Page 4 of Daddy’s Little Christmas Miracle

"I'll keep that in mind," I reassured her. "Thank you." With that, I made my way out into the snowy streets of the town, ready to finally take in the fresh air and see how much more had changed since I had been gone.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kara

While Connor was acting really strange, I knew better than to worry too much about him. I still had a lot of work to do both around the coffee shop and at home. So, after he left, I immediately set to work.

The first thing I noticed was how clean the apartment was, which was a huge surprise. I knew that he had claimed that he was going to be cleaning up for me so that I didn't have to bother, but, after seeing his handiwork, was found that I was even more impressed than I had anticipated. The apartment was absolutely spotless, and everything was perfectly neat and in order. I had remembered that I didn't know how long he was going to be gone, so, after recovering from the initial shock of the state of the apartment was in, and I quickly got to work.

Since everyone had been bringing him food the last few days, I decided it was my turn and started making a slow cooker meal of pot roast and veggies. The smell of the food permeated the air, and I could smell it all the way downstairs in the bakery, which was still completely abandoned. Once the food was prepared, I set to work on the decorations.

I kept a spare Christmas tree here at the apartment along with all the decorations, and I had planned on decorating regardless of it being empty, and having someone staying there gave me all the more excuse to decorate it. I was unsure of how long it would take, but, after a while, the Christmas tree was set up and decorated with the lights and ornaments, the skirt of the tree had graced the bottom of the tree, and the other decorations had been strategically placed around the apartment, giving it the missing holiday spirit it had been missing. I was in the process of lighting the Christmas candles I had bought when I remembered the cookies I had made to go with his dinner where still down in the kitchen. Racing back downstairs to retrieve them, I quickly found myself face to face with Connor.

By this point, he had been gone for at least three hours, and he looked exhausted from his journey outside. His face looked windblown and cold, and he had dark circles under his eyes. It was incredible what just a few hours outdoors had done to him, and I winced as he looked me up and down.

"Is something wrong?" he asked calmly, taking me by surprise. Trying not to spoil the surprise, I smiled in response and shook my head.

"Of course not," I reassured him. "I had been out back taking out the trash and thought I heard someone come in." Motioning towards him, as to prove a point, I continued. "Looks like it was just you. Want a coffee or something to help you warm up?" He looked tempted for a moment as I noticed the smallest movement of his hand as he tried to conceal something from my line of vision.

"Maybe in a bit," he agreed reluctantly. "If you'll excuse me, I have something I need to go do." Nodding understandingly, I immediately got out of his way and made my way back to the still abandoned lobby.

The next few minutes were painstakingly slow, and I kept swearing I could hear him upstairs, but I couldn't tell if he sounded angry or not. I wouldn't have blamed him if he was, even if I was letting him stay in the apartment. After all, so far as he was concerned, that was his place of refugee for now, and no one should be upstairs.

I went back to work, needlessly cleaning around the shop and making cookies, preparing for the possibility of a rush, when he finally came back down to the kitchen. He looked perplexed by something, and I couldn't tell if I had made things worse or not. As soon as he reached the door to the kitchen, he stopped and looked at me.

"Upstairs, in the apartment," he began as he pointed up the stairs casually with his thumb. "Was that you?" Trying to maintain the surprise, I turned to look at him, playing innocent.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, and he crossed his arms.

"I might have been out of town for a pretty long time, but, normally when someone breaks into someone else's place, it's not to decorate for Christmas," he replied, his voice calm and collected. "So, either I'm an absolute stranger here regardless of having grown up here, or you have a security problem." Realizing that I couldn't hide it any longer, I heaved a heavy sigh, hoping for the best.

"Yes, it was me," I finally admitted. "I meant to decorate the apartment anyways just out of habit, especially since I didn't know what the weather would be like closer to Christmas, and I thought that, while I took care of everything, you might like a nice, homemade dinner." He smiled a little, just a ghost of a smile, but it was still a smile as he nodded in agreement.

"I hope you know you made way too much food for me," he retorted, his voice kind and cheery as he spoke. "There's no way I could eat it all by myself. How would you like to join me for dinner tonight?" At first, I couldn't believe my ears, but, as he stood there, watching me expectantly from the door, I came to realize that he was, in fact serious.

No one ever invited me over for dinner, especially around Christmas. I was the Christmas Curse that plagued the town from the day I was born. Even when I was away at school, no one dared to leave home on Christmas because they were afraid of getting cursed. The fact that he was willing to break all superstition and invited me into the apartment for dinner just two days before Christmas was a huge surprise.

"So, what do you say?" he asked, still patiently waiting for my response. After finally making up my mind, I nodded.

"I think I would love to," I told him. "Of course, just to make sure the food doesn't go to waste, that is."

CHAPTER SIX

Connor

The apartment looked just like it did when Mother used to decorate it for Christmas, and the smell of the candles and slow cooked pot roast had made it seem even more like home. While I knew I didn't deserve the kindness Kara was giving me, it wasn't underappreciated. In fact, it made me like her all the more.

Not only had I gone out in public to reassure the other townsfolk that I was still here and alive in order to avoid the constant "check ups" they deemed necessary as my days of isolation, I had also gone out looking for a gift to help me thank Kara for her kindness. Making my way down Main Street, I was reminded of the magic of the holiday season around us, and it made me feel more at home.

The entire town seemed to be buzzing with excitement and news from how Roger, an old friend of mine from school, was finally getting into the holiday spirit all the way to how Joel and Ethan, brothers who helped out when needed outside their own businesses, seemed to be doing more than helping this year. Walking down the streets and feeling how the small town air felt different in the holiday snow reminded me of how it felt when Christmas was still magical, and everyone always looked out for each other.

The city was the exact opposite, and, upon remembering the house I had purchased on the outskirts of the city and how, by the New Year, I would have to return to work made the post holiday depression start to prematurely wash over me. In a town as small as this, where gossip was limited to who was seeing who and how one person thought someone else wasn't feeling the holiday spirit, I knew that there was no room for some big city lawyer with lots of money. The court system we had in town mostly revolved around rowdy teenagers who were trying to play harmless pranks on the rest of the citizens. There was no jail, and there was no crime.

That was the main reason I hadn't returned home after college in the first place. Mother had been supportive enough of the fact that I wanted to be a lawyer and everything, but, when I finally graduated, even she agreed that the town didn't need it. So, feeling like an outcast who had bigger plans than the rest of the town, I had moved to the big city and started a life for myself. I didn't need the approval of the townsfolk when I could become the best lawyer around.

As much as I hated to admit it, it was lonely at the top. People in the city we're too different in comparison to the people I had grown up around, so the only refuge I had from the crazy, self centered lifestyle of the city was being with a Little. However, even that had lost its appeal after a while. In the city, Littles were too wild and out of control, and they only cared about themselves and often cheated. It didn't take long before I was left broken hearted and on my own.

After seeing everything Kara had done when I came back from my impromptu trip to the store, I knew that I had found someone special and knew deep down that she was worth risking my heart over. Once she had agreed to join me for dinner, I made my way back upstairs and into the apartment, hoping to get ready and show her how much I appreciated all that she had done for me. After quickly wrapping and hiding her gift, I got through a quick shower and proceeded to dress as I would have for a date. Once done, I found myself pacing the apartment, wondering how much longer I would have to torture myself with waiting to see her.