Page 68 of Welcome Home for Christmas
She nearly leaped out of the car.
“I would’ve gone inside and placed myself under your tree, but I don’t know your security code.”
“Is that for me?” she asked as she approached, pointing to the small box. A giddy grin swallowed her whole. After last night, she finally felt free. There was no dark cloud hanging over this thing between them. She trusted herself, and Troy, completely.
“Well, it is Christmas.” He leaned in and kissed her. “I missed you.”
“You just saw me last night,” she said, unable to help herself from smiling. This was the man she’d helplessly fallen for over the last couple of weeks. She’d fallen quick and easy. Everything with him was so, so easy.
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough.”
She looked down at the gift in his hands. “You didn’t have to get me anything, you know.”
“I went shopping this morning after I left my mom’s house,” he said. “You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to find a place open on Christmas day.”
Allison’s mouth fell open. “You went home for Christmas?”
“You’re good for me, Allison Carmichael,” he said. “You’re making me want to be a better man.”
Her mother’s voice played in the back of her head. Women thought they could change a man like Troy. They thought that they could make him a better man by making him settle down. By taming him. But they were wrong, her mother had warned.
Allison squashed her mother’s advice. This time Allison was believing her own gut over her mother’s.
“That’s great, Troy.”
“I made up with my brother, too,” he said. “He’s still a dick, but I’d like you to meet him one day.”
“I’d love that.” A man who wanted her to meet his family was a man who was serious about her.
He offered her the wrapped gift.
“Wait. I got you something, too. It’s in my car.” She hurried toward the passenger seat and lifted a large bag. Troy’s sister-in-law, Rhonda, had been great to help her find this on such short notice.
“It’s a little silly, I guess. Maybe.” She handed him the bag, excitement building inside her. Gift giving was her favorite part of Christmas. “It was impossible to wrap so I just put it in a bag.”
Troy took it as she handed it over and peeked inside.
Allison watched nervously.
“Oh, wow.” He set the bag down and reached in. “Is this what I think it is?” He pulled out a child’s bow-and-arrow set, staring at the red plastic in his hands. “It’s just like the one Dad got me on the best Christmas I ever had. The one I told you about.”
Allison smiled, relieved that he was pleased with the gift. “Rhonda had Sam ID the one you had. And you’re right. If there’s a toy out there, she can find it.”
He looked at her. “I’m not sure what to say. This is…”—he nodded—“this is perfect. Thank you.”
Allison shrugged a shoulder as if it were nothing, even though she’d put in some effort to get it for him. “I wanted you to have a reminder that the good Christmases outweigh the bad ones.”
He pulled her in for a kiss. “Thank you. And I’ve changed my mind. This is my favorite Christmas. Because of you.”
She turned her attention to the gift he’d given her now. “What is it?” she asked, looking up.
“Well, you’ll have to open it to find out,” he teased.
She tore excitedly at the paper and unwrapped the gift, staring at it for a long moment. Disappointment crept in at the corners of her eyes as she tried to make sense of what she was looking at. “I don’t understand.”
Troy scratched the side of his face. “I’m not as good at giving gifts as you are, I guess. I had no idea what to get you. I thought these might make you think of all the fun we have together, though.”
“Fun?” Allison swallowed and nodded, keeping her gaze on the fuzzy pink handcuffs. Her mother’s words came slamming back again. Troy was a man who liked to have fun, and when he was done, he’d leave.
