* * * *
I was surprised to see Milly seated on the other side of my father when we arrived to the little white church house just before the service started. I pressed my hand on the small of Chloe's back and guided her into the pew to sit by my father.
He turned and smiled at her, and even more surprising than Milly being there was when Chloe leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. He blushed and Milly reached around and squeezed Chloe's hands.
"Have you met Milly?" I asked, leaning around to shake hands too.
"Yeah. I'll tell you the story later." She snuggled in beside me, and I couldn't help but let my eyes roll over her. Her dark blue dress hugged her waist and flared around her thighs, cutting off above her knees. The dark brown boots she wore stopped below her knees and her neck was adorned with a pretty set of brown beads. She smelled like heaven, and I wanted to tug her closer and press my lips to her neck.
I didn't hear a damn thing the preacher said because I was too busy planning out every detail of my life with the beautiful girl next to me. He asked us to bow our head, and I was all too grateful for the service being over. I was pretty sure the rest of the congregation was in trouble for sinning outside the church, but there had to be a special place in hell for those of us doing it in the church...during a sermon.
"You kids want to come back to the house for lunch? Milly put on a roast this morning for the two of us." He looked over at Milly and winked at her.
I glanced toward Chloe and lifted my eyebrow. Maybe we didn't have much work left to do. Seemed the two of them were already getting together and doing domesticated things.
"You want to, baby? You free or you need to get home?" I reached for her hand, pulling her closer to me and wrapping an arm around her waist.
"I need to get home in a couple of hours. I'd love to have lunch with you guys."
"Good. You can help me put up my tree." My Dad chuckled. "I know. It's tomorrow, but I don't have it up yet."
"How fun." Chloe looked over at me. "My Dad didn't put one up this year. I honestly just realized that."
"Should we do one at my Dad's and then yours?" I asked. There were few things in life that I hated more than putting up a Christmas tree, but I was willing to do just about anything to spend more time with my girl.
"No. It's too late. I'll get him next year. It's just a good reason to give him tell over something this year." She moved to my side, and I waved over my shoulder to my Dad, promising that we would stop by the house for clothes for me and then come over for lunch.
We drove back in silence as Christmas music played over the radio. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I wasn't sure how to start the conversation. The last I'd heard, Chloe was staying until Christmas, and then heading back home.
Christmas was tomorrow.
"You want me to run in and grab you some sweats and a t-shirt?" She turned to look at me after putting the car in park outside of my cabin.
"I would love for you too. Can you grab the large red bag by the bedroom too? It's got all my gifts in it that I've picked up for everyone."
"Sure. Anything specific on your clothes?"
"No. Anything will work. It's just me and my Dad."
"And me." She reached over and squeezed my hand. "You're okay with me coming out to your Dad's tomorrow after I open presents with Parker, right?"
"Of course. I hate the fact that we can't spend the night together tonight. Seems a shame." I turned to look out the front window and let out a breath I didn't know I'd been holding.
"I'll be right back." She got out of the car, and I turned to look out the other window, not sure how I was going to get through the idea that last night might have been our last time to make love together. It seemed absurd, like that couldn't possibly be our outcome, but it could.
She got back in the truck a few minutes later and laid a small bag at my feet. She sat down the bag of goodies she made me beside it. "Take these to your Dad's and let him enjoy some of them. You were so damn greedy about them the other night."
"I still am." I turned to her and took her hand. "Chloe. I just want you to know that I meant what I said last night. I know it doesn't make sense, and it's only been a few weeks, but I love you. I don't want to lose you, and I need you to think about if that matters to you."
"Of course it does." She reached out and touched my face.
"Right. So here's the deal. I want to keep working on us and see where this goes. If that means that we make this work long distance, or you stay here, or I go with you...it's whatever. I just don't want to give up when we've just started. I'm too far into you."
She nodded. "I love you too. Let me think about what the best answer might be tonight, and we can talk tomorrow about it."
"Okay. I'll hold you to it." I sat back, feeling better that she loved me too, but still torn up over what our end result would be.
"I hope that's not the only thing you plan to hold me to." She wagged her eyebrows, and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Anything you want, baby. All you have to do is ask."
Chapter 31
Christmas Day
Chloe
"Get up! It's Christmas!" Parker jumped on my bed and shook me awake like he did when we were kids.
I threw my arm in the air, trying to swat him off of me, but missing entirely.
"What time is it?" I rolled over and groaned. "Parker. It's five in the morning. We're not kids anymore."
"I am. Get up. It's time to open presents." He jumped on my bed again, and this time I got him, grabbing him and rolling over on top of him.
I pinned him to the bed and breathed in his face.
"Dad! Help! Dad!" He screamed, and I rolled off, grabbing my robe and trying to trip him as we ran down the hall.
I couldn't remember all of a sudden why in the world I hadn't been home for Christmas for the last few years. Me and my Dad being at odds was one thing, but my little brother was growing up alone without me. I shouldn't have stayed away, and I never would again.
"Chloe. What are you doing to your brother?" My Dad looked up from his stance in the kitchen with a mysterious look on his face.
"What are you doing in the kitchen is the real question." I moved up to my Dad, and pulled him into a hug. "Are you cooking something?"
"Yeah, me and Parker figured out your mother's old breakfast casserole recipe. We ran to the store and made it while you slept on the couch."
"You guys didn't watch the Grinch?" I turned and lifted my eyebrow at Parker.
"What do you care? You were snoring at nine-thirty." He laughed, and started organizing the presents by the fireplace.
"Why do you guys not have a tree?" I looked back at my father.
"I don't know. Just seemed like another thing to do, and Parker never asked for one." He handed me a cup of coffee. "Why? You want one? We'll go get one after we open presents."
"No, it's too late this year, but next year you're going to have to put up a really big one to make up for this sadness." I pointed to the empty living room.
"So you're coming home next year?" He turned to me and smiled.
"I'm not leaving. I think this should be home from now on."
"Are you shitting us?" My brother stood up from the other side of the bar, his eyes wide with excitement.