Page 20 of This Christmas

“I can carry her downstairs if you want?” he offered when he saw her shiver. “It’s getting worse out there. I should get back to the hotel before it gets too bad.”

“Thanks, I can take her if you can grab the mess?” She motioned to the empty food containers.

“Sure,” he said, standing up at the same time she did. Their bodies bumped, and she became very aware of how close they were.

A wave of desire pulsed through her quickly, then he took a step back and turned to collect the mess from the table.

She bent down and gathered Charlotte, who stirred in her arms and snuggled in as she shifted her weight.

“She’s getting so big,” she said, mostly to herself, as she held tight while they started down the spiral stairs.

“Here,” he said after she struggled a few times to hold onto her and the railing. He set down the bag of empty containers and easily took Charlotte into his arms. “You grab those.” He smiled at her. “The last thing I want is for you both to tumble down these stairs.”

She agreed and took the containers and followed him down the rest of the way.

“This place is really amazing. Is it true your sister and her husband found the diamond in here somewhere?” he asked when they reached the bottom.

“It is.” She smiled.

“I couldn’t crack the details of where. But I’ve seen plenty of pictures of the diamond. It’s a beauty. I think it’s on tour somewhere in Paris right now.”

“We’re keeping those details secret,” she admitted. “My brother doesn’t want people trying to break in and look for more treasure.” She stopped and looked at him. “There isn’t any.”

He smiled and nodded. “I read all about it. It’s fascinating. This place has a lot of really great history. Besides the diamond, I mean.”

“I love staying here,” she told him. “The sound of the ocean, the smell of salt water.” She stopped at the base of the stairs. Charlotte’s room was just a few feet away. Turning, she shut the door to the lighthouse and locked it. “My brother installed this after our first visit. Charlotte snuck up there. It took us fifteen minutes to find her in this big place.” She sighed. “She was only two. I swear she’s an adult in a child’s body sometimes.”

He grinned softly and followed her down the hallway toward Charlotte’s room. “It sounds like she keeps you on your toes.”

“You have no idea,” she said, easing open the door to her daughter’s room. The room glowed softly from a nightlight shaped like a seashell and the string of pink lights she’d hung up earlier that morning. She’d washed her daughter’s pink pillows and bedspread and had made the bed first thing in the morning so Charlotte would feel a little more at home. “But I love every minute of it.”

He lowered Charlotte onto the queen-sized bed as if she were made of glass, then he surprised her by gently tugging the boots off her feet before carefully pulling the blanket over her.

Charlotte sighed and rolled over, her tiny hand curling around the stuffed bunny that Ally tucked next to her. Ally’s chest ached with love as she brushed a wisp of hair from her daughter’s forehead.

“She’s perfect,” he said quietly, stepping back.

Ally smiled, though her heart gave a nervous flutter. “She is. Even when she’s a handful.”

They slipped from the room, and Ally closed the door with a soft click. He followed her down the hallway and the stairs in silence.

Downstairs, the air felt cooler, quieter. The storm outside had eased into a steady hum, the kind that wrapped the house in a comforting calm.

“Thanks again for bringing us the picnic,” she said as they reached the kitchen. “And for being honest.”

“Any time.” He dropped the containers into the bag and leaned against the kitchen counter. “I’m glad I came by. It was… nice.”

“Yeah,” she said softly. “It was.”

For a beat, neither of them moved. The tension between them was subtle but undeniable. The way his eyes lingered on her face made her pulse skip. But then he smiled, a small, deliberate smile that broke the moment gently.

“I should get going before the roads ice over.”

She nodded, even though part of her wanted to ask him to stay just a little longer. She followed him through the house to the front door. “Drive safe.”

He reached for the door, then paused. “You two be careful up here, all right?”

“We will.”