Page 82 of Jam and Jingle Bells
I tucked a lock of white hair under his red stocking cap and smiled seductively. “Maybe Santa is going to have to put me on his naughty list.”
He grasped the front of my coat and brought my lips to his. “You’re already on it. You’re on the special naughty list. The one that Santa has to check more than twice.”
I kissed him with tongue, our hot and steamy breath making circles of smoke around our heads when we broke apart. “I hope Santa checks it at least two or three more times tonight.”
He laughed huskily and kissed my nose. “If that’s the case, Mrs. Claus better get moving and stop distracting him. We’ve got some work to do first.”
I grinned, grabbed the rope, and took off at a jog, dragging the sled back in record time. While he paid the attendant for the tree, I loaded it in the back of the truck, then we jumped back in and blew on our cold fingers. “I think this day calls for a big mug of hot chocolate and a piece of pie,” he said as he turned the truck engine over, tossed me a wink, and headed toward town.
It was late but the tree was in the apartment warming up. I promised him tomorrow night we’d decorate and fill the apartment with the magic of the season, but I wanted to give it time to open its branches and fill the house with the scent of pine. I loved nothing more than the scent of pine, peppermint, or gingerbread at Christmastime.
I side-eyed the man next to me as we walked up the path in the park hand-in-hand. He wore a smile on his face and his namaste cap on his head, but he was different. He was free. He was light. He wasn’t weighed down by what he saw as the sins of his past. He had the future in his eyes now. I hoped I was part of it. He had been introspective since we decided to head to the park, so I’d stayed quiet and left him to sort what he needed to sort.
I slid my arm around his waist and leaned into him. “You’re not regretting this morning, are you?” I asked quietly, the memories of his body on mine flashing through my core.
His head turned instantly and he froze in place. “What? God no, baby. I’m ready for round two.”
We started walking again and I chuckled. “You mean round four?”
Another smile tipped his lips and he tickled my side. “I mean the rest of my life.”
It was my turn to freeze. “What?” I whisper-asked.
He pointed at the sleigh, nothing more than a hulking shadow in the darkness. “I know we were going to the gazebo, but let’s sit on the sleigh. I have a feeling the view of the tree from that angle will be completely different.”
He took my hand and pulled me behind him as we walked to the sleigh, ducking under the ropes sectioning it off. He climbed up and gave me a hand, then pulled the blanket out of the bag on the seat. It was a big red bag with a rope tie at the top. The kids loved peeking in Santa’s bag when they thought he wasn’t looking.
He spread the blanket over me and snuggled me in close to him, the bag on the other side to block the wind. He pointed at the tree and I sighed.
“Told you, didn’t I?” he asked, the tree vibrant with its blue lights stretching up into the sky.
“It’s always good to see things in life from different perspectives,” I agreed, resting my head on his shoulder.
His lips found mine in the darkness and kissed them until I shuddered under him. I pushed him away quickly when my senses came back to me. “Not in public, remember?” I hissed, glancing around the space by the gazebo and the path. I didn’t see anyone else around. It was Sunday night and everyone was probably at home preparing for work and school.
He took my hand, my finger still stiff and full of stitches, but he massaged it carefully through the glove. “I’m not going to run around this town scared of a bunch of two-bit idiots who think they’re better than someone else. That’s not how I roll.”
I gazed up at him, concern in my eyes. “I know, Ellis, but they’re dangerous. You can’t put yourself at risk for me.”
He lowered his nose to mine and the look in his eyes was enough to silence me in a breath. “You are me, Addie, don’t you understand that? I told you this morning, you’re mine and that means you are me. I would risk everything for you because I love you. Love over fear, right?”
I nodded against his nose and swallowed hard, thankful the darkness hid my uncomfortableness with being out in the open. I fingered my cell phone in my pocket and released a breath. “Love over fear. You know if you get involved with me this may not be the only time we deal with this, right? Even my mom and Stan, who are twice our age, deal with the discrimination of a white man with a black woman. Being in an interracial relationship isn’t always easy. It helps we’re in Bells Pass where everyone accepts everyone, but outside the walls of this town,” I whispered, making a loop with my finger, “everything changes.”
He rested his finger on my lips and hushed me. “I really hate that word.”
“Relationship?” I asked, stymied.
“Interracial,” he answered. “We’re not from a different race. We’re both humans. Your skin is darker than mine, but whose isn’t?” he asked. He was teasing and I laughed but held the nape of his neck to keep him close to me. “It’s a ridiculous word, Addie. Never use it again in front of me. I’m in love with a beautiful woman who has a rich ethnic background of which I could only dream to have. I don’t give a rip what anyone else thinks. Maybe they’re jealous I’m the one who gets to lie down with you at night. Maybe they’re so insecure with who they are on the inside that they have to act tough on the outside. Maybe they were taught to hate the world at an early age by their parents. I don’t really know, but the use of that word is what continues to perpetuate those hatreds and discriminations. Underneath it all, we’re all the same. I’m not sure how that got lost in translation, but somewhere along the line, those who thought they were superior decided that wasn’t the case. I’m not running, Addie. I hope you won’t either.”
I swung my head side-to-side slowly. “I’m not, but I don’t want to be stupid when we know there’s a threat out there.”
“Let them come,” he said, winking. “I called the department before we left and told them we’d be out here. They’re running extra patrols through the park tonight. I’m not worried. Those numbskulls seem to only perpetuate crimes of convenience, and the park isn’t convenient. We’re safe here, just relax.”
I sagged into him and accepted his kiss of trust, love, and comfort. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He wrapped his arm around me and snuggled me into his shoulder, resting his cheek on my head. “Do you want to get married someday?” he asked out of the blue a few minutes later.
“I do,” I answered honestly and then laughed at myself. “Apparently, I’ve already got the words down pat.”
