“Sweetheart, I don’t know if that’s possible, but we’ll figure something out.” He reached for her hand. “What about you two? When are you headed back to South Padre?”
“We’re going back the day after Christmas,” I answered.
Cole made a strange face.
I searched his eyes. “That was what we booked, wasn’t it?” I asked.
“Yeah, darlin’. He sipped his hot coco.
Mary Ellen pointed and I turned around to see what she was excited about. There was a band on stage warming up their instruments.
“Do you know them?” I asked.
“They were one of my favorite bands in high school. Obviously, they never made it big, but they are awesome.”
Aiden looked amused. “You want to dance?”
“Yes.” She jumped off her barstool and followed him to the dance floor that had been set up in the middle of the Christmas village. I watched as they started to sway to a rendition of Baby, Please Come Home for Christmas.
“They look cute together, don’t they?” I turned to Cole.
He placed his hot chocolate on the table. “I guess so.” He stood from the table. “Want to dance?”
“You want to dance?” I looked around. Cole seldom danced, even though he was very good at it.
“Pretty girl, are you going to dance with me?” His hand hovered near my hip.
“Yes.”
They weren’t Texas stars and it wasn’t a Texas band, but there under my Carolina stars Cole and I danced surrounded by elves, kids, snow, and the most potent Christmas magic I’d ever experienced.
16
Kaitlyn
Christmas Eve. The last day to buy gifts, get them wrapped, and placed under the tree. I awoke in complete panic. My parents’. Oh my God, how could I forget? The ultrasound pictures were back in Texas. I had it planned perfectly in my head. I was going to wrap them up and give them each a box to unwrap. How was I going to do that if the pictures were at home?
I threw the covers off my legs and hustled to the bathroom. I caught a glimpse of Cole from the corner of my eye. He was sitting in the living room with a cup of coffee and the paper.
I paused in the doorway. “Good morning.”
“Hey, darlin’. How’d you sleep?”
“Good.” I smiled. “Since when do you read the paper?”
“Oh, your dad brought it over for me.” He returned to the pages.
“Huh.” I closed the door behind me and turned on the shower. I needed to think of a way to get those pictures.
I dried off after the shower and started a google search on my phone.
“What’s going on?” Cole watched me.
“I left the ultrasound pictures at the beach house.”
“Ok?”
“Ok, so I don’t have them to wrap and give to my parents tonight at dinner.”