Page 57 of The Parkers' Handsome Holiday
Cal got to his feet and offered me his hand. He helped me up, and we dusted gravel from our behinds. He nodded toward the door. “We should get out of here. I still have some gift wrapping to do for Asher, and I want to make sure I make the evidence quite obvious that Santa came to our house tonight.”
“You’re a good dad, Cal.”
He smiled. “I try.”
We walked hand in hand to the door, where we descended the stairs, walked down the alley, and cut across the dark parking lot to walk the few blocks back to his car. Other people were leaving the Christmas event at the same time. Couples walked hand in hand. Children slept in their fathers’ arms or in their strollers, pushed by parents who were going to do the same thing as Cal when they got home.
Some might even put fake boot prints across the carpet. Others might even get up on the roof.
I smiled to myself as we approached the car.
“What are you smiling about?” Cal asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t really know.”
He chuckled as we got in the car. The heat started coming through the vents, and as he pulled away, I rolled my head to the side to look at him. “Thank you for taking me here tonight. Even though it didn’t help me remember, I had a really nice time.”
Cal smiled at me. That little knot of heat below my belly tightened and grew hotter. I shifted in my seat and pressed my knees together.
“I had a nice time too,” Cal said.
We drove the rest of the way home in comfortable silence, and the first snow flurry fell shortly before eleven o’clock. By the time we got home, the driveway was coated in powder. Cal came around to my door and opened it for me, and we walked quietly to the front door, where we snuck in, careful not to disturb the house.
The tree was still on. The living room looked stunning.
Cal left the lights off and went into the kitchen. “Are you tired?”
I shook my head. “No, I was hoping I could help you get everything ready for tomorrow morning, actually.”
“Oh yeah?” he asked. He sounded almost excited.
I nodded. “Yeah, I mean, I bet Asher gets up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning. With two of us working, you’ll be able to get to bed sooner and get some sleep.”
“See?” Cal winked. “You’re nice. Just like your parents.”
I smiled and shrugged out of my jacket. I draped it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs to let the snow dry from the shoulders.
Cal went to his wine stand and grabbed a bottle of red. He held it up. “What do you think?”
“Wine and Christmas gift wrapping?” I asked. “Lay it on me.”
Cal poured us each a glass. We took our wine into the living room, where he lit a bunch of cinnamon-scented candles for more light. We left the actual lights off. Cal brought down two big containers full of gifts, and we both set to wrapping.
It was an adventure. Every present looked different, with colorful ribbons and wrapping and bows. As we were wrapping, Cal leaned over and plucked a plate from the hearth. He put it down between us and picked up a baby carrot. He ate it and went in for another one.
I took some too. We left one on the plate after Cal nibbled on it like it was a mini corn on the cob. Then we each took one of the cookies, and shortly before we went to bed, Cal poured half the warm milk down the kitchen sink and washed away the evidence.
He winked at me as I saw him doing it. “It’s all part of the illusion.”
I shook my head and folded my arms as I leaned on the kitchen doorframe. “No, it’s all part of the magic.”
23
CALLUM
There was no warning, but I should have known. It was Christmas morning, after all, and Asher had woken up every year at five in the morning on the dot and come running down the hall to my room to throw himself on top of me while yelling at me to wake up already.
“Dad! It’s Christmas! It’s Christmas!”
