Charlie’s shopping bag was starting to fill up, with a tin of hibiscus tea from The Leaf and Grind added to her purchases as well as a box set of bubble bath and lotion from Bubbles. Dave, though, was still empty-handed. “Come on,” Charlie chided. “There must be something you need to buy. You have sisters and stuff, right? Plus you said you wanted to find something for Nora.”
He smiled down at her. “I think you’re shopping enough for the both of us.”
“Oh, this is hardly anything.” She pulled him along to the bookstore, past a sparkly artificial tree adorned with paper ornaments. On closer examination, she realized that each round ball was constructed of strips of paper … strips of book pages … overlapping each other. It was a clever idea, and she paused briefly before the tree, reaching out to touch one of the fragile balls.
“Oh, look at this one,” she said wistfully. “It’s all Shakespeare.” There were random lines from several plays, and as she turned the ornament in her fingers a line jumped out at her. Whoever loved that loved not at first sight? She couldn’t name the play, but it gave her a little shiver just the same. Of course, she and Dave weren’t in love. But still. She’d been the one to look down over the docks and get that silly swirly feeling whenever she saw him.
Dave peered over her shoulder. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”
She nodded, scanning the strips for more familiar words. “My parents used to assign reading to me. It was no big deal. I read the first one and I was hooked. Though some plays I enjoy more than others.”
“Like Romeo and Juliet?”
“Are you kidding?” She turned her head and laughed up at him. “Young love meets tragic ending. Not my favorite. But it did provide some great romantic lines.” She let the ornament fall back among the boughs and turned all the way around so that she faced him completely. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.”
She hadn’t meant for it to be so serious, but the way he was looking down at her made her shift and slide away toward the door. “Anyway, let’s go inside.”
The store was crammed full of people, filling the narrow aisles. “Go browse,” she instructed him, moving away. She hadn’t shopped in a while, and she knew there were several titles she was waiting to add to her shelf.
He disappeared into the nonfiction section.
It took no time at all for Charlie to pick out a couple of the latest thrillers for Lizzie for Christmas. She hadn’t mentioned it to Dave, but half the stuff she’d already bought today was for Lizzie. Buying for her parents was like buying for the people who had everything, so Charlie had already sent gift certificates for her parents to do some shopping before their holiday cruise. Other than token gifts for Robin and Josh at the clinic, she had no one else to buy for.
She found Dave in the kids section, a frown on his face. “Find anything you like?” she asked, holding her volumes in her arms.
“I don’t know what’s good. What’s popular?” His dark eyes pleaded with her for help. “I mean I’ve read to her, but I’m overwhelmed by bunnies and ducks and princesses. She’s almost three. Is that too young to really appreciate a book for Christmas?”
Charlie took pity on him. “It’s never too early for books,” she decreed.
Holding her books tightly against her chest, Charlie leaned forward and pulled a good-sized hardcover from the shelf. “I’d get her something she can have as a keepsake. When I was little, my grandmother gave me a copy of The Night Before Christmas, and I read it every Christmas Eve.” She didn’t mention that she read it alone in her room, while her parents entertained downstairs, or that it was still packed away in her things. “How about The Polar Express? The illustrations are beautiful and it’s a classic.” She handed him the book.
He ran his hand over the glossy cover. “That’s a good idea.”
“I do have them occasionally. Are you ready to go? I’d like to hit Treasures before we make our way down to the gallery.”
“Sure. I’m ready.”
At the checkout Charlie got her “passport” stamped and collected a free bookmark on the way out the door. She was waiting outside, talking to someone who’d stopped to admire a very cute sleeping Daniel, when Dave finally came out.
“That took a while,” she said, waving good-bye to the woman who’d stopped.
He shrugged. “They had to change the register tape.”
They made their way one street up to Treasures, a beautiful old house on the corner of Lilac Lane. Once in the door, they were assaulted by sounds and colors and activity. A middle-aged woman worked the register while someone else bagged and wrapped, and Charlie saw two children disappear into a back room where a sign said WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS.
“This place is crazy.”
Charlie laughed. “Josh’s sister owns it. She runs classes here sometimes too. I’ve been meaning to take one, but somehow I never sign up.”
He looked over at her as they moved out of the way of some browsing women. “Afraid of looking silly? That maybe there’s something you’re not good at?”
She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “No, that’s not it. It’s more … I’m not sure how useful it would be. I’d end up making candles or a pair of earrings or something, and it seems a bit…”
“Frivolous,” he finished. “And maybe fun. Charlie, you think everything has to have a purpose or fit into a bigger picture. But sometimes fun really is enough. It’s a purpose all on its own. To enjoy life just for the sake of enjoyment.”
“I’m learning,” she said, leaning closer to him.
His eyes delved into hers and she felt a delicious shiver run down her spine.
“I’m always willing to help. I’m a very good teacher.”
She just bet he was and it sent a thrill rippling over her. She changed the subject, particularly since the crowd was growing larger in the store and she didn’t want to be overheard. “Come on, let’s browse around. Maybe you can find something for your mom and sisters, hmm?”
