Perfect Bastard (Mason Creek)

Then I turned my attention to my phone. I’d avoided putting a name to the thing between Avery and me, but it was a lot more of something than nothing. Tomorrow was Christmas. What was appropriate to give to an almost-but-not girlfriend? Nothing or something?

I called Emma, and she gave me a great idea.

TWENTY-TWO

Avery

Christmas was blissfully quiet by design. Dad and I had agreed not to exchange gifts. Mom and I had agreed to do the same, but Tom had different ideas. He’d gotten Mom and me a gift certificate for a spa day. Mom shared that with me in a call this morning.

The news had shifted focus from Nate to blizzard conditions out east and a long-term Hollywood couple’s bitter divorce. There had been no more obscure pictures of me. There were a few minor stories about Nate, but nothing that got any traction. I’d been freed from hiding.

More surprising was a text I got from Nate with a link to download two movies he’d gotten me.

Nate: I picked the first because you love it. The second because it reminds me of us.

He’d gifted me It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Christmas movies. While the latter wasn’t exactly our experience, it was close enough. I brought my phone to my chest and couldn’t stop my lips from curving heavenward.

“What’s got you all happy?” Dad asked.

A flush rushed to my face. “Nothing. It’s a good day. Merry Christmas, Dad.”

“Merry Christmas to you too.”

After breakfast, I went back to my room. I hadn’t considered buying anything for Nate. What I loved about what he’d given me was that he hadn’t tossed something meaningless he could buy with all his money. His gift meant more because of how thoughtful it was. Just like what he’d done for Zoe or for his friends’ twins. The world had Nate pegged wrong.

I sent him a text.

Me: Will thank you properly with a meal made by me.

I promised to meet him the following week on my day off. Then Haley called. “Zoe wants to know when you’re coming over.”

The only person I’d bought a gift for was Zoe. “Tell her I’ll be there soon.”

When I arrived, I handed over the gift and Haley, and I sat. Paper tore as I asked Haley, “No Agan?” They’d been spending a lot of time together. He hadn’t cut and run like I expected. It seemed that I’d been proven wrong twice. “Is he coming over?”

Zoe squealed in delight when she opened the kid tablet that would let her color, read books, and watch movies.

“He left for home yesterday. He did ask me to go on vacation with him.”

Stunned speechless, I sat with my mouth open. “What did you tell him?” I’d already charged the kid-friendly gadget and Zoe wasn’t paying any attention to us.

“I told him I’d think about it. It’s for a week, at most two. You know I’ve never been anywhere. I’ve never left the state. Is it wrong to want to go? Fly in a plane for the first time in my life? It’s a week, maybe two. I’d miss the hell out of my baby, but this could be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

“I can’t answer that for you. I can see all sides.”

“He wants to take me in a private plane to an island. He even offered to help expedite my passport application.”

“And Zoe?” I asked, as a dose of reality.

“Mom. I’ve talked to her. She said she’d watch her.”

Zoe’s mom likely saw an opportunity in Agan’s wealth, as she was incredibly selfish. But she did a good job taking care of Zoe when she was so inclined.

We talked a little longer. Haley hadn’t decided before I left. I went back home and made dinner with Dad. Things were getting better between us. It was my father who made an effort to really live in the present and not the past.

The next week, I drove my Jeep over to Nate’s, only checking twice to see if anyone was following. It was seeing Nate standing on the porch when I made my up the drive that warmed my spirit. Before I could open my door, he was there. He helped me out and damn near dragged me into a bear hug while placing a soul-shattering kiss on my waiting lips.

“Missed me, huh?” I asked.

“Damn right.”

Then he did something even more shocking. He took my hand and twined our fingers together. This felt different from hooking up with someone on the regular. It felt like more. So much so, I feared giving it a name in case I was reading more into it.

“Wait.” I came to a full stop.

He glanced down at me. “I want to show you something.”

“The food I made is in the car.”

That got a grin out of him. “Oh.” He went back to my Jeep and looked through the window. He spotted the box before I could tell him it was in the back seat. Unlike me, he held it in one hand with a steady grip. I’d needed two.