A Date with an Elf Read online

  I spin us around and point to another door. After setting her down, she goes to it and laughs. “I forgot about the—what’s it called?”

  “Pantry, and it has a special Alyssa shelf. So, no more climbing, okay?”

  “Okay,” she says as she reaches in and picks which cereal she’s going to have. We work together to get her bowl set up and carried to the table. While she’s eating, I sit there and look through my work emails, client requests, changes, and smile at each new client who wants to hire me. This work from home thing is going to work in my favor for sure. It really gives me the best of both worlds.

  Once Alyssa is done eating her breakfast, I send her off to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She rushes off excitedly, and I love how enthusiastic she is about school. I don’t remember being that way. As soon as she’s done, she runs to get her backpack and waits by the door.

  “I’m ready.”

  Grabbing my car keys, I smile. “Let’s go.” The school is only two miles away from the house, and when we pull up, there’s a long line of cars with parents trying to drop off their kids. “I put your lunch box in your backpack, don’t forget to take it out and put it in your cubby. Also, make sure you wear your coat when you go outside. I’ll be here when the bell rings.”

  “Okay, Daddy. What if Nana comes to pick me up?”

  “Then, Mrs. Braswell will tell you. If she doesn’t, know that I’ll be here. You only get into my car, okay?”

  “Got it,” she says as we pull up to the drop-off. I make her wait until we’re almost in line with the front door.

  “Do you remember where to go?”

  She nods. “I do.”

  “And you’re sure you don’t want me to walk you in?”

  Her eyes light up. “Nope, there’s Cassie, see!”

  I look out the window to verify. Cassie is waving eagerly from the flagpole. I can’t help but smile. Alyssa unbuckles and places herself in the middle of the two front seats. She kisses my cheek. “Bye, Daddy. See you later.”

  “Bye, love bug. Have a good first day. Call me if you want to come home early.” I fear my offer of coming to get her falls on open space because the door slams before I can even finish my sentence. I stay there, parked until Alyssa and Cassie are walking into the building, and I can no longer see them. The person behind me blares their horn, and it takes all I have not to flip them off. I get it; they probably have to get to work. There’s somewhere I have to be as well.

  As I pull into our little downtown, I scan the area, looking for Bree’s store, but I also find myself looking for empty store frontage. I could open my own office and keep the hours I want, although I’m not sure about the expenses. But I like the idea, especially if I can get the local businesses to use me for their websites.

  Bree’s shop is easy to spot. It’s the one decorated with Christmas and art. There’s a parking space right in front of the store, and I grab my portfolio before getting out of the car. I don’t know how long I stand by the window, admiring the snowy landscape painting, but it’s enough that Bree has to come out and invite me in. She has on a long, blue sweater and black tights with her caramel-colored hair in waves down her back. It’s hard not to gape at her when she looks as beautiful as she does.

  “You gonna stand out here all day?” she asks, laughing as she holds the door open.

  I point at the painting. “Sorry. It reminds me of Sugar Mountain.”

  She winks. “That’s because it is.” Her curious gaze averts to my portfolio for a few seconds before turning her beautiful green eyes back to me. “How did drop off go?” she asks as I follow her into the studio. The second I see everything she has, I’m in awe. There are paintings everywhere, all strategically placed where the lighting illuminates every piece. There are even a few unique sculptures scattered throughout. I’m completely taken back by everything she has in the space, but I notice she’s missing the one thing I can offer her.

  “Easy, it seems Alyssa and Cassie had plans to meet up and walk in together. I didn’t have to park and walk her in.”

  Bree leads me into the back room and hands me a much-needed cup of coffee, and motions for me to sit down in one of the chairs she has around the table. “That’s good. At least, she’s adjusting.”

  “True. Sometimes I feel like she’s growing up way too fast. I’m going to blink my eyes one day and find out she’s twenty-five years old.”

  She chuckles. “Ah yes, it’ll happen sooner than you think.” Her eyes drop down to my folder again. “Okay, so should we get down to business. I’m assuming what you have to show me is in there?”

