Page 10 of The Christmas List

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wyatt

My five-year-old has an endless amount of energy. Combine that with her excitement for the holidays and being able to participate in the Christmas List competition?

Yeah, she’s nearly got the zoomies as we walk into Town Square to meet Josie for the first task.

It took four bedtime stories and two hours before I could convince her to even close her eyes and sleep last night.

“Miss Josie!” Lucy cries, taking off straight for Josie, who’s standing next to one of the large, undecorated trees in front of Town Hall. She looks tiny compared to the massive tree, which has to be over nine feet tall if I had to guess. Her long, dark hair curls from beneath the deep red pom-pom beanie she’s wearing, the same shade painted onto her pillowy lips, which are split into a beaming smile that makes my chest ache.

The color makes her brown eyes seem like deep, dark pools of chocolate, and I find myself lost for a moment, her beauty nearly robbing me of air in my lungs.

With my hands shoved deep in the pockets of my jeans, I finally make it over to her and Lucy, and Josie lifts her gaze to mine, that blinding smile dimming almost indecipherably.

I have no doubt that she’s just as affected by me as I am by her, and I’m not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing… yet.

The few times we’ve been around each other, I’ve noticed the way her cheeks flush and how her breath hitches when I brush past her, her entire body going taut. Little things that someone else may not even notice, but at one time, Josie Pearce was the center of my world. At one point in time, I knew her better than anyone in the world. Years may have passed since we last saw each other, but that doesn’t mean that I can’t still read her. Even if we’ve both changed, there’s still a part of me that will always be hers.

A familiarity that’s like muscle memory.

And that’s what makes it hard every single moment I’m in her presence. That and me wondering if a part of her is still alsomine.

From what Lucy’s told me, Josie has an affinity for quirky sweaters that my daughter calls “fun,” and I see today’s no different. It’s a shimmery gold material with round ornaments dangling off the fabric. On anyone else, it might be silly, but it fits her.

And even covered in damn Christmas balls, my dick still twitches with the way it pulls tight across her supple chest.

Get it the hell together, Wyatt.

I watch as she bends next to Lu, removing the top off the container of garland and ornaments, and tells her to pick out her favorites before she stands and turns to me.

“Hi,” she says quietly, a small smile playing at her dark red lips.

“Hi.”

The air crackles between us, a heavy silence hanging for a moment before she clears her throat and shifts next to me, pulling her jacket tighter around her. “I think you’re going tohave to put her on your shoulders if we’re going to put the topper on.”

It takes me a second to even realize what she’s referencing, her head jerking toward the tree, and I chuckle. “Yeah, probably so. She’d actually love that.”

“Should we get to work, then? Not sure if you remember this about me, but I’m pretty competitive.”

I nod. “Yeah. I remember. How could I forget anything about you, Josie Pearce?” Pausing, I hold her gaze. “Tell me where you need me and I’ll get to work. We’ll win this thing.”

A shadow of something passes over her face, something I actually can’t quite read, and she pulls her lip between her teeth as she whirls to face the empty tree.

Lucy’s got the garland laid out neatly along the ground and is currently working her way through the box of wrapped ornaments. Josie squats down beside her, lifting one from the box.

“Are these…yourornaments?” Lucy asks, peering up at her curiously.

She nods. “They are. I’ve been collecting them for a very long time, so I have… a lot. These are my extra ones. Sometimes, I put up not just one tree at my house buttwo,” Josie says dramatically.

My daughter’s eyes widen comically, like she truly can’t fathom having more than one Christmas tree. “Wow,” she breathes with awe. “That’s… so amazing! Daddy says that this year, I can maybe put a small tree in my room if I get all smiley faces at school.”

I bite the corner of the inside of my lip to stop from smiling. Ididsay that in passing, but I shouldn’t at all be surprised that she remembered it. Sometimes, Lucy feels so much older than her age, and honestly, sometimes, I feel like we’ve grown up together.

She’s taught me how to be a father and a better man. How to be patient and understanding when I need to be. How to be firm and stand my ground when the time calls for it.

“I thinkeverylittle girl deserves to have their very own Christmas tree,” Josie says to her, reaching up and tapping her gently on the end of her rosy nose. “And I think I have some ornaments that you can borrow if you’d like?”

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