Trading Christmas - Debbie Macomber [44]
“Coffee?” Charles lifted the glass pot.
“Please.” She tightened the belt of her velour robe and sat down at the table, shaking the hair away from her face. Charles brought her a mug, which he’d filled with coffee. She added cream and held it in both hands, basking in the warmth that spread through her palms. They’d spent the most enjoyable evening talking and drinking wine and…
“What are your plans for today?” he asked.
Faith hadn’t given it much consideration. “Maybe I’ll walk into town a bit later.”
Charles mulled that over. “Would you object to company?”
“You?” she gasped.
He shrugged in a self-conscious manner. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t come with you.”
“But I—what about your work?” Naturally she’d enjoy his company but Charles had insisted he was in Leavenworth to work and didn’t want to be distracted from his purpose.
“I was up early this morning and got quite a bit done.”
“Oh.”
“I felt I should leave the project for a while, now that the rough draft is done. I’d like to give my mind a rest.”
“Oh.” All at once Faith seemed incapable of words consisting of more than one syllable.
“So—it seems I have the luxury of some free time.”
“Oh.” She sipped her coffee. “But I thought you hated Christmas?”
“I do. For…various reasons. It’s far too commercial. The true meaning’s been lost in all the frenzy of the season.”
“Christmas is what each one of us makes it,” Faith felt obliged to tell him. “Exactly.”
Faith swallowed. “I was going into town to do some shopping. Uh, Christmas shopping,” she added. She met his eyes as she looked for some indication that he’d be interested in accompanying her. Men were notoriously impatient when it came to browsing through stores. And an avowed Christmas-hater…
He didn’t say anything for a moment, then set his mug aside. “I see. Well, in that case, I’ve got other projects I can work on.”
“Oh.” She couldn’t disguise her disappointment.
Charles frowned. “Would you like my company?”
“Very much,” she said quickly.
“Then I read you wrong.”
“I’m just afraid it wouldn’t interest you,” she explained.
“I’d enjoy being out in the fresh air. I’ll get my coat.” He was like a kid eager to start a promised adventure.
“Whoa.” Faith raised one hand. “Give me time. I’ve got to shower and dress, and I wouldn’t mind a little something to eat first.”
“Okay.” He seemed amenable enough to that.
Faith wasn’t quite sure what had prompted the change in him, but she wasn’t complaining. She poured cereal and milk into a bowl, and ate every bite. Drinking the last of her coffee, she hurried back up the stairs and grabbed her jeans, a sweater and fresh underwear. She showered, dressed and dried her hair. When she came out of the bathroom, she found her boots, put them on and laced them up.
“Charles?” He didn’t seem to be anywhere around. “Charles,” she called, more loudly this time.
By chance she happened to glance out the window—to discover him surrounded by half a dozen neighborhood boys and Sarah. The children were apparently trying to talk him into something, but Charles clearly wasn’t interested. Several times he shook his head and gestured dismissively with his gloved hands.
Faith threw on her coat and dashed out of the house, fastening her buttons as she went. She could see that Charles had begun to sweep the snow off the porch steps and had apparently been interrupted in his task by the children.
“Hi, Faith,” Thomas called out. “You want to go sledding with us?”
“Ah…” She looked to Charles for some indication of his feelings. “What about you?”
Charles shook his head. “The last time I was on a sled, I was thirteen years old and too young to know better.”
“It’s fun,” Thomas Kennedy promised.
“Go down the hill just once and you’ll see what we mean.” Mark’s young voice was filled with excitement.
“You just gotta,” Sarah insisted, tugging at Charles’s hand.
Several of the older kids had lost interest in persuading