Page 44 of A Second Chance Christmas Kiss

She took a few steps away from me and then splashed me. “I don’t have manners.”

I was so stunned that all I could do was laugh. Then I splashed her back.

She squealed and ran toward the beach. “You’re supposed to be mature now. You’re supposed to have manners.”

I’d forgotten how playful she was. I chased her and picked her up, heaving her over my shoulder and grinning when she squealed some more. “I’ll show you manners.” I moved back into the ocean and pretended like I was going to throw her in.

She kicked her legs and screamed, “Do not throw me in, Charles King! You win. I will freeze on that motorcycle.”

I gave in and took her over to dry ground, where I gently put her down. I kept her against me. “I think splashing me should cost you a couple kisses.”

Her green eyes danced with mischief in the moonlight. “How many?”

I bent softly, kissed her lips, then pulled back. “I don’t know if we can put a number on it. I mean, splashing me is a big deal. A huge grievance.” I kissed her again, then again.

Before I knew it, she was kissing me back, and then I was lost, with my hands in her hair and her body pressed against mine. All I knew was that I never wanted to leave this spot. I’d finally come home.

I finally pulled back and asked, “Could you do me a favor?”

She looked surprised. “I don’t know what favor I could do for Charles King, but you can ask.”

Man, I was already falling in love with this woman again. “There is a favor you can do for me. Be my date for the gala tomorrow.”

She looked uncertain, and I wondered if it was because her son wasn’t coming for Christmas.

“If you can’t, it’s okay.”

She inhaled deeply and then said, “You know what? I think I would like that. It could be a new Christmas Eve tradition.”

I was delighted by the idea that we would have a new tradition to do together.

Her eyes widened as if she realized what she’d said. “I didn’t mean to assume that it would be a tradition.”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

She frowned. “Why are you laughing?”

I pulled her in and gently brushed my lips against hers. “Because having a Christmas Eve tradition like that is something I only could’ve dreamed of.”

Chapter Nineteen

Melody

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Never in all my imagination could I have guessed I would be thinking about Charles King and the way he’d kissed me only half an hour before.

After he had taken me back here, he’d kissed me deeply and told me he’d see me tomorrow. I had informed him that there was one day before Christmas Eve. In reply, he had told me that he would still see me tomorrow.

I turned onto my side and felt nervous jitters, just like I used to when Charles and I had dated when we were young. How was I in this predicament? Memories of us washed over me: reuniting on the beach every summer, hanging out with our beach crew and his brothers, going back to his grandparents’ home and swimming or riding horses …

I didn’t know how long I’d been lying there thinking about all of that when I heard my phone ding. At first, I was concerned. The neon clock radio on the nightstand said it was almost one in the morning. Would it be Will?

I grabbed my phone and couldn’t help but feel another bout of nervous jitters. It was Charles.

He texted,Are you awake?

I laughed and texted,No.

Instantly, the phone rang. I picked it up and said, “What would you do if I was asleep?”

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