  I nod and set my portfolio on the table. “They’re not anything special,” I tell her as I show her the first photo. “I do this as a hobby.”

  Bree is quiet as she sips her coffee and flips through the portfolio of photos I’ve saved. Sometimes, I like to take pictures of people or scenery, whatever I find at the moment.

  “Where do you display these?”

  “I don’t.” I shake my head slightly. “As I said, it’s a hobby, but I thought if you put them in your gallery for sale, I’ll do your website for free.”

  She continues to flip the pages without saying anything, making me feel like I’ve overstepped.

  “If you don’t think—”

  Bree closes my book gently and sets her hand on top. “Caleb, I think these are amazing and would love to display your work. I feel like I’d be taking advantage, though, because I won’t have an issue selling these. I even know a few customers who are looking for pieces just like this. I’ll have at least five sold by tomorrow.”

  “Really?”

  “Absolutely.” She nods. “But you’re going to have to let me pay you for my website.”

  I shake my head.

  “I have to do something,” she pleads as she sets her hand on top of mine. I’m tempted to pull away but am surprised to find that I like the feel of her hand there. The dads, and some of the moms in the support group I’m in, tell me there is no time limit on moving on and that by us moving means I’m ready to start over.

  “Can you cook?” I ask her.

  Her eyes narrow, and she smiles. “I can. Working at Aunt Mathie’s when I was younger taught me a thing or two.”

  “Okay, how about this?” I say as I lean forward. “Why don’t you come over and cook dinner for Alyssa and me tonight?”

  Bree blinks.

  Shit, wrong thing to say.

  But then her grin widens. “I’ll happily make you guys dinner tonight. Just tell me what time I should be there.”

  5

  Bree

  “I know you have elf duty tonight, so how about after that?” Caleb asks.

  The sound of rain hits the roof, and I look up at the ceiling. “If it’s raining, there won’t be any Santa visits in the town square. I can come right after I close the gallery. It just so happens I have some chicken marinating in my refrigerator.”

  Caleb grins. “Perfect. That works for me.”

  Opening his portfolio again, I slide out two of his eight by eleven pictures. One is of a boat by a dock with the moon shining on the water giving the whole picture a magical glow. The other is of a pink and yellow flower with a singular raindrop on one of its petals. I’m dying to put them up in the gallery.

  “Can I please frame these and hang them up right now?”

  Caleb’s eyes widen. “Seriously? Right now?”

  I stand and nod for him to follow me. “Yes. These prints are exactly the kind of things I’ve been looking for. What I’d like to do is get larger sizes printed. All you have to do is send me the files, and I’ll handle it. In the meantime, we can let my customers get a taste of what’s in store for the showcase. You okay with that?”

  He lifts his hands in the air. “Sure, why not? Let’s do it.”

  Excitement bubbles in my veins. “I’ve been prepared for this moment for what feels like an eternity. I have some really nice wooden frames in my storage room. Come on.” He follows
me into the storage room, and I secure the two pictures in their own frames. I hold up the one with the boat. “This one will go quickly once we get it in a larger print.”

  We walk out of the storage room and back into the gallery. “Do you honestly think people will want to buy my stuff?”

  “Yes,” I say, gawking at him like he’s crazy for even questioning it. “You are a talented photographer.”

  He shrugs and turns his attention to my paintings. “It’s just a hobby I picked up after my wife died. Guess you can say it helped me in ways I never thought it could.”

  “Art can do that,” I murmur as I stand next to him.

  His eyes narrow at the initials in the bottom right-hand corner of my cabin by the lake painting. “Is that a B and a W?” When all I do is smile at him, he focuses back on the painting and laughs. “This is one of yours, isn’t it?”

  “Yep.” I flourish a hand throughout the room. “Almost all of them are.”

  Watching him admire my paintings makes me feel pride in my work. He stops at another one of my Sugar Mountain paintings and points at it. The top of the mountain is covered in snow, but the rest of the painting is set in the fall with orange, red, and yellow leaves as if they’re fluttering in the wind.

