Page 14 of Love is Grand

I nodded. “This is for Weezie.” I handed Shell the gift wrapped in pink-striped paper with a red bow, no name attached. Something radiated between us as I said her daughter’s name.

“You’ve never met her,” Shell said, staring at the package with an odd look on her face.

“I know. I didn’t want the holidays to pass and me be here without leaving something. From Santa, of course. It’s Legos,” I said, stumbling over my words, another rarity for me.

“She’ll like that. Always wanting to create something, that one.”

Shell set the package under the small tree adjacent to the front door. It was a short fake tree, decorated in popcorn strands and garland made of rings of red and green construction paper, twinkly lights twisted awkwardly around the spindly branches.

“Looks like she decorated the tree,” I said.

“Yep.”

Walking a step closer, I placed the smaller box in Shell’s palm, then closed her fingers around it. “This is for you.”

“You didn’t have to.” She stepped back, and I moved forward. “This is unexpected,” she said, then swallowed hard.

I wanted to run my tongue down her neck and over her cleavage. I imagined yanking her sweater off and nipping at her nipple.

Closing my eyes, I bit back the savage in me. This wasn’t the time for thoughts like that.

“Well, you didn’t call or text ... I knew you wouldn’t, so here I am. Surprise.”

Her chest rose and fell as her breaths increased, her slender shoulder peeking out from her sweater.

Shell’s expression hardened. “We can’t keep doing this. Weez is my life, and you have a great big world back in the States. We don’t fit, Cal.”

Her harsh words brought me back to reality. Never had I ever surprised someone for the holidays, gifts in hand. I’d never even dreamed of wanting to. Yet here I was in Shell’s hallway, aiming for some grand gesture.

We do fit, I thought, but instead, I said, “You look beautiful. Go ahead, open it,” I told her, gesturing to the box still in her hand.

She looked up at me, something undefinable in her dark eyes. “But I don’t have anything for you.”

“I don’t need anything,” I said, and I meant it. I earned all the money I needed and then some. “Actually, I needed to see you. So, you already gave me something.”

I had no idea where this soft side of me was coming from, but it was alarming.

Without a word, Shell tore into the gift wrap and removed it from the box. As I watched, I realized I wanted her hands on me like that, removing my clothing to get to what was beneath. Thinking about how good it would feel for her palm to slide down my chest and over my stomach and further south, I watched as she removed the lid and took in the earrings.

“Oh,” she said, lifting a hoop off the card that held it. “These are beautiful, but too much. I don’t even have anywhere to where them.”

“Wear them now,” I said, pointing at her ear. “Let me see them on.”

She shook her head. “The anklet was already enough. It’s too much money.”

Getting in her space, I said, “Let me worry about that.”

“Divorce treating you well?” she asked, her tone snarky.

Standing toe-to-toe with Shell, I could feel her breath coming in angry spurts.

“I can’t help that’s what I do for a living. No matter which side of the table I’m on, I still try to advocate for the women and children to get what they deserve.”

Shell let out a sigh and touched my arm. “Sorry, that was rude of me.”

“I can help you, you know?”

She shook her head. “No. I could never afford your rates, and I don’t want to owe Ricky anything. He doesn’t deserve to even breathe Louise’s name after walking out on her. He wants a clean break? Well, he can have one.”

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