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Again, more thoughts he’d never had in his life before and was shocked they were there now.
“Come in,” Robin said when she opened the door. “Harper is getting excited to see everyone.”
He saw his niece scooting toward the front door on a little toy scooter she was riding. “No walking yet?” he asked.
“Not yet,” Robin said. “She’s trying but knows she can get around faster sitting on that and scooting. I’m thinking that wasn’t the best thing for you to buy her, Rick.”
He laughed. He was thrilled that she was using it but had hoped she’d get behind it and push to learn to walk. “She’s doing it her way rather than the way I’d thought.”
“She’s having fun,” Gillian said. “Everyone does things their own way and at their own pace.”
“That’s right,” Brian said. “I tell Robin that all the time. Have patience and she’ll walk when she’s ready. Trust me, we’ll be chasing her around soon enough. Right now she can get to the dogs faster this way.”
Rick let George go and watched him chase the other two big dogs to the back of the house, Harper turning and following after them. “So much for her greeting me like I thought she might.”
Gillian grinned at him. “She’ll come to you, I’m sure. She sees you more now.”
“That’s true. Guess she doesn’t miss me as much.” He supposed that was a positive thing. He wanted to be here for his niece and see her grow up and that was exactly what he was doing. He didn’t feel he was missing anything in her life. “I’ll go get the gifts if you’re set?” he asked Gillian.
“I’m good,” she said, following Robin into the house.
He turned and went back for Harper’s gifts. They took up most of his SUV. He was going to spoil his niece because he could and it’s not as if he had that many people to buy for.
He’d told himself to not go overboard with Gillian. They’d talked about it and she laid down some ground rules. That she didn’t have what he did and they were still early into their relationship. No reason to go nuts.
It was not the first time she’d brought up his wealth and he knew she was a little out of sorts with it. He’d told her to put it from her mind. He didn’t think much of it being there and it didn’t change who he was in life.
But he wanted to go nuts and had to tell himself to not tick her off.
He didn’t like that she was comparing herself to him, but the hard truth was, he did have more. He didn’t want to be seen for that and didn’t think he was. At least not with Gillian.
He knew she feared that too, so they’d had their talk and were on the same page. He liked that she wasn’t afraid to say things that were on her mind.
Once all the boxes were in the house for Harper, he grabbed the rest for his sister and his parents and brought them under the tree. It was overflowing already and he was positive there wasn’t anything there yet for his sister’s family to each other. That would all be put out when Harper was sleeping tonight when Santa came.
He never thought he’d look forward to something like this before, but part of him was wondering if next Christmas would look different for him. Not just wondering but hoping.
His parents showed up next, he and Gillian sitting on the couch. He had a beer; she had a glass of wine.
“Do you need help, Mom?” he asked when they came in the back with bags in their hands.
“No, your father has the rest, but he can do it in one trip. I’m sure we didn’t go all out like you did,” his mother said. “Like you do every year.”
He sighed when Gillian nudged him. “I had a feeling you did. I hope you didn’t after we had our talk.”
He heard Brian laugh and just took a swig of his beer. “I didn’t buy that many things.”
Which was true. He got Gillian two things. A pair of black UGG boots she’d said she’d always wanted one day and a piece of jewelry. Not even what he wanted to buy. He kept picking things up and putting them down and lecturing himself until he finally settled on a pair of diamond hoop earrings. They were the least expensive thing he looked at and he knew she’d still most likely freak, but he was hoping she’d love them so much that she’d get over it.
He had them stuffed in a stocking so she wouldn’t get them until the end when she went through all the other little things.
“Don’t believe him,” Robin said. “He does this all the time. I used to think it was because he wasn’t always here and just sent a bunch of stuff, but when he is here, he comes in and buys it when he lands. If I know one thing about Rick, he doesn’t buy anything for the longest time and when he’s ready he doesn’t stop.”
“Like the furniture in his house,” Gillian said.
“Exactly,” his mother said. “Slim pickings and then bam, he fills it up in one shot.”
“I didn’t fill the house up,” he argued. “You all wanted me to get furniture for the rooms downstairs and I did. There is still room for more in the house.”
