Page 42 of Second Down Scrooge

I laugh and press a kiss to Mia’s cheek, and she bursts into the sweetest little baby giggles. “Then let’s wrap it up.”

The attendant wraps it and tosses both trees into my car as we pay. We finish our hot chocolate and enjoy the snow, and then we take off for our next destination…the craft store.

“What are we doing here?” Kelly asks.

“Well, we need to replace the ornaments that broke on your tree, and we need to buy some ornaments for my tree. Plus, I'm pretty sure someone I know has a whole bunch of wreaths to make, so we can take care of it all right here.”

She turns her gaze to me, and wonder mixed with adoration is in her eyes.

I think I finally figured out how to do this the right way.

Chapter 21: Kelly Kaplan

A Perfect Day

Four Days Until Christmas

A shopping spree at my favorite store with this man who suddenly seems like he stepped right out of my dreams?

Yes please.

We strap Mia into the shopping cart and then proceed to fill the basket with ornaments and lights, bows and garland, frames to make wreaths, and evergreens to fill them in. The cart is brimming with Christmas goodies by the time we’re done twirling through the aisles, and even though it’s not adatebut anadventure, itfeelsvery much like a date, and I feel very much like kicking my feet into the air with excitement and giddiness.

This feels like exactly what I was looking for the night I met Austin. We’ve come a long way since then, and every moment we’re together feels more and more like we’re moving to the place I never thought we’d actually get to.

There’s a short line at the register as we wait to check out, and Austin’s phone starts to ring. He glances at the screen. “Oh, it’s my publicist. I need to take this.”

He answers, and I make faces at Mia while we wait.

“Oh, that’s great, thank you so much,” he says. “Sure, how does twenty minutes sound?”

I listen to his side of the conversation, and I feel a little jolt of sadness at his words. Of course our date has to come to an end sometime, and I need to get to packing since we leave tomorrow…but I don’t want it to come to an end. I’m having the sort of lighthearted fun I’ve been needing, and I’m not ready for our adventure to be over.

He ends the call just as we’re called up to the register, and he treats for everything in the cart—including the supplies to make wreaths.

It isn’t until we’re buckled into the car that smells like pine that he finally glances over at me.

He hasn’t backed out of the space yet when he says, “My publicist, Ellie, has a couple of kids, and then her brother-in-law, who happens to be my team owner, had a couple of kids, and her sister-in-law had twins, and, well, she basically is running a daycare out of her house for all these nieces and nephews and some other teammates’ kids. She has a lot of help, including a full-time nanny, and she said we could bring Mimi by anytime we want. I asked if we could do a trial run for a couple hours, and she told me to bring her by now. I figured we could…you know, have a little mommy and daddy time before you get to packing for your trip, and this way you could see the house and meet Ellie and the nanny to make sure you’re comfortable with everything.”

He wiggles his eyebrows atmommy and daddytime, and yeah, I just bet he wants somedaddytime.

But I don’t laugh, even though the wiggling of the eyebrows is meant to be silly and light. Instead, I feel heat pinching behind my eyes.

He reaches over and grabs my hand. “It’s fine if you’re not ready. I just thought I would off—”

“No, it’s not that,” I say, interrupting him. “It’s just…you’re being so sweet, and you’re thinking of everything, and I think it’s just going to take me a little time to get used to it. That’s all.”

“So you’re okay with taking her over there?” he asks.

I nod. “Thank you,” I say softly.

His eyes soften as they meet mine, and he offers a small smile before he leans over to kiss me. “Thank you, Kel. For all you do.You deserve so much more than I can give you, but I’m working my hardest to try.”

“I know you are. I see it. I see you.”

He squeezes my hand, and then he pulls out of the space, and we head toward Ellie’s.

I’ve met her a few times, and I know she’s married to former pro football player Luke Dalton. She runs her publicity business out of her home.

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