Page 23 of Finally Home

“It’s fine. I’m a much better tree decorator than I am a light stringer anyway.”

“We’ll see just how much your skills have improved over the years.”

After pouring each of them a glass of mulled wine, West followed Cami into the living room. Sitting on the couch, he enjoyed the view as he sipped the wine, savoring each of its spicy notes.

Cami took her time, meticulously placing each of the small round bulbs in its place, ensuring the tree would be evenly lit. He appreciated the way the lights flickered on her creamy skin. The way she stretched on tiptoe to reach the top of the tree caused the flannel to creep up, giving him a view of her perfectly round ass peeking out of her lace booty shorts.

If he didn’t stop staring at her, she’d never finish lighting the tree. He was more than okay with a bare tree if it meant he could pull her into his lap right now and have her ride his uncomfortably hard cock.

But that wasn’t what Cami wanted. Christmas was her favorite holiday, and he wanted it to be special. Especially since she was away from her family.

In an attempt to keep his hands from grabbing the beautiful woman in front of him, West grabbed a small piece of firewood and his pocketknife. Turning the wood over in his hand, he began to whittle like he used to with his dad. He wasn’t sure what he was making, but it felt good to do something.

Throughout the day, it was the quiet moments that haunted him. For the most part, he and Cami had been busy decorating. When they weren’t, they were busy exploring each other, making up for lost time.

He couldn’t get enough of her. She was everything he’d ever wanted, and if she’d let him, he’d make her his forever. But that couldn’t happen without clearing the air between them, and he couldn’t hide behind holiday tasks and sex forever. As it was, he’d caught her looking at him with a curious gaze more than a few times. Each time, when he felt her closing in, ready to question him, he’d sweep her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Which usually led to less clothing and no talking.

But the past was creeping in, and he’d inevitably have to answer her questions. About Shelby and how his life had gone so wrong yet so right as the result of one night. Just for it to be stripped away in the blink of an eye.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell Cami about his past. He did. It was how she was going to react that made him hesitant. No, that was the lie he told himself. She would accept him with grace and forgiveness. It was his own guilt that haunted him. The knowledge that he’d gone and had the life with Tiffani he should have had with Cami.

He was a coward of the worst kind.

But he wanted to keep her. Wanted Cami in his life the way she should’ve always been.

West knew what he needed to do.

“There. It’s perfect.” Cami stood, hands on her hips, and admired her work. “You ready to help me decorate?”

He faked a smile. Right then he would help Cami finish the tree, and then they could talk. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Cami pulled out a box of silver tinsel and set it on the coffee table between them. Digging into the bottom, she pulled out a handful and giggled as she made a show of tossing some onto the tree.

West’s body froze up and his mind fogged. He dropped the wood and knife but never heard them hit the floor. Instantly he was sucked into a memory, one of a million other happy times. A time where it wasn’t Cami playfully tossing tinsel onto the tree but his baby girl.

Shelby.

She had turned five a few months before. It was the first Christmas that she truly understood what was happening and was participating fully in traditions. She was fascinated with every aspect of Christmas, wanting to understand why they did each thing.

West pulled out the box of tinsel and placed it before his little girl. Cami was the only one he had ever known who still put tinsel on a tree. It was her family’s tradition and one he had always loved. He’d never told Tiffani where the idea came from, but he insisted their tree have tinsel every year.

“But why do we throw this stuff on the tree, Daddy? It’s messy.”

“It’s messy now, but I promise when it’s on the tree it will be as beautiful as you are, baby girl.”

“But why do we do it?”

“It’s an old tradition. Some say it was used to replace candles on trees. But I was always told it is supposed to look like the starry sky over the Nativity.”

Shelby nodded at him, hanging on his every word with wonder in her eyes. “That’s when Jesus was born.”

“Yes, that’s right.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. “When we’re done decorating, we can turn off all the lights except the tree, and you can tell me if you think it looks like stars in the sky.”

“Okay, Daddy!” She excitedly hopped from his lap to throw more shiny silver tinsel on the tree.

She definitely overdid it, but it was the most beautiful tree he’d ever seen.

Every year after that, she’d made it a point to wait for him to tinsel the tree together. It was their special tradition.

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