He even smiled and wished us merry Christmas when I handed him an extra twenty as a tip.
Another silent drive back to the clubhouse, with Rafe stewing in the passenger seat, put a damper on the Christmas spirit I’d woken up with.
I tried not to let it bother me, but the sudden shift in attitude and actions left me spiraling.
I’d always counted on Rafe to be steady and reliable.
This significant shift ripped the stability right out from under me.
No way in hell I’d complain.
Decorating for Christmas was sure to make the annual Christmas drive more festive.
The kids would love it, and their happiness mattered more than my concern over Rafe.
Rafe spoke as we pulled into the driveway. “We should decorate inside too.”
An uncomfortable beat of silence passed, then he glared at me while opening his door. “You know how to set up a tree?”
I hid my surprise at the question and nodded. “Sure.”
“Good. You do that. I’ll figure out what the fuck to do with all the lights I bought.” He jumped out and slammed the door behind him.
Bought?
He’dboughtChristmas decorations?
I stepped out of the truck and landed in a pile of slush that rose to my ankles.
I hauled the tree over my shoulder and carried into the clubhouse.
Within minutes, I had it in the stand in front of the windows, right where Noelle had pointed out as a great spot for a tree.
I removed the protective netting and stepped back as the branches fell open in a cascade of cedar.
The smell filled the room, and I breathed it in like a man starved of oxygen long enough to suffocate.
My lungs expanded again and again with the thick aroma.
Rafe’s grumbling preceded his stomping steps into the living area.
He eyed the tree and grunted before dropping a box at my feet. “Is that enough?”
“For what?” Confusion deepened my voice.
Rafe’s glare intensified. “Is that enough to decorate the tree?”
I took a closer look at the box overflowing with brand-new boxes of Christmas lights, garland, and ornaments. “Yeah. That’s enough.” Even if it wasn’t, I’d figure out how to make it work,because there was absolutely no fucking way I was telling Rafe that his contributions were not enough.
He might look and act like he didn’t care, but he did.
He nodded once, then spun on his heel. “I’m almost done outside. I think. Do what you can in here.” He waved at the room, and the tree in particular, before turning and striding away with long, heavy steps.
“You should help decorate the tree.” It occurred to me that maybe he’d never had a Christmas tree before.
It would explain his reluctance and his lack of knowledge on the subject. I toed the box. “I’ll help you outside, and we’ll finish twice as fast. Then we can work in here.”
I fully expected him to lash out or flat out shut me down. Instead, he grunted and shrugged. “Yeah. Okay.”