  “This is my favorite,” he states, standing back from it with his arms crossed. “I’ve seen it look exactly like this when I went out hiking many years ago.”

  His words make me smile. “Same. I can see it all as if it was yesterday.”

  He stands next to me and bumps me with his shoulder. “You’re amazing, Bree. Have you ever tried selling your work to bigger galleries?”

  I shrug. “It’s crossed my mind, but I’m happy with having my work here. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”

  The bell on my door dings, and Lindy walks in. When she sees us, she stops mid-step and gasps. “Oh, hey. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  I wave her off. “You didn’t interrupt us, Lindy. You remember Caleb, right?”

  She holds out her arms and snorts. “How could I forget the guy who nicknamed me loudmouth? Come here and hug me. It’s been a long time.” He hugs her, and they both laugh.

  “Yes, it has,” Caleb replies. “You doing okay?”

  Lindy beams. “Can’t complain. I got a husband and a little girl now.”

  Caleb nods. “I have a little girl myself. They can be quite the handful.”

  “Yes, they can,” I agree with a laugh. “Lindy’s little girl is wild.”

  Caleb smiles at us both but then focuses on me. “Well, let me get out of your way. I’ll see you tonight.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Lindy’s mouth gape, but I don’t acknowledge it. “What does Alyssa like to eat?” I ask.

  “Anything as long as it has cheese in it,” he answers.

  I wink. “I think I can handle that.”

  “All right. I’ll see you later.” He smiles at Lindy. “It was nice seeing you again.”

  Lindy grins back. “Same to you.”

  Caleb glances at me one more time before making his way to the door. I know what’s going to happen the second he walks out. When the door shuts behind him, I close my hands over my ears just as Lindy squeals. Caleb’s right. She is a loudmouth.

  “Oh my God, you have a date!”

  I watch him get in his car and drive away, but there is that butterfly feeling in my stomach. “It’s not a date,” I say, wishing in all reality that it was.

  Lindy snickers. “Okay, so maybe his daughter will be with you guys, but I could see it in his eyes. He’s attracted to you.”

  I wave her off. “No, he’s not. It’s just a business deal. He’s going to design my gallery’s website, and as payment, he wants me to cook him and his daughter dinner. Besides, I’m sure he’s still sad about his wife. Dating is the last thing on his mind.”

  “Maybe, maybe not.” She places a hand on my shoulder. “You might just be what the man needs.”

  I don’t know what it’s like to lose a loved one to tragedy. I’m sure it puts a hole in your heart. Whatever happens, I’m not going to rush it.

  * * *

  It’s still raining by the time I close up the gallery, so there won’t be any Santa visits. I run home to grab my chicken breasts out of the refrigerator and the sides I planned on cooking for myself. It turns out mac and cheese was already on the menu, so that should make Alyssa happy. I’ll be sure to add extra cheese to it.

  When I pull into the driveway, Caleb walks out with an umbrella. “Hey,” he calls out, holding it over my head as I get out of the car. “Need help with the groceries?”

  “Sure. They’re in the back.” I open the backseat door, and he takes one bag while I take the other. “Thank you for coming out to help me.”

  I hurry inside, but he stays on the porch and shakes out the umbrella. “You’re welcome. Just trying to be a gentleman.”

  I snort. “I wish all men were like that. My ex would’ve stayed on the front porch and laughed while I got wet.”

  Caleb walks inside and shuts the door. “What a dirtbag.”

  “Exactly.”

  “I already got out a pan and the two pots you requested in your earlier text.” He nods toward the kitchen. “Come on. I’ll show you to the kitchen.” When I turn to get a good look at his living room, I freeze. There are boxes everywhere, the new couch still has the plastic covering on it, and there isn’t a Christmas tree.

  “Oh, Caleb, this is awful.”

  He comes up beside me and runs a hand through his hair with a sigh. “I know. It’s been hard to find motivation.” He takes my bag of food, and I follow him into the kitchen.

  “The boxes will get emptied in time, but you have to get a Christmas tree.”

  “Yes,” Alyssa squeals, appearing around the corner. “A Christmas tree!”

