Page 20 of A Little Christmas: Rivi
“When do you have to be at your tree with Ozzy?”
“Not until noon.”
“I've been dying to walk around the grounds, and the booths open in less than an hour. Want to come with me?”
My eyes went wide even though I tried to hide my surprise. “Who, me?”
“Why not you?”
“Uh, yeah.” It was like he was asking me out. But it was just a walk, and wewerestaying in the same house. Was this like a date? Maybe I was overthinking things. “I gotta grab my jacket.” I started for the door.
“Don't forget a scarf and cap. It's freezing out there.”
“Okay.” I couldn't keep the excitement from my voice. Did he like me? Was he sizing me up? Was I supposed to do something to let him know that I kind of/sort of was thrilled about this?
Plus, he just said such a daddy role thing.Don't forget a scarf and cap. My first day here and I already had someone looking out for me like a real daddy.
“I'll meet you by the back door in five minutes,” he called after me.
“Yeah. Yeah.”
I took the stairs two at a time and slammed opened my door. I grabbed my jacket and scarf off the hook by the door, then ran through the room looking for my cap. It was blue with light snowflakes on it. It matched my blue jacket. But it was nowhere to be found.
“Damn.” I rarely said bad words, but this was an emergency. I didn't want to be late. Briar might not wait for me.
I decided I would go without it and just make sure the collar of my jacket was up to protect my neck from the cold. I would be fine.
I ran down the stairs toward the back of the house. This place was so big there were lots of back doors, but I knew the one he meant. It was a set of wide French doors that opened onto an enclosed patio with the little pathway that led straight into the line of white tents along the small driveway that curved out to the dozen or more of rows of pine trees.
I had one sleeve on and my scarf dangling from my other hand as I ran up to the door. Briar met me with a smile, that same one that burned like a flame underneath my heart at breakfast. He wore a dark blue parka and a long black scarf with the black cap.
When I came up alongside him, he immediately held out a hand. “Let me help you?”
He was asking me, not assuming.
I turned so he could grab the loose sleeve of my jacket. He took the scarf as I put my arm through the sleeve, then quickly straightened the jacket onto my shoulders and folded the scarf around my neck. Just that gesture put me into a bit of a daze. No man had ever offered to do anything like that for me before. Except for maybe Uncle Trent. But he was a relative, so he didn't count.
I turned back to face Briar and held out my arms for approval.
“Perfect,” he said. “But where's your cap?”
“I couldn't find it. I'll be fine.” I pushed up my collar. “See?”
“If you don't mind, Can I check something?”
“What?” The way he talked, the way he asked me careful questions made me realize he'd done this before. Probably many times.
“Your pockets. May I?”
I still had my arms out, I wasn't sure what he was asking, so I just nodded vigorously.
Suddenly, Briar’s hands went on either side of my waist and into my jacket pockets. He pressed gently and then took his hands away. In one of them was my balled-up cap.
“How'd you know?”
“Don't hold it against me, but I know the habits of littles,” he said softly. Then he set the cap on my head and pulled it down over my ears.
Automatically, my hand went up to adjust my glasses on my nose. “That makes sense.”
