Page 7 of New Resolutions

“Brett, have you been keeping this girl from looking at her menu?”

I laugh at her and reach across the table to pull one Menu out from behind the napkin holder for the both of us. “Give us a minute and I promise we’ll both be ready.”

“Take your time, darlin’. It ain’t like we’re slammed.”

She gives me a smile as she heads back over to refill some guy’s coffee and pick up the tip someone left for her when they finished their meal.

“This place is great. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“Thank you for coming with me.”

We sit and debate shake flavors for a few moments before finally ordering and then spend most of the night just talking. I do more listening than talking but I don’t hold back or feel uncomfortable sharing facts about my early life with Charity like I do with other people. After we finish off a shake and a half -we shared a shake when Charity couldn’t choose between two flavors- and two fries we walk along the pier and stare out at the lights on the ocean water.

I don’t really want the night to end but it’s starting to get colder, and Charity is in a dress and a thin wrap. She has to be getting cold.

“We should get you somewhere warm.”

She turns her bright brown eyes up to mine. I can see in them she doesn’t want the night to end either.

“It might sound…serial killer-y, but would you like to go home with me and watch a movie.” I make sure to put my hands up showing her my open palms in the hope she realizes nothing is up my sleeve and I’m not trying to run a game on her. “I expectnothing. Just want to get you warm and I thought it might be nice to spend the first hours of Christmas with one another.”

She looks at me with a surprised look written all over her face. “Oh my God. It’s going to be Christmas in…”

I check my watch. “I matter of two more hours.”

“And you want to spend those hours with me?”

“Yeah.” I would prefer to spend all my Christmases with her and all the other holidays. But I am trying to NOT sound like a serial killer and scare the hell out of her. “I hate to admit this but…I don’t have a Christmas tree. We could stop at the Christmas tree seller and pick one up.”

“You don’t have a Christmas tree?!” I shake my head. “How would we decorate it?”

“I think my neighbor has some things we could borrow.”

“Oh, we can also put strings of popcorn around it if you have popcorn.”

“I like it. You want to come home with me?”

She curls her lips around her teeth for a second before her eyes meet mine. “Let’s go. If we try hard, we could probably have it all ready for Christmas before midnight.”

I hold my hand out and she doesn’t hesitate to take it and follow me. My plan for the night. Make Charity forget she’s lonely and make sure she has the best Christmas she can have without her mom. It’s what my angel deserves and what I will go to any lengths to make happen.

Chapter Seven

Charity

We curl up on the couch after decorating Rhett’s tree. The place that sold us the tree also had lights for sale and some shiny Christmas balls that we’d arranged on the branches with our popcorn and cranberry garland. We’ve gone through the first Christmas movie and are on our second. Sometime after the lights went on Rhett asked me if I wanted something to drink and I’m on my second glass of wine.

I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but it’s actually very nice. That wine along with the warmth of his apartment, the movie and his arms wrapped around me have my eyelids turning heavy and relaxed as we watch.

Rhett moves under me, and I realize I might have been dozing off. I should go home but I still don’t want this night to end.

“Merry Christmas, Charity.”

I look up at him and notice his phone in his hands. “It’s Christmas?”

“It is.”

Wow. I can’t believe it’s finally Christmas. I give him a smile before he surprises me by dipping his head and taking my mouth with his. It’s not an advance as much as a celebration that we are ringing in Christmas together and not alone. When he pulls back, it’s my turn to press my lips to his as a way to celebrate too. Then it’s his turn and back to mine.

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