effect on people.”

“The town is only a small part of it.”

She swallowed, trying not to get her hopes up too high. “Then what’s the big part?” she asked, though she believed she knew. She wanted to hear him say it. Hear the confirmation from his own lips. Prove to her she wasn’t living in some Christmas delusion, and he felt exactly as she did.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering on the curve of her lobe. “You. It’s you.”

He could have had a million more things to say, but she’d heard enough. She grabbed his face and pulled him to her, letting her kiss tell him what words could never convey.