“I love you too.” She turned off the ringer on her phone and stared at it for a full minute before she swiped the menu awake. She scrolled through to Ben’s contact info and tapped in a message.
Her chest felt lighter. She was doing the right thing. Christmas meant possibilities and everything about Ben had been hopeful possibilities. Now to just get through the rest of the day.
Chapter Sixteen
Ben stared at the text message for the fifth time.
“Uncle Ben, you can’t use your phone in church.”
Ben lowered his face to Brittany’s and rubbed his nose with hers. “Brat.”
He stuffed it back in his pocket, but he knew what it said. It wasn’t like it was a difficult message to remember.
Come find me after you’re done with your family. Oh, and Ben…Merry Christmas.
He tried to pay attention to the homily at the vigil mass. Fortunately St. Mary’s version of a vigil mass was ten instead of midnight. Brittany was fading against his arm, trying valiantly to keep her big dark eyes open.
By the end of the mass he was carrying her out. Neither he nor John were particularly religious, but it was a nice way to honor their mother for Christmas. Ben settled her into the backseat of John’s van.
“Annual Christmas barbecue tomorrow?”
John nodded. “At least that I can help cook.”
He hugged his brother. “Merry Christmas. Here’s to a better year.”
John returned the hug, slapping his back. “Amen to that.”
Ben climbed into his truck and tapped his phone against his palm. He quickly fired back a message.
Are you still awake?
He started the engine and was halfway down the street when she replied with a simple yes. It was only a five-minute ride to their house but it felt interminable. He pulled up, surprised that the single tree was turned off already. Instead, five fat snowflakes hung in front of her door.
He grinned. No wires. His Darcy had put up her own Christmas decorations—solar ones. A sticky note was stuck to the back of the center star.
Come in.
He turned the knob and was surprised to see another string of lights. This time on the shelves above the small table in her entryway. They looked like mini-lanterns in brilliant greens, golds and purples. They hung from the books she had stacked on each end of the shelf.
He followed the lights on the stairs. The little battery-operated, scented lights that were so popular these days. Cinnamon and vanilla led the way up to the landing. “Darcy?”
He walked down the hallway. Another battery candle sat in front of her door. He pushed it open to see a curtain of white lights dripping from her window. He smiled. A large candleholder sat in the middle of the window with a huge red bow. This one was a real flame.
“Merry Christmas, Ben.”
He turned to her voice. A small click sounded and her bed lit up. The wrought iron canopy was swagged with white panels at each corner and twinkle lights crisscrossed the top.
The woman in the center of the crimson sheets glowed from the inside out. “You bought a new bed.”
“I paid handsomely for this king-sized bed. So handsomely you’ll have to be my slave this summer to help me build my deck.”
His smile widened. “I can do that.”
She rolled onto her knees, a deep green negligee flowing around her hips, kissing the tops of her thighs. “I was thinking about what you said the other day.”
He focused his attention on her face instead of his silk-over-cream present just inches away. “About what?”
“About not letting me go.”