Page 5 of Daddy’s Little Christmas Miracle

At exactly six o'clock, I heard the soft knock on the door and hurried to answer it, taking a moment to calm myself when I realized how desperate I would appear if I just threw open the door. After straightening out the sweater I was wearing, I opened the door and smiled down at Kara, who looked so much smaller than I had ever realized. In her hand was a giant plate of cookies, and she was smiling up at me.

"I hope I'm not too late," she laughed as she looked around the apartment. "I brought cookies for dessert." I couldn't help but smile as I let her inside.

"Allow me to take those," I offered as I took the cookies from her. "We don't want to spoil our dinner." She nodded in agreement as she followed me through the house, looking amazed as she admired her handiwork.

"This place looks so much better," she commented as her eyes landed on the crock pot, where our dinner currently shimmered. "You didn't mess with the meal since you came back, did you?" Immediately, I shook my head.

"No," I replied abruptly, surprising us both with my outburst. Clearing my throat, I continued. "Sorry, I mean no, I didn't, but I do have some nice wine that I think would go perfectly with it, if you don't mind." A smile spread across her face as she raised an eyebrow at me, her interest peaked.

"Sounds fancy," she remarked as she stared at me. "Are you sure you want to waste wine on dinner with a friend?" Rather than rising to the bait, I waited until she saw the gift sitting on the table. When she did, she paused. "This is more than dinner, isn't it?" Nodding, I pulled out a chair for her.

"If you don't mind, I would like to consider this a date," I informed her.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Kara

At first, I didn't know where to even begin. No one had ever asked me on a date before, so I didn't really know what to even say. After all, I was the Christmas Curse, and everyone, even out of town visitors generally stayed away from me after catching wind of the rumors. It was always as if they were afraid history was doomed to repeat itself.

Connor didn't show even the smallest amount of hesitation as he patiently waited for me to take my seat, which was even more surprising than his initial statement of wanting to make this a date. He was serious about his request, and every second he spent standing there, waiting for me to sit down solidified the fact, making it reality. Getting over my initial shock, I took a deep breath and nodded as I approached the chair.

"I suppose this would count as a date regardless of it all," I finally agreed as I sat down. "How many people can say they're just sitting down to a nice dinner with a friend who's letting them stay temporarily?" Realizing how cringey and awkward my question was, I lowered my gaze. "Sorry, I suppose that wasn't very funny." Rather than looking upset or embarrassed by my statement, Connor simply smiled at me before making his way back to the kitchen to serve up dinner.

"Don't worry about it," he called out over his shoulder as he served up our plates. "First dates are all about being yourself and coming across as awkward and nervous. It happens to everyone." While he served up the food, I turned my attention back towards the gift, which was strategically set in the middle of the table amongst the decorations.

It was a festive looking gift bag meant for either a large gift or multiple gifts. It was dark red and sparkling with several stripes of lighter red and white, and the wrapping paper struck out over the top of the bag, exposing the silver paper with tiny snowflakes etched on it. The gift was all too beautiful, and, if he planned to have me open it here at dinner, I planned to be extra careful so that I could preserve the paper. Before I realized he was back, I heard a soft chuckle and looked up in time to catch him staring at me.

"Eager to see what's inside?" he asked as he put the plate down before me. When I didn't respond right away, he sat down next to me and nodded towards the gift. "Let's wait until after dinner. First, I want to get to know you." Nodding in agreement, I let him pour me a glass of red wine, and we dug into our meal.

The pit roast had come out soft and juicy, perfectly cooked through and through thanks to the seasonings and vegetables I had added to the crock pot to help the flavor. The hint of butter really did help keep it all from drying out, and the brown broth that had gathered at the bottom helped hold the whole meal together. It tasted of love and warmth, and we were enjoying our conversation as we ate the food.

Connor told me about life in the big city and I found myself instantly mesmerized. While he warned that it wasn't all as glamorous as it seemed, it made me want to go back and visit since I hadn't been there in so long. While we shared stories about daily life, comparing life in the big city to life here in town, I soon found myself with a sinking feeling.

"What's the matter?" Connor finally asked as he stared at me, his expression full of concern as he watched me. "Is it something I said?" Realizing that I had no choice but to voice my concern, I rose to help him collect the dishes from our meal.

"I've been having such a great night," I admitted to him, desperately trying to find out the best way to voice my concern. "I want to do this again sometime, but, if you go back to the city, I don't think I'll ever see you again." It was at that moment that he realized what I was talking about, and I watched his expression change as he realized it as well.

"Oh, that's right," he commented as he started to help load the dishes into the dishwasher. "I see where that could be a problem." We both fell silent for a moment, each of us lost in thought.

As much as I wanted to leave and travel to the city, I knew that, deep down, my place was here at the coffee shop below. It was my father's legacy that had been passed on to me when he decided I was ready, and I couldn't bear the thought of giving it up. Of course, I knew it wasn't fair to ask Connor to give up his life in the city and stay here in the small town, either. It would have been incredibly selfish.

"You know, Franny mentioned to me that she's been looking to hire more help," he finally admitted to me as he looked over from the sink. "She said that, because of everything she does for other towns throughout the area, she's been looking to add on a lawyer and have them work as legal counsel, and she said that, if I decided to stay in town, she'd be willing to work with me." Seeing the look on his face, I grew a bit concerned.

Was he saying this because he wanted my opinion or to reassure me that he wasn't going to go anywhere? Whichever it was, I still had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I didn't know what to think. The last thing I wanted was for him to resent me for making him feel like he had to settle down in a small town just to be with me.

"I bet she can't pay the way they do in the city," I commented as I helped him finish with the dishes. "Are you sure it's worth it?" Much to my surprise, he nodded towards the dining room table, where the gift still sat, bathed in the light of the room.

"That depends on how much you like you gift," he replied, and I frowned as I followed him over to the table to unwrap the gift.

Inside the bag was a set of candy cane striped footie pajamas, a bath set that smelled like sugar cookies and vanilla, a few stuffed animals, and several other small gifts. Despite the gift wrapping, it felt like he had actually packed me for a child's sleepover rather than having bought me a gift. Confused by the gift and his words, I looked back up at him, seeing the expectant look on his face.

He looked as though he was waiting for a particular reaction, and I already guessed that it wasn't the standard appreciation for a gift. Instead, he looked as though he was testing me, his eyes flickering as he studied my reaction to each item, and I already felt like I had disappointed him. After a long, uncomfortable silence, I finally smiled at him.

"It's perfect," I admitted, trying to hide how much I secretly loved the gift despite the initial shock. "Thank you." He didn't look convinced as he watched me closely.

"You really liked it?" he asked, and I nodded in response. "You're not just saying it to be polite?" Shaking my head, I couldn't help but grin.

"I was looking to get me this exact pair of pajamas," I admitted, my cheeks burning red as I spoke. "I was just looking for the proper excuse to get them." He heaved a sigh of relief as he nodded at me.