“I’m on it.”
She spun on her heel, and that was when he saw she had already started decorating for Christmas.He’d been told that she spent Thanksgiving alone, which he hated.He’d been an hour’s ride away, but he was determined not to get too close.
Over the last five years, he knew she was making up for stuff she didn’t get with her mother.Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, every celebration she could do, she did.It was sweet and sad at the same time.
He had a feeling Kelley got lonely, but she didn’t like to impose on anyone, and he could understand that.
Her love of Christmas was intense.The Christmas tree was up in the sitting room.Fairy lights were wrapped around parts of the banister, along with tinsel and streamers.Festive cookie tins were everywhere.She was immersed in the Christmas spirit.He loved it.And he was a little ...in awe of her.He had never been one for Christmas.
Following her into the kitchen, he saw that even here, she had decorated.In that moment, he couldn’t help but think she would make one hell of a mom.
The coffeepot was already on, and she pointed to a covered cake tray with brownies on it.
“What do you think?”she asked.
“You perfected them?”
“Yep.I told you I wouldn’t give up, and I didn’t, and look at them.”She let out a little squeal.“Do you want to try one?”
She had come to discover he had a sweet tooth.In fact, Crow had come to discover he had a sweet tooth, which was very much news to him.
“Sure.”
She clapped her hands, and then rushed to serve him some.“Do you want ice cream?”
“Why not?”
She looked so at home and at peace.This is what he loved to see.
She flicked the fridge closed, then moved toward him, serving him a brownie with a dollop of ice cream and a nice, hot coffee.
Before he’d even taken a sip of coffee, he tried the brownie.Now, over the years, he’d tried ones that were still gooey, some that were so hard they nearly shattered his teeth.There were a lot he had gotten through.This one was delicious.
Kelley let out an excited laugh and threw her arms around him.“See, I told you I wouldn’t give up.”
When had Kelley gone from being a teenage girl to a beautiful woman?
