“How did that go, by the way?” I asked. “Did you make it on time?”
“Everything went very well, like I was telling your father,” Colin said. “I did make it on time for the speech, and we’re full-throttle for the next year, and there’s a lot of work ahead of us.”
“I’m so happy for you,” I said, smiling. “That’s wonderful.”
“Anyway, my hotel room is… a bit lonely,” he said. “I was wondering if you would be okay with me taking you there.”
“When would you like to go?” I asked.
“I was hoping after dinner.”
Flicking my gaze toward my parents, I wasn’t sure how to answer his invitation. I’d always spent Christmas with them. The entirety of Christmas. Everything was deviating from the traditions I knew, and while they were wonderful deviations, I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to leave my parents. I could see my father’s protective glare coming on as I drew in a deep breath. Then, I felt my mother lean into my ear.
“I really like him,” she said, whispering. “And your father will get over it. Go. Have fun. Enjoy your life.”
Turning my attention back to Colin, I wrapped my hand around his. I brought it to my lips and kissed the back of his hand, watching while his bright gaze slowly darkened.
“I’d love to,” I said.
“Okay, you kids,” my mother said, “I’ll clean up here. Jack, you’ll help me, won’t you?”
But all my father did was continue to glare at Colin.
“Jack?” my mother asked.
“Colin,” my father said.
“Yes, sir?”
He stood from his chair and approached the two of us. Colin stood and looked my father in the eye, my hand still in his as I stood at his side. I had no idea what my father was about to say, but I prayed that it wasn’t going to be too bad.
“She’s been through too much,” my father said. “Take care of her while she’s with you.”
“You have my word on that,” Colin said.
I breathed a sigh of relief as my father shook his free hand. Then we were off to Minneapolis. Our fingers were interlocked the entire ride as my heart beat heavily against my chest. My head was still spinning with the fact that he had showed up at my house, and I was simply enjoying being in his presence.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said.
“Oh, really? And what is this surprise?”
“It’s something I picked up for you when we were on the road. I was just going to ship it to you, but I decided to wait and give it to you in person.”
“You got me a present?” I asked.
“It’s not much. But it made me think of you when I saw it.”
I was intrigued with what this could be, but the moment we walked into the hotel suite, I was floored. The place was absolutely beautiful. There was a fireplace that was ready to be stoked, and a mini-bar as well as a refrigerator stocked with snacks. The carpet was plush underneath our feet, and the furniture was covered in fluffy cushions. The view from his balcony was spectacular, especially with the snow falling outside, and I found myself speechless as I stared out the window.
“This is beautiful,” I said breathlessly.
“You should see the way you look right now.”
Whipping my head around, I saw him holding out something for me. It looked like a snow globe, and as I wrapped my hand around it, I saw it had “Des Moines, Iowa” written on the bottom of it. There was snow fluttering around a plastic replica of the skyline of Des Moines, and I smiled as I shook it up again. It was simple. Nothing extravagant. But it was bought during a tense time in the trip. Des Moines was part of the second leg of our trip, when we just couldn’t talk with one another without getting upset.
And through all of the arguing and the misinterpretations, he still saw something and thought of me.
“Thank you, Colin,” I said. “I so wish I had something for you.”
“You being here with me on Christmas is the best thing you could’ve given me,” he said.
“I highly doubt that.”
That was when I felt him crook his finger underneath my chin and pull my gaze up toward his.
“I haven’t spent Christmas with anyone in over a decade,” he said. “No one. I’ve been alone and cooped up in an office until now. Thank you, Abby. Thank you for being here with me.”
My lip began to quiver, and my eyes began to water. His voice was so smooth against my ears, and his touch was so soft against my skin. I took a step closer to him, cradling the snow globe tightly in my hands until I could feel it pressing into both of our bodies.
His breath was intoxicating against my lips.
“Why don’t I start us a fire?” he asked.
“Then we could cuddle on the couch and just exist?” I asked.
His eyes danced between mine while I smiled up into his face. He cupped my cheek, allowing his thumb to dance along my skin. I closed my eyes and sighed, taking in his presence as snow continued to drop outside of the beautiful hotel room we were cooped up in.
“Sounds like the perfect Christmas to me,” he said.
Chapter 23
Colin
The fire was roaring while the two of us sat cuddled together on the couch. Abby’s body was melded into the crook of my arm as her head laid softly on my shoulder. I’d spent so many Christmases by myself, telling myself it was the way it needed to be. First, it was because my father left us. Then, it was because the holidays were too painful for my
