Page 47 of I Choose You
“You look nice,” she said.
“I look like a troll who lives under a bridge compared toyou.” It was true. No one could compete with that.
She smiled and stepped toward me. “At least your clothes fit this time.” I had put on my nicest sweater and a pair of khakis. Standing next to Claire, I wished I had tried harder with my appearance.
I almost reached out to wrap my arm around her waist and haul her to me. She was standing so close. Did she want me to?
She reached behind her and closed the door. Fuck, she was just trying to leave her house, and I was standing directly in front of her. I stepped back, reminding myself to breathe. I really wanted to adjust myself.
Gesturing for her to walk ahead of me, I followed behind her to my truck. Her ass had me so hypnotized I missed my opportunity to subtly make myself more comfortable. I opened the truck door for her, and as soon as it closed, I shook my head at myself and adjusted my dick.
My father’s house wasn’t too packed yet. My brothers were here with their families, as was Maeve’s brother, Jackson, and her mother, Josie. There was some history there, so I was glad to see that things were working out.
Sheila was working the room, offering drinks and appetizers to everyone who walked in.
“Merry Christmas, Sheila. You don’t have to serve everyone, you know,” I told her, embracing her with a hug. “This isn’t the diner.” Sheila owned and operated the Downtown Diner, but she wasn’t here as a server for the guests; she was here as family.
“Oh, I know. But I don’t mind. And Merry Christmas, Reid. Merry Christmas, Claire.”
“Merry Christmas, Sheila,” Claire said, offering Sheila a hugas well.
I left her to her own devices and led Claire into the kitchen, where food and drinks were laid out on every surface. My father was in there, helping himself to a plate when we walked in.
He smiled at Claire and met us at the table. “Claire. What a surprise. It’s good to see you again.”
“Hi, Charlie. I hope you don’t mind me invading your Christmas Eve. Reid assured me that it would be alright, so if it’s not, please feel free to blame him,” she joked.
“It’s more than alright. I’m happy you could join us. Reid, why don’t you go make your friend a drink? I’ll keep her company.”
I shot my father a warning look. Leaving Claire alone with anyone in my family was a risky move. My father was the best of the bunch, and I didn’t even like the idea of that.
“Claire, would you like a drink?” I asked.
“A glass of wine would be great, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” I pulled my hand off her back. I wasn’t even sure when I had put it there. I kept my eye on them as I poured us both drinks as quickly as I could.
“Here you are.” I handed Claire her glass of wine and turned to my father. “Why don’t you go stop your girlfriend from working out there?”
“I tried,” he sighed. “She told me she wants to. Shooed me away. That’s how I ended up in here in the first place.”
“How long have you two been together?” Claire asked.
My father’s face flushed. “About five months.” He scratched his chin sheepishly.
“It’s still new,” Claire crooned. “Well, that explains it.”
My father and I shared a glance, both clearly confused.Claire giggled. “She’s being the hostess, not the waitress. She’s probably excited to meet and talk to the guests as one of the family. Charlie, you should go stand with her. I bet she would love to greet people as a couple with you.”
“Beautiful, smart, insightful… I can only imagine patient,” he added, using his head to gesture to me with a laugh. “I think I’ll go do just that. It was a pleasure to see you, Claire. Please eat, drink, and be merry.”
We each made a plate of food and wandered through the house to find a seat.
“Keep your eyes peeled. First people to get up, we jump on those seats. Throw elbows if you need to,” I joked. About the elbow throws, not about claiming the seats. I was completely serious about that.
“You want me to steal someone’s seat?” Claire looked horrified.
I nodded my head, my lips twitching, trying to hold back a laugh. “Move your feet, lose your seat, love. Everyone knows the rules. If they get up, their seats are fair game.”
