Lexi,
casserole dish in hand and a bag of side dishes on her arm, looked down at the
little tree she’d carted up to Cort’s porch. It was small, a little spindly,
but, if she did say so herself, festively decorated. Her mother had instantly
warmed to the idea of providing a decorated tree for Cort. Together, they had retrieved
a spare tree stand and the vast collection of balls and tree decorations from
the attic, a collection that had grown from combining the decorations from two
sets of grandparents with the family’s own. There would have been enough balls
and baubles to decorate three huge trees.
It
had taken no time to deck out the small tree and then Lexi had set about
preparing a dinner to take over with it. After all, she’d promised him she’d
cook for him. The dish of beef bourguignon, with its savory meat and sauce, had
to be better than Tamara’s greasy fried chicken. She’d originally planned to
invite him to her family home for dinner, but when the idea of getting him a
tree had popped into her head, she’d thought a visit was a better choice.
Her
hand poised to rap, she hesitated, then took a deep breath of the chilly winter
air. Hopefully, this would prove to be a good idea. Hopefully, she wasn’t
overstepping, but he’d seemed so forlorn talking about how he didn’t have any
presents to put under a tree, that she needed to do something. And, if she was
honest, it was a good excuse to spend some alone time with him.
If
only he felt the same.
She
knocked and her heart thumped.
She
heard Bandit’s bark, but it took a moment before she heard the sound of
footsteps on the floorboards. Her stomach fluttered with each step.
The
door swung open, and there he was, his hair tousled, his feet clad in just
socks; he looked like she’d awakened him from a nap. His eyes widened as he
took in the casserole dish and bag, then the tree, and, finally her. “What are
you doing here?”
Not
exactly a welcoming greeting. She squared her shoulders. “I brought you
something, or things.”
“I
see that.” He hadn’t opened the door any wider. Bandit panted at her side. “I’m
just surprised to see you.”
“Am I bothering you?” Beads of perspiration dampened the back of her neck.
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