Page 25 of The Bookworm Who Stole Christmas
“I’m just going to lock up, and then we can get out of here for the day.”
“Okay,” she replies with a nod.
I wander around the store, checking everything’s in its place and turning off lights as I go. The silence of the store and the smell of books bring me an inner peace I never thought I’d feel.
“I don’t want a lot for Christmas—” I start singing under my breath before stopping.
Wait! What?
What is wrong with me? And why did I like it? Shaking my head from my runaway mouth, I meet Amelia by the door and shrug my coat on. She’s all ready to go. Apparently, my wandering around the store took longer than I’d thought.
Opening the door, she says, “Dad? What are you doing here? I thought I was going to Grandma’s tonight?”
My head tilts to the side as I take him in. His cheeks are flushed from the cold, but his blue eyes twinkle in the light. His graying hair is hidden beneath his beanie.
“Yeah, Parker. What are you doing here?” I smirk, knowing full well why he’s here but wanting to see how he explains it tohis daughter.
Loud and proud without a single hesitation, he replies, “I’m here to take Maddie on our date.”
Amelia squeals next to me. “I’m getting a big sister for Christmas!”
“Whoa, slow down, squirt.” Parker laughs, pulling her in for a hug. “Grandma’s waiting in the car for you.”
He lets her go, and Amelia rushes to embrace me. I’m still not used to it, but I awkwardly bring my arms up into a semi-hug.
“I’ll see you soon, Maddie,” she says before running off to the car.
I chuckle as I watch her go, then glance at Parker. “Hi,” I whisper.
“Hi, sweetheart.” The way he smiles at me makes my chest tighten and leaves me lost for words. “Sorry about my daughter. Her mouth runs away from her sometimes.”
“Don’t worry… I already kinda see her like a little sister anyway,” I reply quietly.
Parker’s smile widens. “I’m really glad the two main women in my life are getting on. You ready?” he asks, holding out his hand.
I place mine in his, the warmth from it sending tingles down my spine. He rubs his thumb against my palm, and I glance down. My hand looks so small engulfed in his larger one, but I can’t deny how I feel seeing them together—happy.
“So, where are we going?” I ask as he starts leading me down the street. “There aren’t going to be crowds of people, are there?”
I can feel the panic start to rise, but he quickly squashes it by stopping me and taking my face in his hands. “Breathe, baby.”
I do as he says, taking deep breaths in; there’ssomething so calming about him. His voice instantly soothes me and puts a stop to my impending freakout.
“There will be a few people there, yes, but not many. I won’t let anything happen to you, sweetheart. You’re safe with me.”
I become putty in his hands, swooning at his words and believing, just for a second, that I’m safe with him, that he’d never do anything to hurt me.
Giving Parker a small smile, I reach up and cup the hands on my face, squeezing them gently. “I’m okay now.”
Placing a gentle kiss on my forehead, he resumes his position next to me, once again taking my hand in his and leading me toward wherever it is we’re going.
“So, are you ever going to tell me where we’re headed, or are you going to leave me in suspense?” I tease, swinging our hands high.
“I’m going to show you another side to Christmas, one that’s my personal favorite.” He turns to me and winks.
“Hmm, that sounds slightly worrying yet also intriguing,” I muse before an idea hits me. My brows furrow, and my eyes squint at him in suspicion. “You’re not going to take me into the woods and kill me, are you?”
Parker laughs. “No, sweetheart, there will be no killing today.”
