Even as he fixed the older man with a quelling stare, a part of Ryan was happy to see the lighter side. If trying to play matchmaker would help pull Percy out of his funk, he’d suffer—or maybe enjoy—the consequences.
Hannah stood on the front porch, an impish smile making those dimples wink. Perched atop her head was a red and green striped hat—with elf ears attached to the sides.
Though rusty with disuse, his own mouth tugged up into an answering smile. “You found your ears.”
“Seemed appropriate.”
Abruptly, he took in the rest of her, realizing her arms were laden with so many bags she shouldn’t have been able to keep her feet. Reaching forward to relieve her of the burden, he noted there was no car in the driveway. “How did you get all this here?”
She dialed up that ray of sunshine smile. “I walked, silly.”
Ryan blinked. The year-long ban on driving had been up for a couple of months. Did this mean she hadn’t started again? Telling himself it wasn’t his business, he curled his fingers around the entire wad of bag handles in her left hand. “Give it up, Hercules. Why didn’t you call? I’d have come to pick you up.”
“Well, I didn’t have your number, and it’s really not that heavy.” She released her grip and he was surprised to find she was right. The load wasn’t anywhere near what he expected.
“What’s in here anyway?”
“Wrapped packages. I still need to put bows on.”
“Did you remember to put the presents in the boxes?”
“They’re for decoration, not gifts. Just trust me.” Hannah stepped past him into the house. “Hey Percy. Are you ready to get holidayed up?”
Percy’s face lit up with something that might have been actual pleasure at the sight of her. “The tree has been soaking up water on the back porch since yesterday. The stand and everything else is in the attic.”
“I cleared a path to the ladder in the garage,” Ryan told her.
“Excellent. Let me just set all these down and make a stop in the kitchen. I brought cookie dough.”
“Cookie dough?” That was definitely hope in the old man’s voice.
“You can’t decorate for Christmas without cookies and cocoa. And what’s the point of being related to the baker in town if you can’t filch cookie dough from the supply in the freezer?”
Ryan set down the bags beside hers in the entryway. “I like the way you think.”
She switched the oven on to heat. “Okay, let’s start hauling stuff down.”
Percy started to shuffle into the living room. “I’ll just put on my shoes.”
“You’re not going up that ladder.” Ryan hated the mutinous turn of his expression. “You were dizzy this morning. If you fell and injured yourself, that would put a serious cramp in these decorating plans.”
Percy huffed. “Fine.”
“Actually, I was thinking you could hook us up with some music,” Hannah suggested. “Do you have a radio or CD player?”
His lips twitched. “I expect I could manage something.”
She beamed. “Wonderful. Then we’ll get started bringing stuff down from the attic.”
“Tree stand is in the northwest corner.”
“I’m on it,” Ryan promised.
He preceded Hannah up the ladder, groping around until he found the chain and tugged it. Dim light illuminated only part of the space. “Holy shit.”
“What?”
In answer, he hauled himself up the rest of the way and made room for her. She poked her head through the floor. “Oh my.”