Micah knew she read at school. He’d seen the books she brought home, and they had reading homework every afternoon. His mom would have been so proud of his little learner.
“Okay, I’ll just…” he stood and moved to the door. “If you need anything.”
“Goodnight,” she chirped.
He stepped into the space between her bedroom door and his. It wasn’t really a hallway because he’d be in the living room in two steps. Listening momentarily, he felt adrift now that his bedtime routine was thrown off. Lizzie read with confidence, skipping a word here or there that was beyond her reading level.
He wandered into the living room and picked up his phone. He could call his brother and ask him if this was normal, but he would set himself up for mocking. Even though it put him at odds with time marching on, something inside of him said this was the natural progression of things.
He glanced at the phone and decided to chance calling Charlotte. She picked up on the second ring. “Hello there.”
“Hi.” Now that he had her on the phone, he wasn’t sure what to say. “Uh–how was your day?”
She chuckled at his stilted question. “It was merry. How was yours? Oh! Did you finish the song?”
He settled onto the loveseat. The room wasn’t big enough for an entire sofa, but he figured this was all he and Lizzie needed. “I didn’t. There’s a timing issue that I need to work out.”
“Oh? That sounds interesting.”
It was his turn to chuckle. “It’s not. It’s tedious. When the recordings aren’t at the same speed, I constantly have to speed one of them up.”
“This is your new client?” she asked. In the background, her microwave started. He pictured her puttering around her kitchen and making dinner. The image was homey and inviting, and he wanted to be with her.
“Yeah. I don’t know if I’ll work with them again, though–some projects are more effort than they pay.” He felt all sorts of knots in his back and shoulders release as he discussed the situation. Having someone to talk to about this was helping him put things into perspective.
“What about you? Closing tonight went okay?” He wanted to hear about her day–wanted every second of it she was willing to share with him. In short, he was hungry for her. If he couldn’t hold her in his arms, this was the next best thing. Angling himself in the corner of the loveseat, he kicked one leg up and laid back.
“Closing was intense.” As he listened to her talk about managing stock, filling shelves, moving merchandise to fill holes, and taking care of a few special orders, he realized she was more than a bubbly personality with a Christmas elf twist; she was a savvy business owner.
“What was the best part of your day?” he prodded her to keep talking.
“Hmm, now you’re making me pick?” The microwave beeped, and she opened it. He heard the silverware drawer open a second later and then close again. “I got it. There’s a new glass artist based in Williamsburg. She’s just starting, but her designs are amazing! I couldn’t stop staring at the samples she sent pictures of. Oh, my nutcrackers! I was blown away.”
“She’s that good?”
“She is–and she has the promise to be even better. I sent her back a request for a thousand ornaments by next October. If she can fill that order on time, I’ll feature her on my website.”
“Is that a thing?” He had no idea. Reaching the coffee table, he grabbed his laptop, pulled up Charlotte’s website, and then did a general search of the reviews.
She was famous! In the world of Christmas, Charlotte was queen. He clicked on a site at the end of the first page. The potter credited Charlotte with turning his part-time passion into a full-time job. The next page was full of the same type of praise from crafters, designers, and jewelry makers. Being featured on her website was like winning a Grammy. And yet, you’d never know she had so much power in her back pocket.
“You still there?” she asked.
He jerked out of his shock. “You’re amazing.”
“Thanks.” She chuckled. “Are we just throwing out compliments at random now? Because I can totally get behind that–handsome.”
His face warmed. “Why do you take the time to work with new artists? Wouldn’t established companies be easier? That’s how it is with artists. If they’ve been through the process before, I don’t have to babysit them.”
There was a pause, and Charlotte gulped down the bite she’d been chewing. Not that he could hear her chew, but he did hear her take a sip of water.
“You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
“Too late,” he deadpanned.
She laughed at his teasing. “I want to help people’s dreams come true.”
“Go on…”