They shopped for several minutes. Though she’d already sent the gift cards, Charlie found a gorgeous hand-painted candle-and-holder set for her mother and bought another hand-painted glass ornament for Lizzie. She treated herself to a new knitted infinity scarf, and on impulse grabbed a thick wool hat-and-mitten set for Dave, just in case they ended up exchanging presents. She was admiring a rack of sterling silver and crystal earrings when Dave came over, a huge smile on his face.
“What did you find?” she asked.
He held out a large plastic case. She looked at the cardboard insert. “It’s a puppet show. Oh, how sweet!”
He beamed. “Finger puppets, which should be easier for little fingers, right? There’s one set up over there. The wings fold out so it stands on its own, and the puppets get stored in little pockets on the back. There are little curtains with Velcro and everything.”
“You’re excited.”
“I’m happy I found something that I’m certain about, I think. I mean, little girls would love something like this, right?”
“I think so. And no little parts to worry about. It’s really lovely, Dave.”
He looked down at her and she got that swirly feeling again.
“Are you ready? We can hit the last few shops and then get lunch.”
“I’m ready. If I buy anything more I won’t have arms to carry it.” She kept the mittens and hat beneath the thick infinity scarf, out of sight.
Their parcels were bagged and wrapped and paid for, and they stepped outside into the bright winter sunlight. They decided to walk back to the clinic and stow their parcels in his truck before grabbing lunch at Gino’s. Gino was doing a brisk business selling pizza by the slice with a can of soda as a festival lunch special.
The sun chased some of the chill out of the day, and they found an empty bench along the dock where they could eat. Daniel was awake but content, and Charlie lifted her pizza slice high an
d took a bite, sighing with pleasure as the flavors exploded on her tongue. “It’s been a good morning.”
“Yes, it has. Thanks, Charlie.”
“For what?” She squinted in the sunlight as she looked over at him. He had a little piece of cheese stuck to the corner of his mouth and she reached over and wiped it off with the side of her thumb.
“For taking me shopping.”
“You asked me, remember?” She popped the last piece of tender crust into her mouth and took a gulp of soda.
“Well, I wouldn’t have if we hadn’t…” He reached over and took her hand. “If we hadn’t talked yesterday.”
Fling, she reminded herself. This would be a fling and nothing more. She would not get her hopes up. She would not read more into this than there was. Dave was a live-life-as-it-comes kind of guy, not someone to plan a future with. Live in the moment. Be spontaneous. Why was she finding it so difficult? For heaven’s sake, it was a simple date.
“It was fun,” she answered, trying to adopt a flirtatious tone.
“How fun?” he asked, and he wiggled his eyebrows, making her laugh. She leaned sideways and jostled him with her shoulder.
“So,” he said, when the last crumb of pizza was eaten, “are there any more stores you’d like to visit?”
She shook her head. “I think we made it through most of Jewell Cove already.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It is?” She turned on the seat and looked at him. His gaze caught hers and she was momentarily spellbound as the seconds drew out.
“Charlie,” he whispered, leaning forward.
She caught herself leaning in too, her heart pounding like crazy as he kissed her, the baby between them. Nothing major, just a soft, sweet, mingling of lips before he sat back again. She was sure there must be stars in her eyes when she looked at him, but she couldn’t help it. That was possibly the sweetest, nicest thing to happen to her, maybe ever.
“I don’t want the day to end so soon,” he said quietly, “and I’m trying to come up with something to do.”
She was feeling the same way. There’d been no pressure in that last kiss, just a really nice moment between two people who were enjoying each other and their date. The whole day had put her in the holiday spirit, far more than she’d expected. “Well, you do have the SUV. There is one thing we could do this afternoon.”
“What’s that?”
“Have you bought a Christmas tree yet?”
He leaned against the back of the bench. “I wasn’t actually going to put one up.”
“You have to.” She put her hand on his knee. “It’s not Christmas without a tree. I wasn’t going to either, but I changed my mind. It seemed pointless if I were going to be by myself, but if I have Daniel much longer … it’s his first Christmas. All kids should have a Christmas tree, no matter how old they are.”
He laughed. “You’re sentimental. Go figure.”
She smiled at him. “Maybe I am.”
Daniel started to squirm and she knew she’d been lucky for him to stay this quiet for this long. “Someone’s selling trees in the gas station lot. Do you want to check it out? I need to change the baby too. Give him a bottle before he turns into Mr. Crankypants.” In some ways this was the strangest date she’d ever been on. How many people took a newborn on a first date?
“Okay, but there might be another problem you haven’t thought of.”
“Oh?”
He tilted his head and regarded her lazily. “Sugar, if I wasn’t going to put up a tree, chances are I don’t have any decorations to put on it.”
Right.
She looked at her watch. “We could hit the department stores in Rockland first. Stock up on lights and ornaments and pick up the trees on the way back.”
“I dunno. That seems like quite a commitment.”
She laughed. “The afternoon, or the tree?”
“Both. You sure you’re both up to it?”
She raised an eyebrow. “Seriously. What else are we going to do this weekend? A pit stop for some hot water to heat a bottle and we’ll be good to go. Consider this me, learning to do something on a whim.”
