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“You’re doing fine.” Gideon didn’t even look up from arranging finished cookies on Mom’s platter, which he’d washed earlier like he was handling a newborn infant. I had a lot more I wanted to say to him, but my heart was closing off my throat again, so it would have to wait.
“Let’s take the cookies and coffee to the living room,” Gideon suggested as Brandon and Elaine finished their rack of cookies. Dutifully, we all followed orders and trooped into the living room. I found a seat in one of the side chairs, but Elaine took a moment to more closely examine the tree.
“A train!” She bent to look under the tree and Brandon followed suit. “Oh, I love it.”
Gideon shot me an “I told you so” look, and I made a mental note to tell Brandon about Gideon’s idea for the ring to be riding on the train.
“Candy canes.” Brandon beamed as he snagged one from the coal car as Elaine set the train to chugging around the tree. “You remembered.”
“He went through two boxes last year on his own.” Elaine’s tone was fond before she straightened and started examining the homemade ornaments. “Show me which of these you made.”
“Dude.” Brandon looked back at me. “You kept my craft stick creations?”
“Um. Yeah.” I shifted in my chair, but something strange happened to Brandon’s face, a soft expression I wasn’t sure I’d seen before.
“Thanks,” he said quietly. Huh. Apparently, Gideon had been right there too. He’d been correct about almost everything, and I was going to give him a proper thank you the moment we were alone.
Chapter Twenty-Five
This traffic is worse every year! It took us over ten minutes to reach our own house. Unacceptable! ~Ernest Morrison posted to the What’s Up Neighbor app
Gideon
It was cute the way Paul was so sure he needed me to keep things running smoothly. And I did make a lovely charcuterie board for lunch, but need me? Nah. He’d been fine, winning big points with Elaine by producing a faded album with Brandon’s school pictures and falling into an easy conversation with Brandon about which college games they were following. He didn’t need me, but as long as he believed it, I was staying.
“Thought I’d find you here.” Paul came up behind me. I’d snuck off to his bedroom to wrap his present to Elaine while the three of them were watching an old Christmas comedy after lunch. She’d talked the guys into a movie instead of a sporting event, and when I’d last seen him, Paul had seemed half-asleep.
But he was wide awake now, holding me close, and I couldn’t help my happy sigh.
“Needed to get your wrapping done.” I leaned into his hug, folding his arms tighter around me. I might as well enjoy this while I had it.
“It looks nice.” Releasing me, he moved so he could touch the present on the bed. “Is that fabric or paper?”
“Fabric. Forgot I brought over some tea towels I never found a purpose for. Makes for an extra-special look, especially when coupled with this velvet ribbon leftover from decorating.”
“It does. You’re so good at details.” He looked at me with enough wonder to make me feel like the grand champion of wrapping.
I wanted to volunteer to handle all his future wrapping needs but wasn’t sure if I could play that off as a joke, so I simply nodded. “Thanks.”
I was beginning not to know what to make of Paul’s praise. I wasn’t that extraordinary, simply an organized person with a side of too much free time for shopping. But when he looked at me with his eyes shining and lips parted, I felt truly special.
And when he kissed me, soft and sweet, I almost believed it. This particular kiss was all the sweeter for its unhurried vibe. No mad dash to the bed, simply Paul saying, “thank you” and melting all my circuits in the process.
His tongue met mine, making me reconsider that no-bed stance, but before I could tumble us onto the blanket, a voice made us spring apart.
“Oops. Not the bathroom.” Brandon’s blush was so deep it was almost purple.
I’d been so wrapped up in the kiss, I hadn’t even registered the door opening.
“Second door. Not third.” Paul didn’t seem particularly embarrassed, unlike me. I sputtered like a teen caught in a cinch by parents, not a forty-something guy totally chill with being discovered kissing his…whatever Paul was. Something like that, Paul had said, which wasn’t the same as my boyfriend, but it also wasn’t not my boyfriend either. New. I was new. Fitting because everything felt brand new with Paul, so fresh it was both scary and wonderful in its unfamiliarity.
“Do…uh…you need help with dinner?” Brandon was still blushing. “Not that there’s any rush. You can…resume. Or not. None of my business.”
I had to laugh because it was nice not being the only flustered one.
“We’ll handle dinner.” Smiling, Paul waved Brandon away. “I’ve got Gideon to help.”
He had the menu and the recipe in the spreadsheet. He didn’t need me, but I still straightened my spine, tried to look useful, grateful for the excuse to stay. “Yup. We’ve got it. You should watch the sequel movie next. It’s better than the original.”
