Page 10 of Claiming Charity
I hurl myself at him and wrap my arms around his solid frame. “Thank you so much. I was worried I wouldn’t finish my Christmas shopping in time.”
Ryder groans. “Shit. Spoke too soon. Didn’t realize you were going shopping.”
I punch his arm lightly. “Ha! Too late now, buster. Bevans, no less.”
Ryder smacks his hand to his forehead before pushing it through his thick, dark hair. The tattoo on his neck comes to life with the lift of his shoulder, and I bite down on the urge to lick him there. God, he’s gorgeous.
“Fine. I’ll take you to Bevans, but I’m not shopping. I’ll push the cart.”
My grin is still in place as he marches to his truck and opens the passenger door for me to get in.
I poke my tongue out at him. “Deal, Mr. Scroogey-Pants.”
When we pull into the parking lot at Bevans, most shoppers are heading home, meaning fewer crowds.I make my way into the large, brightly lit building, with Ryder following closely behind me, and it only takes me a short time to choose gifts for my family and friends back home.
“I need another cocoa-gingerbread hit from The Magic Beanstalk before we go,” I tell Ryder once I’ve paid and we’re headed back to the truck. “I want the recipe, but I’m guessing it’s a closely guarded secret.” I scrunch my nose at the thought of being unable to make my own gingerbread-flavored hot drink.
“Your wish, my command,” he says tongue-in-cheek, resigned to driving me around.
Chapter Six
Ryder
A few minutes later, I pull into The Wright Tree’s lot, and Charity leaps from the truck like an excited kid.
“Same again?” she asks as we approach The Magic Beanstalk truck.
“My treat, this time.” I give her a wink as we join the short queue.
I order our drinks and give Charity hers with an extra gingerbread man on top.
“They’re so cute.” She beams as she pulls the gingerbread man from his creamy bed and pops him straight into her mouth.
She moans and closes her eyes as she crunches the cookie, and my blood heats as I watch. I want to lick the blob of cream on her lower lip, but her tongue darts out and beats me to it.
I lead her to a nearby bench and we sit, our shoulders touching as we sip our drinks in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“It’s a beautiful evening,” Charity murmurs, tipping her head back and gazing at the sky.
Darkness has fallen while we were in Bevans, and the stars twinkle like Christmas lights in the clear night sky.
“It is,” I agree, but my eyes are on her lovely face. She shines brighter than any of those heavenly bodies with her rosy cheeks and sparkling blue eyes. She’s fucking adorable.
“He was so proud of you,” I murmur, surprising myself with my words as much as Charity.
She turns to face me, her eyes shimmering. “I know,” she whispers. “He told me all the time. He wasn’t afraid to show his emotions. Being a SEAL, he knew his time could be up at any point, and he never wanted to leave anything unsaid. He lived his life to the full. He loved all the seasons and all the holidays, but he particularly loved Christmas.”
Charity’s expression is wistful as she loses herself in memories.
She takes a sip of her cocoa. “He never told you this, but every year, he dressed up as an elf with me on Christmas morning, and we handed out presents at the children’s hospital in Vermont.”
“He never said a word.” I shake my head with a smile. That was Luke all over. He was unselfish with his time and energy. “Luke was like that when we were deployed, too, you know.”
“Like what?” Charity asks, her blue eyes fixed on my face.
“A goofball. The life and soul. His enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone. The times we were deployed at Christmas, he cut paper into tiny pieces to make snowflakes and stuck them everywhere. One year, his Christmas gift was a pair of old socks that already belonged to me.”
Charity bursts out laughing. “Yeah, that was Luke all over. That’s why Christmas is so important to me. I honor his memory every year by making it the biggest and best holiday possible.”