“Not for me, it isn't.”
He turned to look at me with big eyes. “Don't tell me you're in some kind of alpha heat.”
“For you? Any time.” I bit my lip, then repeated. “Any time.”
He turned all the way in the bed to face me, then leaned in and kissed me. The way he kissed, powerful but soft at the same time, told me I had nothing to worry about.
He was just as surprised to learn not only the time but the day as well.
“I lost two days in there somewhere.” He grinned. “But they weren't really lost, they were found. Best two days of my life.”
“For me, too.”
His stomach rumbled. Mine sympathetically echoed his.
“Time for breakfast?”
“Not that I'm in a rush to get out of bed,” he replied. “But we haven't been out of this room since Christmas Eve. I think it's time. I am starving to death.”
In a dramatic gesture, he threw his hand up onto his forehead and pretended to collapse against me.
After a quick shower which we took together, we got dressed in fresh clothes and were ready to go. Aspen approached the door, kicking aside the soiled robe. He brushed by the little tree and paused, looking down.
“What's that?”
“What?”
He bent and picked up the little gift I left there earlier in the day on Christmas Eve. He held it up so I could see it. “This.”
I smiled. “Looks like Santa came after all when we weren't looking. Hope he didn't blush too much at our show.”
Aspen frowned. “There's a tag. It saysTo Aspen Merry Christmas Dale.”
“Does it now?”
“You got me something? How long has it been sitting there? How did I not see it?”
“Maybe we were a little preoccupied?”
“Can I open it?”
“It's all yours. The tag says so.”
He began to undo the tape, slowly, neatly. But the paper tore and he became instantly impatient and ripped it all off in one gesture. A plain brown cardboard box now sat in his hand. He lifted the lid and his eyebrows rose as he pulled out a snow globe on a polished wooden base. Already the snow inside was shifting over the little scene: pine trees, a little red sleigh, and to one side a reindeer with its head back as if watching the skies for Santa to arrive.
He looked up at me, then back down at the globe. “It's like the little glade I told you about.”
“Do you like it? I didn't know what to get.”
“I love it.” His voice came out soft and searching. “It's beautiful. You bought this for me when you thought you were leaving and you'd never see me or hear from me again, right?”
I nodded.
“Dale. You must have the biggest heart inside that chest of yours." His eyes got damp and red around the edges. “This is a treasure. Thank you.”
“Like I said, I didn't know what to get. I wasn't sure if you would be offended by it or not.”
“Not at all. It's the perfect gift.” He lifted himself onto his toes and placed a sweet kiss on my cheek. “But I don't have anything for you."
