Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Charles

I couldn’t believe that I was holding Melody in my arms, but I was grateful for it. “Do you want to walk down to the beach? We can be crazy people and take our shoes off and go into the cold water.”

She smiled. “I would love that. But I am not a crazy person.”

I smiled and chatted with her as we went down the stairs and out of the lighthouse. I felt young and free and happy for the first time in a long time. It wasn’t that I had been sad before, but I hadn’t been happy. I think my baseline had just become so-so.

“What are you thinking?”

“Who says I’m thinking?” I asked, pulling her closer and gently kissing her lips.

She laughed and pulled back. “Hey, you can’t kiss me all the time.”

I started walking again, but quickly kissed her cheek. “Then when can I?”

“Well, I guess you can sometimes.”

I paused and kissed her other cheek. “I’ll take sometimes.”

She frowned at me. “You always had a particular look when you were really thinking about something. I just saw it on your face. Do I need to remind you that we have known each other since we were eight?”

We got to the water and paused to pull off our shoes. “Fine,” I grunted with pretended exasperation. “I was thinking that this is the first time I’ve been really happy in a long time.” It felt good to confide that to her.

She stood and then wrapped her arms around my waist.

There was no way she could know how good this felt. I sighed and put both of my arms around her shoulders. Her hair was loose, and I took the opportunity to run my hands through it. “Feels good.”

She smiled up at me. “You used to always love to run your hands through my hair.”

I nodded. “Your hair was always my kryptonite.”

“I feel happy too. And it has been a long time since I’ve been this happy.” She turned and stared at the ocean. “Shall we get in?”

I didn’t want to let her go, but I couldn’t deny this woman anything she wanted. “Sure.”

I bent and rolled up my pant legs. She did the same. Then we grasped each other’s hands and walked out into the ocean.

“Brr,” I said with an exaggerated shiver.

A look of amusement washed over her face. “You big sissy.”

I had to laugh. “You always called me that when you busted me on something. If I were the punishing type, I would splash you.”

Her eyes widened, and she giggled. “You wouldn’t!”

“I won’t tonight. Only because I have a few more manners than my eighteen-year-old self.”

She took a few steps away from me and then splashed me. “I don’t have manners.”

I was so stunned that all I could do was laugh. Then I splashed her back.

She squealed and ran toward the beach. “You’re supposed to be mature now. You’re supposed to have manners.”

I’d forgotten how playful she was. I chased her and picked her up, heaving her over my shoulder and grinning when she squealed some more. “I’ll show you manners.” I moved back into the ocean and pretended like I was going to throw her in.

She kicked her legs and screamed, “Do not throw me in, Charles King! You win. I will freeze on that motorcycle.”

I gave in and took her over to dry ground, where I gently put her down. I kept her against me. “I think splashing me should cost you a couple kisses.”

Her green eyes danced with mischief in the moonlight. “How many?”

I bent softly, kissed her lips, then pulled back. “I don’t know if we can put a number on it. I mean, splashing me is a big deal. A huge grievance.” I kissed her again, then again.

Before I knew it, she was kissing me back, and then I was lost, with my hands in her hair and her body pressed against mine. All I knew was that I never wanted to leave this spot. I’d finally come home.

I finally pulled back and asked, “Could you do me a favor?”

She looked surprised. “I don’t know what favor I could do for Charles King, but you can ask.”

Man, I was already falling in love with this woman again. “There is a favor you can do for me. Be my date for the gala tomorrow.”

She looked uncertain, and I wondered if it was because her son wasn’t coming for Christmas.

“If you can’t, it’s okay.”

She inhaled deeply and then said, “You know what? I think I would like that. It could be a new Christmas Eve tradition.”

I was delighted by the idea that we would have a new tradition to do together.

Her eyes widened as if she realized what she’d said. “I didn’t mean to assume that it would be a tradition.”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.

She frowned. “Why are you laughing?”

I pulled her in and gently brushed my lips against hers. “Because having a Christmas Eve tradition like that is something I only could’ve dreamed of.”