Chapter Twenty One
If you live life well in the moment, the future usually takes care of itself.
Was she wrong worrying about the future all the time?
Should she spend more time enjoying the moment?
Right now the moment was dreamy and perfect. She hadn’t known happiness this intense existed.
She stood, bathing in it like sunshine, wrapped in his arms as they watched skaters glide around the ice rink outside Rockefeller Center.
“What do you want for Christmas, Rox?” He stood behind her and wrapped her in his arms, protecting her from the cold and the press of people round them.
Because she knew he couldn’t see her face, she allowed herself to close her eyes and let her dreams fly. She dreamed of a future. Of doing this every year. Of growing old with him.
Growing old with him?
She opened her eyes. What was she doing to herself? It was the wine. It had to be the wine. She wasn’t used to it. And she wasn’t used to being out with a man who paid attention to her the way James did.
“Are you going to answer me?” There was laughter in his voice and she felt the roughness of his jaw brush against her cheek. “Tell me your dream.”
If she told him her dream he would probably run.
“I’m living my dream. I have a job and a home of my own—a place I can raise my little girl and not be afraid for her safety.” It wasn’t a lie, and she felt his arms tighten protectively.
“Those are things for Mia. What about you?”
“I want to finish college, and be a good mom.” And she wanted a man to say I love you. But not any man, she realized now. James. She wanted James to say I love you.
He turned her to face him. “But you’re not going to find those things wrapped up under the tree at Christmas.”
“We probably won’t have a tree this year.” She’d checked the price of a real tree and realized there was no way her budget would stretch. “I bought a small one last year. A silver one. Mia kept grabbing it so I put it back in its box. I can use that. Will that be okay, do you think? She won’t be emotionally scarred by not having a real tree? What sort of family rituals did you have at Christmas? I should probably do the same stuff every year. Bake cinnamon cookies, sing carols round the tree. Actually maybe not that part because I have a voice like a crow being strangled. Good things. Things Mia will remember.”
He gently brushed a snowflake off her cheek. “One of my favourite holiday activities is making out with a hot girl. You should definitely try that.”
“Yeah?” She grinned and wrapped her arms round his neck. “We tried that in public before and we both got hot and bothered.”
“Then maybe we should go somewhere less public.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “We could go to my apartment. What time are they expecting you home?”
“They’re not. I thought I might be late and Frankie was tired so they’ve taken Mia upstairs to their apartment. She loves going there. But I’ve never been away from her overnight before and if she needed me—”
“So your apartment is empty?” His gaze dropped from her eyes to her mouth and suddenly she could hardly get her lips to move.
“Yes.”
“That’s the best news I’ve had in a long time.”
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