Page 123 of Hold Me Instead
“You’ve been here two months—”
“I didn’t knowthisfor two months. Puts a different spin on things, don’t you think?”
Daniel waited a moment. “So you’re not happy about this plan? Taking over?”
“I don’t know what I am right now. Look. Let’s talk more about this later. We need to be in there.”
Daniel nodded, waited a beat. Then walked back into the room.
Zachary pressed his head to the wall, whispering, “Fuck.” Then turned and followed.
It was like being beamed to a joy-filled dimension. The holiday music seemed loud, as carefree kids danced. The food filled tables inartful displays with candlesticks and wood tiers draped with greenery, a train weaving through as people piled their plates. Techs surrounded his dad, laughing as though there hadn’t been an immense health scare. No one knew the state of things, how drastically everything could change.
Charlie’s laugh. It pulled him in, softened everything. She stood with his mom, listening with rapt attention as Sheila and her wife spoke to them. His chest tightened, his steps lighter as he found himself physically drawn to her, moving her way.
Things were spiraling again. It wasn’t just the practice he was losing a grip on. It was also his feelings, because somewhere along the way, Charlie Harris had grabbed hold of his heart, and he feared she wasn’t about to let go.
He didn’t want her to.
Chapter 35
Charlie
Charlietuggedthehemof her evergreen tunic sweater underneath her coat, its thick neck blocking the bite of the wind. The gray leggings and lined boots kept her warm, but she was far from overheating, considering the plummeting cold that had snapped the night before. She woke to a chill so silent and intense, it felt like her eyeballs were frozen.
She juggled a bag of wrapped gifts in one hand and a bottle of Brunello in the other as she approached the stoop of the tan brick Tudor. Cleo had hooked her up with some last minute things for the Lee and Wang families, so while she looked prepared, she didn’t feel it.
A fresh evergreen wreath with a sparkly gold bow stared back at her from the rounded-top, black front door. Why was her heart racing? This wasn’t even the first time they’d invited her to a family holiday gathering.
She set the bottle on the ground to knock, and as she bent to pick it back up, the door opened. The breath rushed out of her as she straightened, her eyes eagerly eating up Zachary. The bulky gray sweater and dark jeans hugged his frame and made him look cozy all at once, especially when capped with a thick pair of gray socks with what appeared to be a face of a reindeer knit into the fabric. His toes wiggled as she stared.
“The kids picked these out for me,” he said sheepishly.
She smiled, not looking at him. Her racing heart paused long enough to skip multiple beats.This is why I’m nervous.He is what’s different.
“Come on, Harris. Get in from the cold,” Zachary said, gently tugging her by the coat.
She let him guide her into the foyer and close the door, the warmth of the house, the heat from him, burning her up instantly. Music carried from the kitchen, a TV murmured from the living room, and the gleeful shrieks of the kids seemed to bounce around the walls. His hand on her lapel, he tugged her closer still, leaning for a kiss.
“Charlie!” Vivi ran into the foyer, her arms flailing. “Look what we got!”
Charlie laughed, Zachary’s face mere inches from hers. He stepped back with a small chuckle, shaking his head as Alex appeared next to his sister. Beaming, the two held up their small hands, clutching tiny LEGO knights and dragons in their palms.
“Wow, look at that!” Charlie said.
“Uncle Zachy gave them to us,” Vivi said. “There’s a castle too!”
“Yeah!” chimed in a proud Alex.
“Those are pretty cool…” Charlie trailed off, as the kids cheered and zipped away. “Seems like they’re having a good day so far.”
“Yeah. For Christmas Eve, they’ve made out like bandits.”
“Hey,” Sandra said, her arrival perfect. “Don’t pretend like you aren’t partially to blame. This guy has been their personal elf.”
Zachary shrugged. “Look, it’s a bit addicting to shop for them.”
“Well, be prepared, because they won’t forget it. Are you going to let the woman in? Geez, where are your manners? Charlie, give him your coat.”
