Knowing she would be in that box today, did something to me. I didn’t know how to explain it.
I set my coffee down and pulled her into my arms.
I whispered in her ear. “You make me want to get lost right now, baby.”
Her eyes darted to mine. “Me too,” she sighed.
I knew we had an audience. I made a little space between us, but kept
my hand on her hip. I could barely tear my body away from her. It was as if there was some kind of magnet on her that pulled me in every time I was near her. It was fucking insane.
“I’ve got to get dressed.” The team dress code before games called for a suit. I hated wearing them, but as the QB I had the most press exposure.
“I thought you could wear your new Sharks sweatshirt,” she spoke to Hunter. “And maybe the new jeans?”
“Ok.”
She looked at me. “I’ve got it covered here. We’ll see you after the game.”
“Thanks.” I kissed her on the forehead and walked to my bedroom. Well, now it was our bedroom. I hadn’t just invited her into my bed, I had invited her into every part of my life.
I pushed the door open when I heard her footsteps behind me.
“I know you’ve got the game on your mind, but I wanted to ask you something.”
“What’s going on?”
She chewed on her bottom lip. “I was wondering what you thought about buying a Christmas tree.”
My brow furrowed. “What?”
She exhaled. “Christmas is a few weeks away and you don’t have any decorations here. I can bring some over from my place. But, have you thought about giving Hunter a real family Christmas? The tree, stockings, presents, cookies? All that stuff?”
“Yeah, but I guess not enough. I’ve been preoccupied. I’ve got a game today, baby.”
“I know. I know. And I can take care of the tree if you’ll just say it’s ok to put one up here.”
Fuck. What kind of a hardass did she think I was? That I would deny a kid a tree? I wasn’t some kind of Grinch. I didn’t want Hunter to have the kind of thread-bare holidays I did. He deserved better.
“We’ll go after the game. Together.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Really. The whole damn thing. Wreaths, that stupid green stuff.”
“Garland?” She giggled.
“Yeah, whatever the fuck it is. Ornaments. Lights. Anything you and Hunter want.”
She threw her arms around my neck and squealed. “Oh my God, I can’t believe you said yes to all of this.”
“Who doesn’t like Christmas?” I shrugged.
Truth was—I didn’t. If the Sharks played on Christmas Day it meant I could ignore the fact that all around me people were spending time together with their perfect families. Perfect presents. Perfect meals. I focused on football and nothing else.
But this year all that was different.
“He’s going to be so excited,” Julie said.