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I didn’t wait for a verbal reply—that stance was enough.
I turned my back to her and walked out, wishing the nagging fear that she’d make good on her promise of regret would stay where it was.
SIXTEEN
hawk
Two more days until Christmas.I was definitely pushing time.
I should have had the candy delivery to Harmony Children’s planned out before now, but with financial advisors arguing with me about costs, with the expansion into commercial stores, not to mention other matters concerning the ball, I’d let it slip through the cracks.
My financial advisors’ insistence clamored through my brain even now. According to them, donating candy to the children’s hospital was too much. An unnecessary hassle.
Sounded like I needed to find some new advisors.
Not only was a charitable donation good for tax purposes, but candy for these kids wouldn’t cost that much.
I needed Production to get on this order as quickly as possible or we’d be out of time. Chances were, however, it was already too late for that.
I wouldn’t let that stop me. If I had to, I’d pay out ofpocket for the goodie baskets, gift bags, and the confections to fill them.
Production had come through when I’d needed a basket for Adrian’s fundraiser last spring. They could handle this, too.
A new notion sparked inside of me. I paused, resting my hands against the edge of my desk.
“You know,” I said to my empty office, to the Christmas tree in the corner. Light from the window glinted off the bright red and gold bulbs. “That’s not a bad idea.”
I darted up, buttoned my suitcoat, and texted Clary to stop by any of my shops and pick out an assortment of goodie bags.
None of thiswaiting for approvalbusiness. This was my gift to the hospital, and the old adage rang true:
I wanted something done. I was doing it myself.
Just like with Ella.
I thrilled again at the memory of that interaction, of the way her eyes widened, the way she reacted to my asking her out.
At her saying yes.
I’d danced with her once. I couldn’t wait to do it again.
My phone pinged with my assistant’s ready reply.
Clary: How many?
I did a mental calculation of the hospital’s youthful residents. As far as I knew, there were over fiftychildren receiving treatment.
The hospital staff might like a Christmas treat, too, in all of this.
Me: Better make it 200.
Hopefully, that would be enough.
Clary: Will do, sir.
My steps were lighter than they’d been in days. With the stress I’d been under lately, it felt good to be doing something for someone else.
I’d already gotten gifts for Faye, my parents, Gemma and her husband and kids, but ordering candy for these kids seemed different somehow.
