Page 54 of Mistletoe Season
“I think you have the beginnings of a speech right there.”
“Really?” The door flew open, and she stepped out in a dark blue wrap dress, complete with simple yet fitting heels.
Definitely agiftfor his eyes.
She walked forward, completely unaware of his appreciation for how the dress hugged her lovely frame. “I can talk about things like that?”
The blue of the dress deepened the fascinating silver blue of her eyes, and Arran struggled to recall her question. “Um... yes, of course.” He stepped closer. “Also, I definitely believe you should purchase this dress.”
“Thanks.” Her smile softened as she stared up at him, anotherswell of pink deepening her cheeks. “I haven’t been much of a dress girl in a long time, but this... well, this is nice.”
Her declaration, paired with a few snippets of information he’d learned from Ellie and Luke, gnawed at the back of his mind. He couldn’t help feeling as if there was more toherstory.
She moved back to the dressing room, but Arran continued the conversation.
“Did you mention before that the criterion for children to qualify for The Mistletoe Wish was to be part of a single-parent home? And that many of the children you work with have a parent who is incarcerated or deceased?”
“Or... just left.” Silence followed. “It’s important that these kids don’t feel forgotten. That they know people still see them—reallysee them—even when it might look like they’re doing just fine.”
He mulled over her words. Hadn’t Charlotte mentioned her own mother leaving? Arran’s chest constricted.
Had she been one of those children who felt forgotten? Unseen?
Could her nondescript clothing and ball cap be a response to her past?
Arran paused on the thought. Maybe Charlotte had been like one of the kids he’d met in a school for which he was patron. The young girl attempted to hide herself behind her hair or baggy clothes because she’d been hiding something much more painful for a long time—a physical expression of a deeper hurt.
“Well, you have a speech half written, especially if experience has anything to do with it.” Something in Arran’s heart bent at this new revelation. Did this lovely, tenderhearted, and strong woman realize she was worthy of being seen?
“I know you didn’t come all the way over here to help me sort out my life, Arran.” Charlotte emerged from the dressing room in her leggings and sweater, the glow in her smile the loveliest thing she’d worn all afternoon. “But thank you for being willing.”
He grinned at the irony.
Perhaps, in the process of showing Charlotte who she truly was, he’d work a little of his own magic in rediscovering the man he used to be.
“It’s my pleasure, Charlotte.” He met her smile with one of his own. “After all, what are friends for?”
Seven
How could Charlie feel simultaneously glad to be working alongside Prince Smolderandmortified?
After all, he’d helped her shop yesterday. Even waited outside the dressing room to comment on her choices.
Ugh.
Surely he had a thousand better experiences in his royal life than something as simple and...ridiculousas that!
But he’d never given off any sense of wishing to be anywhere else. In fact, the way he looked at her a few times, well... she wondered if he wasn’t even enjoying himself. Which seemed even more ridiculous, because any man of her acquaintance would rather take a fork to the eye than go clothes shopping with a female.
Or even shopping at all.
It was probably because of the clothes. Her cousin Penelope always said men responded to the way women wore clothes. But surely a prince was used to much prettier clothes on much prettier ladies than... well,her.
Then they’d gone to Weber’s, found Arran some boots, and walked through Ransom Community Park eating hotdogs and talking about their childhoods.
Like friends.
Friends!
