“I don’t like waking up without you next to me in bed,” he said, towering over her, clad only in a pair of low-riding pajama pants.
“I was just about to come wake you up with breakfast in bed,” she said and plucked the tray holding their breakfast off the kitchen countertop.
“Lead the way,” he said with a grin.
Charley did so, and when they reached the bedroom, Sully turned on the crackling gas fireplace, giving the room extra heat and a flickering ambiance. Flipping aside the sheet and comforter, he sat with his back to the headboard and patted the mattress. Charley handed him the breakfast tray and joined him. As they ate, she could not imagine being happier or more content than she was at this very moment. So much had changed in her life, all for the better and all because of Sully.
“I’ve made more money since my grand opening here in the country a month ago than I ever made at Christmas time in my Old Colorado City shop,” she said between bites of bacon.
Sully smiled. “A good sign you made the right choice in moving your business. I had a great month too. Maybe we should work a few more weeks and take a break. Go somewhere.”
“Like go on a vacation together?” Charley asked. When he nodded, she realized aloud, “I have never actually been on a real vacation.”
“Then you’re way overdue,” he suggested and took a bite of bacon.
“I’ll pay my half.”
“No, you won’t,” he said with a chuckle and a shake of his head. “It’ll be my gift.”
“Speaking of gifts,” she began as they finished eating. “I might have something for you under the tree.”
“Yeehaw. I might have something for you too.”
Charley smiled at him and then at Wyatt, who was in one of his new dog beds, the other ones being in the den and in the living room. “We might have something for you, too, Wyatt.”
Wyatt barked as Sully set the breakfast tray on the bedside table. He crawled out of bed and Charley scooted out after him. He tugged a long-sleeved tee shirt over his head, and she pulled on a pair of leggings to wear with his flannel shirt. In the living room, Sully stopped and smiled at the tree sparkling with white lights, gold balls, and red bows. Wyatt joined them as Sully pulled Charley close.
“You can go first,” Sully said, and picking up a present, sauntered to the leather sofa.
“Wyatt gets to go first,” Charley said, picking up gifts. Once they’d settled onto the sofa, she opened the first gift which was a plush dog toy and gave it to the puppy. Wyatt scampered away with it to his dog bed.
“Come back for your second gift, Wyatt,” Sully said. Wyatt came bounding back to them, and Sully unwrapped a safe chew toy for him. When the puppy was back in his bed with his plush toy and chew toy, Sully said, “Now it’s your turn, Charley.”
“Yeehaw.” Charley accepted the pretty box he gave her. “Give me a hint,” she said and rattled the gift close to her right ear.
“I already did.”
“Hmm…” Charley raised a brow and tore the wrapping off the box. Opening his gift and finding what was inside, her jaw dropped. Stunned, she looked at Sully and could only stare at him for a moment. “Two tickets to Hawaii from February tenth through the twenty-fourth?” So thrilled and unable to resistteasing him, she asked, “Who in the world would I take with me for two weeks?”
“You’ll figure it out.” Sully cocked a black brow, and Charley giggled as he yanked her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted her lips on his. He smoothed a loose lock of hair away from her cheek and said, “I want to go someplace warm to swim in the ocean and lie on a beach with you.”
“Yes,” Charley whispered seriously. “Sully, I would absolutely love that. I’ve never been to Hawaii, and I’ve always wanted to go.”
“Same here.”
“There’s a famous and beautiful hotel there known as the Pink Palace.”
“Officially, the name of the Pink Palace is the Royal Hawaiian and it’s on?—”
“Waikiki Beach,” they both said at the same time.
“Look in the box again,” Sully said.
“Sully,” Charley gasped softly as she pulled out the confirmation of their reservation at the luxury resort. “The Pink Palace. This is too much.”
“It’s not nearly enough.”
“Thank you.” With tears in her eyes and voice, she hugged him and said, “I can’t wait to fly to Hawaii with you. We’ll have the time of our lives.” She eased back, wiped away a stray tear, and handed Sully a gift. “Your turn.”
