Page 52 of The One

“Not much to see,” she said. “My bedroom is in the back off the kitchen.”

He followed her through the apartment, noticing all the little Christmas decorations she had everywhere. On the windowsills, the walls, her dining room table, the coffee table, even her kitchen counter.

“You have a lot of Christmas cheer going on here,” he said.

“I do,” she said. “I like Christmas. I did a lot after Ben was born. I think I wanted him to have that. But his first Christmas he was only a month old and didn’t understand. Last year he spent Christmas Eve with Whitney while Trey worked. Then when Trey got home they opened gifts there.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I can tell by your face you wished you’d had Ben that night.”

She let out a sigh and snuggled into his chest. He felt big and powerful when she did that. “I did,” she said. “But I had no right to him. Ben wasn’t my son. Isn’t my son. I love Whitney. She’s great and Ben loves her and calls her Mom. He should. She will raise him.”

“You’ll raise your own kids someday,” he said.

“I hope so,” she said. “I’m not getting any younger. And please, don’t take that any other way than words.”

“I’m not,” he said. But he was thinking the same thing. He wasn’t getting any younger either. He didn’t want to be retired when he had kids still in college. “I might even feel the same way.”

“Robin had a child fast, right?” she asked.

“She got pregnant a few months after she started to date Brian. It wasn’t planned and she was nervous and scared about it. It didn’t matter. Brian loved her and was thrilled. He’d actually been looking at engagement rings before he found out and told her that.”

“After a few months?” she asked.

“When it’s right it’s right, don’t you think?”

“I guess so. You’re talking to someone who spent ten years waiting for that ring. I thought it was right and it never happened so my judgment might be off slightly.”

“I don’t think it was yours that was off,” he said. “He didn’t deserve you. I do.”

“That is the sweetest thing ever,” she said. “Are you trying to butter me up for later?”

He laughed and cupped her ass, bringing her against him tighter. “Is it working?”

“You had me at shopping again.”

He kissed her fast and followed her to her room, looked inside and saw how homey it appeared. He liked to think he was doing that to his place but not as well as she achieved. He supposed those things just took time.

“If you don’t mind, why don’t you grab a few things to keep at my place. Then if you want to stay last minute you can. You never know, with a snowstorm you could get stuck.”

She looked at him for a minute and he wasn’t sure what was going through her head. He had to remind himself she’d said she wasn’t moving fast and yet under two months in he wanted her to keep clothes at his house.

“If you don’t mind, maybe I’ll keep a change of clothes there and a few things. As you said, it can be a last minute thing.”

“Thanks,” he said. “I get the feeling that was hard for you to do and I don’t want you to feel pressured.”

“It’s not hard,” she said. “I just didn’t want you to think I was pushing either.”

“I don’t feel it. Don’t be afraid to speak your mind with me. I’m a big boy and can take a no if you want to ever say it.”

“I have no problem saying it if I mean it,” she said. “Let me grab some clothes and then we can get your decorations and go play with George before we leave him for dinner again. I hope he doesn’t get upset if you come home and walk out the door again.”

“He’ll be fine,” he said.

Rick stood there while she went through her drawers and found what she wanted and put it in the bag. Then they left and went to the store to find the Christmas decorations.

“I can’t believe how much stuff you bought,” she said when they were unloading his SUV a little while later.

“It’s a lot,” he said, “but I saw your place and liked it. I want something like that here, but I doubt it will happen this year.”