Page 74 of Sweet Surprises

He placed a slice of warm pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top on the table between them with two spoons, and then he placed a napkin beside it, on which were scrawled a few words.

Life is sweet - sometimes you have to eat dessert first! Here’s to making Christmas wishes come true!

-Kris

Charlotte turned to see an older gentleman sitting a few tables away. He had a beautiful white beard, and as she gazed at him, he smiled and winked.

“Do you know him?” she asked, turning to Tag.

“He’s our mailman,” he replied. But he had a funny look on his face.

“What does he mean bymaking Christmas wishes come true?” she asked.

“Hey, I think this is maple pecan,” Tag said, scooping out a decadent bite instead of answering. “It’s kind of their specialty. You have to try it.”

He held out the spoon and she took it from him. The moment she closed her mouth around it, rich, sweet flavors and the contrast of hot and cold danced on her tongue.

“Oh,” she said. “Oh wow. That’s kind of amazing.”

“Come on,” Tag said with a smile, pushing the pie closer to her. “Let’s eat it before it melts.”

As they each took another spoonful, Charlotte savored the special treat and the special company, and wondered if this could really be what her future looked like.

Maybe life really was sweet.

25

CHARLOTTE

Afew days later, Charlotte stood beside her mom in Maggie’s kitchen, sipping hot chocolate and feeling over-the-moon happy.

After all, it was Christmas Day, and her mom and Tag’s mom were making breakfast together and swapping silly stories while holiday music played on the radio and snow flurries danced outside the window.

It was hard to be anything but joyful.

The two women had hit it off immediately, and Charlotte was feeling a little sad that her mom would have to leave again after the holidays.

But today was a day for celebration, and it would start with seeing Tag and the kids.

Though she loved living in the house with them, once she and Tag started officially dating, it felt wrong to be staying in his home, even though she was up on the third floor and Tag was very respectful because they both wanted to set a good example for the kids. So, when Ellis let her know the space above the shop was ready again two days ago, she had packed up for the third time in a month, and moved back into the little apartment.

She would still see the children after school, once their break was over, and she would get to spend time with them at Daniel and Maggie’s place. More often than not, they shared dinner there too, along with Tag, Tripp, Zane, all the kids, and anyone else who made their way to the stone farmhouse.

Charlotte felt a little shiver of excitement when she finally heard the front door open.

“Charlotte,” Chance yelled out as he came inside.

“Boots,”Charlotte and Maggie called back to him at once.

The two of them laughed, and a moment later, a sock-clad Chance came running around the corner, sliding a little on the tiles as he dashed in for a big hug.

Charlotte bent down to him this time, so that when he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, she could pick him up and spin him around.

“Whee,” Chance cried happily. “Merry Christmas.”

She smiled and soaked in the feeling of his happy little body in her arms before lowering him to the ground.

“Would you like to meet my mom?” she asked him quietly.

---