  Caleb places his hands on the counter and sighs again. “Uh-oh, I’m in trouble now. Two against one.”

  I shrug and smile. “I had mine up the second week of November. If I had my way, it’d be Christmas all year long at my house.”

  He throws his hands up in the air, trying his best not to smile. “Fine. Alyssa and I will get a tree tomorrow. How does that sound?” he asks her.

  Alyssa bounces up and down on her feet. “Yay. Can Bree help decorate with us?”

  Caleb turns to me and lifts his brows. “Well, I don’t know. Bree might be busy tomorrow.”

  Alyssa clasps her hands together, pursing her lips in a pouty way. “Please, Bree. Daddy doesn’t know how to decorate.”

  “Hey,” Caleb calls out. “That’s not nice.”

  Bree and I both giggle. “I tell you what,” I say, bending down to tap her on the nose, “I’ll come over right after I’m done with Santa. Maybe when we’re halfway done with the tree, we can bake some cookies?”

  Her eyes widen. “Chocolate chip?”

  “Whatever you want, pretty girl.”

  She dances around and runs back down the hallway. Caleb chuckles and shakes his head. “You’re spoiling her, Bree. First, extra candy canes and now a Christmas tree and cookies?”

  I shrug. “She deserves it.”

  “That she does,” he agrees. “She’s been through a lot.”

  He slides the pan I need over to me, and I put the chicken in it. “Hopefully, I’m not putting you out. I have an artificial tree you can use if you don’t have the time to find one.” I turn the oven on and slide the pan of chicken inside.

  Caleb shakes his head. “It’s okay. I want to find a tree with Alyssa.”

  “Good. We’ll have fun decorating it. I’ll bring over some of my ornaments. I have a ton of them.” I might have a habit of buying new ornaments every year. Every time I see one I like, I buy it. My poor tree can’t hold them all; that’s why I bought an extra one a couple of weeks ago, only I haven’t put it up yet.

  Caleb moves out of the way to run water into one of the pots for the pasta. “Thanks, Bree. This means a lot.”

  “Happ
y to help.”

  “Daddy, do you and Bree want to play tea party with me?” Alyssa calls out, her voice echoing down the hallway.

  Caleb looks at me and smiles. “What do you say?”

  “Sounds like fun. Let me get the macaroni and cheese started, and I’ll be free.”

  After I finish getting everything started for dinner, I join Caleb in Alyssa’s bedroom for tea. We all three sit at her tiny table with pretend plastic food on our plates. Watching Caleb play along with Alyssa makes my heart melt. It makes me wish I had my own family.

  The timer on the oven buzzes about thirty minutes later, and I leave them to finish up dinner. I pull the BBQ chicken out of the oven and add plenty of extra cheese to the macaroni. All that’s left are the fresh green beans my grandmother canned last year. Once those are heated up, dinner is made.

  “Dinner’s ready,” I shout.

  Caleb already had three plates pulled out of the cabinet, so I scoop out a small portion of food onto Alyssa’s plate, making sure to give her extra mac and cheese.

  I set her plate on the kitchen table, and she rushes over to it. “Yummy. I love cheesy macaroni.”

  Caleb joins me and takes in a deep breath. “Everything smells fantastic.”

  I hand him a plate. “Dig in.”

  He shakes his head. “You go first.” Pursing my lips, I stare him down, but he backs away and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m not getting my food until you get yours. We can stand here all night.”

  I have no doubt he’d do that too. “Fine. I’ll get mine.” I fill up my plate and take a seat at their small, round kitchen table while he sits to my right. Alyssa digs into her food and eats all the mac and cheese first. She even eats all of her green beans, which shocks Caleb.

  “Wow. That’s a first. She usually doesn’t eat green beans.”

  Alyssa shrugs. “They taste good.”

  “That’s because my grandmother canned them,” I confess. “She was the best cook in my family.”

  Alyssa looks up at me. “She needs to make more.”

  I’d give anything for her to be able to make more. “I wish she could, pretty girl, but she passed away last year. I have her recipe, though, so I might have to give it a try.”