He grinned. “I’m game if you are.”
“Let’s hit the road then. I’m betting the tree guy packs up by five.”
Chapter Eight
As a rule, any big chain department store was a cacophony of Christmas music, impatient children, and intercom announcements this close to the holidays. Today was no exception. Charlie stepped inside and immediately felt overwhelmed. There was a reason she did most of her shopping in small specialty stores or before the Christmas rush. Right now it felt like everyone on the midcoast was crammed into this one store, hungry for bargains and frantic for deals and short on patience and goodwill toward men.
“It’s Saturday,” Dave remarked, grabbing them a metal cart. “And you thought the crowds at the festival were bad.”
“Then we need to be strategic.” Charlie adjusted the straps of the Snugli and looked down into Daniel’s face to be sure he was okay. His eyes were alert but he was content after his bottle and changing. They started down the widest aisle as Charlie began ticking items off on her fingers. “You need a tree stand, skirt, lights, and ornaments at the very least.”
“That sounds like a lot.”
“Just think how much money you’ll save next year.” She smiled up at him. “Anyway, if we head to the seasonal section, we should be able to find everything we need there.”
She led the way while Dave wheeled the cart behind them. Before long they found themselves in the middle of a Christmas wonderland, full of lights and tinsel and ornaments that sparkled. Charlie ignored the crush of people and simply enjoyed the bright colors. Truthfully, she loved the idea of Christmas. Maybe growing up she hadn’t had the warm, intimate, down-home family holiday that she saw on all those Christmas specials, but she still liked the schmaltz. It had been better too, when she’d started visiting Lizzie at the holidays. Her family really knew how to do it up right.
She turned around to say something to Dave and burst out laughing. He’d put a Santa hat on his head, one of the plushier ones with the big white pom-pom on the end. With his dark eyes and slight shadow of stubble, he looked both adorable and mischievous and very, very dangerous to her willpower.
“Very nice,” she complimented.
He held out his hand. In it was a green-striped hat with white fluff around the edge. “Here. You can be my elf,” he suggested.
She put it on her head and felt ridiculous. They were actually in the middle of a department store wearing the childish things and while she tugged hers off, Dave left his on. He grabbed her discarded hat and tossed it into the cart. “You never know,” he said, wheeling along the aisle.
She wasn’t sure what she’d never know, but she followed him anyway, marveling at how he just took things in stride. He was perfectly okay being silly, wasn’t afraid to look a little foolish. Not so damn serious all the time …
She stopped in the middle of the aisle as what she’d just thought truly sank in. She’d been describing herself, hadn’t she? Was she really that uptight and boring? She didn’t try to be.
Dave stopped to pick out a tree stand and she caught up to him, reached into the cart, and took out the hat. When he turned around, she had it on with the peak of it flopped over at a jaunty angle, the tiny bell at the end making a faint tinkling noise.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Trying to remove the stick from my butt,” she replied. “Is it working?”
He burst out laughing so suddenly that she couldn’t help but grin. The smile was wiped clean off her face though as he took a step forward and planted a smacking kiss on her lips. “I dunno,” he answered. “But it’s a good start.” He let his fingers graze the top of Daniel’s head in a little caress before stepping back.
They moved along the aisle and then Charlie asked the question that had been on her mind for quite some time. “Do I real
ly have a stick up my bum? Am I really that boring?”
Dave had his hand on a soft, velvety tree skirt, but he put it back on the shelf and faced her. “What? No! What made you ask that? You are not boring. You’re smart and you have a great sense of humor—when you let it out to play. Listen,” he said, coming forward so he was only a few inches away from her. She looked up at him and saw he was dead serious. “I like that you’re focused and driven. I like that you’re smart and you’re quick in a tight spot, like you were the first night with the baby. There’s nothing wrong with you, Charlie. I think once you figure that out, you’ll loosen up more and worry about things less.”
Her throat had tightened painfully during that little speech. His insight was so bang on she didn’t quite know how to respond.
“Now,” he commanded, “help me decide on this thing. This red fuzzy stuff or the green shiny stuff?”
Charlie huffed out a little laugh at his descriptors for velour and sateen, and put her hand on the red. As they continued through the section, picking up strings of lights and packs of ornaments, Charlie realized that she could really get to like Dave. A lot. So much that it was starting to get harder to remember why she was so opposed to being with him in the first place.
* * *
By the time they started the downhill slope into Jewell Cove, Charlie was asleep. Dave looked over at her and felt a warm sort of protectiveness steal over him. She’d definitely enchanted him in the store today, wearing the goofy elf hat right up to the cash register, where she’d taken it off so that the cashier could ring it in. He liked that she had a bit of a silly side and that she’d felt safe enough with him to let it show, even for just a little while. Truth was, there wasn’t much he didn’t like about Charlene Yang and that was equally pleasant and disconcerting. Pleasant because he liked being with her. She made him smile, laugh. Made him think and didn’t let him off the hook easily. But it scared him a bit too, because he’d enjoyed kissing her a lot.
It Must Be Christmas Page 16