Page 21 of A Candy Cane Christmas
Luci’s eyes shifted from my daughter to me, and he bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. I knew that. Still, heat pooled low in my stomach, the sharp desire to be the one biting his lip shooting through my spine like a lightning bolt, taking my breath away.
I needed to get a grip. Now.
Luci smirked again, eyes flashing.
“How could I ever say no to peppermint bark?” he said with a laugh. He reached for something on his side of the door without looking, then stepped out, keys in hand. With a smile, he watched Hazel race up the stairs as he stepped next to me, his shoulder brushing against my upper arm in a discreet but warmgesture. The desire to just… fridge it and grab his hand welled up in me again, but I swallowed it down more fiercely. We’d agreed that we’d see where things went. That wasn’t exactly a committed, long-term relationship yet, and thus, it was too early to clue my kid in to us dating. If we decided that we indeed wanted to be in a relationship, I’d tell her and then, andonlythen, I’d start holding hands in front of her.
Still, the desire to be reckless and go for what I wanted stayed just below the surface, burning with an intensity I’d never felt before.
“So, Miss Hazel, do you have any fun plans for what you wanna do with your grandparents?” Luci asked, hopping up the stairs with that easygoing smile of his on his lips.
“Yes.” She nodded seriously, holding up one finger. “We need to pick Aunt Pippa up from the airport tonight.” Adding a second finger, she continued. “Then we will have a late dinner at McDonald’s. But that’s a secret, so you can’t tell Daddy.” I slapped a hand in front of my mouth to keep from laughing. Apparently, plans had been made, and if I were a betting man, I’d put money on it that the dinner plans had been Pippa’s doing. “Then we go to sleep. Tomorrow we’re gonna go shopping for aaaalllll we need for cookies. And then we’re baking all day long. I want to try lots and lots of cookies. And on Sunday, Daddy’s coming for breakfast, and we’ll dress up all fancy and go to a restaurant.”
Luci grinned at her. “That sounds like a fun weekend.”
Hazel nodded, already standing in front of our apartment door, her arms crossed in front of her, tapping the floor with her foot. “It’s gonna be great. It’s always sooo much fun when Aunt Pippa visits. She’s my mommy’s little sister, and she’s away at college. We have a college in town, so I think it’s dumb she’s sooo far away, but Pippa says it’s necessary. I still think it’s dumb.”
Luci giggled while I opened the door.
We all went to the kitchen, with Luci and me listening to Hazel giving us a million reasons why Pippa should’ve stayed here.
I knew she missed her. But there was nothing we could do about her being halfway across the country for most of the year, so I intervened.
“Who wants to make peppermint bark?”
Hazel and Luci both cheered, grinning at each other.
“Okay. The first step is washing your hands. I’ll go get the aprons.”
Hazel nodded, her face all business as she held out her hand for Luci. “Do you want me to show you the bathroom? Our soap is not as fancy as yours, but it smells good. Do you like cherry? Because it smells like cherries.”
Taking her hand, Luci nodded. “I love cherries. Cherry pie is my favorite pie.”
“Meh.” Hazel started walking, dragging Luci with her. “I guess that’s an acceptable choice.”
They disappeared down the hallway, but I could hear Luci’s mock gasp. “An acceptable choice? What pie could possibly be better than cherry?”
Hazel’s snort was the last thing I heard before the bathroom door fell closed with a loud bang.
I smiled, already knowing what my daughter would say. She took her pies seriously. There were good choices, acceptable choices, bad choices—and pumpkin. Pumpkin was an awful choice.
Turning around, I quickly grabbed three aprons, a chopping board, a rolling pin, and a Ziploc bag before I started heating a pot of water on the stove.
Peppermint bark, here we come.
“Oof,” I said, shutting the apartment door and sagging against it with closed eyes. I loved Hazel with everything I had, but the silence after they were gone for a fun weekend with her family? Priceless.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of rich chocolate mixed with sugar and peppermint that permeated the whole apartment. My stomach rumbled lowly, though it definitely didn’t want anything sweet.
“Do you want me to grab McDonald’s?” Luci asked, his voice carrying laughter. “It can be our very own secret.” Opening my eyes, I found him standing right in front of me, eyes dancing with mischief. “I swear I’m better at keeping secrets than your daughter.”
Chuckling, I pushed myself off the door and stepped right up to Luci. I finally had the chance to do what I’d been wanting for the past hour. Opening my arms, I pulled him into a hug and closed my eyes again. The scent of peppermint was more intense now, coming from his hair. His arms snuck around my middle, pulling me closer until nothing fit between us. My heart somersaulted a couple of times, but then settled into a calm rhythm, and my shoulders sagged as I continued to inhale his unique scent. Peppermint, acrylic paint, and a hint of something sweet. A chaotic mix that should not work together but somehow did.
“I know you’re better at keeping secrets,” I whispered in his ear, smiling as I felt him shudder against me. I’d done that. “After all, we waited so long to do this.”
My heart pounded in my throat as I gently placed a hand on Luci’s cheek and tilted his head up so I could look him in the eye, making sure he was on the same page as me. For years, I thought I’d never get to have this. That I’d never be brave or bold enough to go for what I wanted. It had seemed terrifying.
And it still was, but with Luci it was also easy. The most natural thing in the world.
