Page 54 of A Second Chance Christmas Kiss

For a long time, we simply held each other, our bodies molding together and her touch a soothing balm to me.

“I know all those years can’t come back to us,” I said, “but being here with you now is a gift, and I will take it.”

She nodded and then pulled back and said, “I know you’re not going to leave, but I will have to insist that you sleep on the floor, because I know you won’t let me and …”

I cut her off. “No, you’re right. I won’t let you. I’ll sleep on the floor. I want to do things right with you. I want to be with you the right way.”

“Charles, is this really happening? It feels like a dream. A dream I never want to give up.”

I couldn’t help the warmth that spread inside my chest. “Grandmother said I might get some Christmas magic and a second chance this year. I didn’t really believe her. And I really didn’t believe in God’s plan, like I said earlier. But if this is God’s plan, I do believe it. I want the magic. I want God’s plan. I want you. Melody, I love you. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

She inhaled quickly. “Charles, are you sure? This is so fast.”

“Look, you don’t have to say it. I’ve waited for you a long time. I can wait a little longer.” I pulled her back into me, and she didn’t resist. Could she ever love me again? Could she get over her heartbreak and her ex? I truly hoped so.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Melody

I woke the next morning, my eyes lazily opening, and then the memory of the previous day hit me. I sat up. “Charles?”

No answer.

I turned and looked at the floor, and he was gone. The clock next to the bed read eight-thirty. Wow. I sat up and kicked my feet out of bed, taking in the size of this room. I hadn’t noticed how big it was the night before. When we were growing up, I wasn’t allowed down in Charles’s room. We’d all hung out in the main areas of the house, which were also huge, especially compared to the doll store.

Being inside Charles’s suite of rooms only emphasized how small my own room was in comparison. Ugh. I thought of the police reports we’d filed last night for the doll shop and my mother’s house. No, it was my house now. I was still getting used to the idea.

It was daunting to think about everything going on right now—the break-ins, the bills that needed to be paid, and my ex who wouldn’t pay. Plus, it was Christmas Day.

My shoulders slumped. Last Christmas had been a bust because my ex had blown it up. Now, I was spending anotherChristmas without my son. Without our family. I sat on the bed and covered my face.

“Hey,” Charles said, opening the door and bustling toward me with a big grin on his face.

“Hey,” I said, blinking rapidly. I was relieved to see him.

He opened his arms, and I rushed into them.

“When I woke this morning, I felt like last night was a dream,” he said, his deep voice rumbling in his chest.

“I know. I can’t believe I’m in your arms.”

He brushed a kiss against the top of my head. “I know. I know.”

Warmth bloomed in my chest, followed quickly by a stab of guilt.

As if he could sense my discomfort, he pulled back. “What’s wrong?”

I stared up into his never-ending blue eyes and felt myself relax. “It’s Christmas, and I love being with you, but I can’t help missing my son.”

He ran his fingers down my arms and then linked our hands together. “I can only imagine how hard this time of year is for you, without your son here.”

There seemed to be something he wasn’t saying. “Charles?” I asked.

He hesitated. “I told you Sheila and I tried for two years. We went to every doctor and specialist in the country. But in the end, she told me she couldn’t keep trying, because a child was more my dream than hers.”

He didn’t look at me, and I remembered how he would often look away when telling me something that was really bothering him. I gave his fingers a little squeeze. “I’m so sorry.”

He shrugged. “She was probably right. I really wanted children. Looking back, I can see how she really didn’t. I …” Heswallowed and pulled away, turning toward the large windows that overlooked the backyard.

---