Dylan paced through his mother’s house. He thought things were going well with Liza, but he wasn’t sure. She didn’t say anything about the note he’d written her. Did she feel the same way? Or was she going to let him down gently?
“Dylan, sit down.” His mother looked up from the potatoes she was peeling.
“I can’t.” He checked the time for like the hundredth time.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the tile.”
“I know. I just don’t know what Liza wants to say.”
“Why don’t you take her a Christmas present from under the tree?”
“That’s a great idea.” He rushed to the living room and reached beneath the Christmas tree for one of the presents he’d gotten her.
He paused, trying to decide which one to take. He opted to leave the little jewelry box with the blue topaz and diamond necklace for later. Instead, he chose another present, which was actually two presents taped together.
As he headed for the door, he called to his mother, “Do you mind if Rascal stays here?”
“Not at all. Go. We’re fine here.”
“Okay. I, uh, I’m just going to go.” He was a ball of nerves.
He rushed to the door with Rascal on his heels. He paused to kneel down. “Hey, buddy, I’ll be back soon. And if we’re lucky, I’ll have Liza with me.”
“Arf.”
“I agree.” He petted Rascal, and then he slipped out the door.
It wasn’t until he was almost to Liza’s house that he realized he’d forgotten his jacket. He’d been too worked up to notice the distinct chill in the air. The sky was full of clouds. It wasn’t the sunny cheerful Christmas that people had been hoping for.
Goosebumps raced down his arms. There wasn’t a chance he was taking the time to turn around to get his coat. Instead, he cranked up the heat.
When he pulled up in front of her apartment, he realized he was five minutes early. He wanted to rush up to her door, but he had promised her a half hour. And so, he sat there, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he stared at the time on the dashboard.
Minute by minute went by painfully slow. All the while he tried to figure out what he was going to say to her. He couldn’t just blurt out that he loved her. After all, he’d already said that on the webpage.
His gaze moved to the Christmas present on the passenger seat. That was it. He’d give her the present first, and maybe it would help ease them into a conversation.
The clock changed and at last the half hour was up. He stepped out of the car. He wanted to rush up the sidewalk, but he forced himself to walk at a normal pace. When he reached the door, he inhaled a deep breath before blowing it out. He buzzed her apartment. The door unlocked.
He rushed up the steps two at a time. His gut knotted up. What if this didn’t work out the way he wanted? Before he could finish that thought, he rapped his knuckles on her door.
The door swung open. Liza stood there with a hesitant smile. He wondered if she was as nervous as him. Her long hair was still damp from the shower. It brushed over her shoulder. But instead of the pajamas she said she was wearing while they were on the phone, she now wore jeans and a red short-sleeved cotton top with a glittery snowman on the front.
“Hi,” he said.
“Hi.” And then she pulled the door back and stepped aside. “Come on in.”
He stepped inside the small apartment and found the Christmas tree lights on. It gave the space a cozy glow. He wasn’t sure where to go. Did he make himself at home and sit on the couch? Or was this going to be one of those brief conversations at the doorway? Not sure of the right answer, he awkwardly stood there and let Liza take the lead.
And then he realized he’d forgotten her gift in the car. “I forgot something. I’ll be right back.”
“Oh. Okay.”
He rushed out the door. He jogged to his car. He had to calm down. It was easier said than done as he felt as though his entire future was on the line.
It’d taken him years to find a woman he was willing to step off into the unknown with—someone he would risk his heart for. What if it had taken him too long to come to this conclusion? What if she ever so gently rejected him—again?
As he made his way back to her door, he couldn’t help but wonder if the cloudy day was some sort of omen. But he refused to give up, not until he had his say, and then he would accept whatever she decided. He hoped she would give them a chance.
She buzzed him up again. He tapped on her apartment door and then let himself inside. She glanced up from where she was sitting at the end of the couch with Snowball. Liza looked so alluring. Her beauty didn’t come from makeup, because she didn’t have any on, and it wasn’t her clothes, though they were cute. It was just a natural beauty glowing from the inside out.
Snowball made her way over to him. As he pet the cat, she purred. He’d never thought of himself as a cat person, but Snowball had made him a convert. He enjoyed having her around.
And then recalling Liza’s presents, he held them out to her. “This is for you.”
Her eyes widened. “You got me something?”
“I did.” He glanced at the package. The wrapping looked a bit sad. The paper was crooked, and there was a lot of tape applied. “Sorry about the wrapping job. I’m not very good at it”
She smiled at him. “I think it looks lovely. Thank you.”
“You can go ahead and open it.”
“Just as soon as I get something.” She slowly got up off the couch.
He jumped to his feet. “I’ll get it. Just tell me what you need.”
She sat back down and let him know which present to grab from under the tree.
He returned to the couch with a smallish rectangular package. The green and red paper was perfectly aligned with a minimal amount of tape. She’d added ribbon with lots of curls in the center of the package. It looked like a wrapped package from a department store. Why hadn’t he thought of having her packages professionally wrapped?
“Oh. And there’s one more.” She asked him to retrieve another larger package from beneath it. “Go ahead. You can open that one first.”
He carefully opened the beautifully wrapped gift. He folded the paper and placed it on the coffee table. The shirt box sat on his lap. He wondered if she’d gotten him a sweater or something.
He lifted the lid to find a miniature yellow rain jacket inside. He lifted it out and held it up. It was cute and would look good on Rascal.
“I don’t know if you have one for Rascal, but I saw this raincoat, and there’s also boots to go with it, anyway, I couldn’t resist.”
He moved aside the tissue paper to find the little boots. “He’s going to love these on those cold, damp days.”
“I hope so.” She pointed to the other package on the table. “You have one more present.”
What had she gotten him? The fact that she’d gotten him anything at all had to be a good sign, right? He started by removing the ribbon that he was able to slide off the edge of the package. Next his fingers moved to the tape, trying to loosen it without ripping the paper. Not that he was keeping the paper or anything, but after the care she’d put into making the package look so pretty, he couldn’t rip the wrapping.
When he glanced over at Liza, she had a smile on her face. He wondered what she’d gotten him. He couldn’t even guess. When he removed the paper, he found a non-descript cardboard box.
He studied it. He turned it around. He shook it. “I have no idea what’s in it.”
She sent him a pleased smile. “Well, open it.”
And so he did. To his surprise, he found a nameplate for on his desk. He was a bit puzzled. “Thank you.”
“I’m glad you like it. It’s for your new office in Seattle.” The smile didn’t quite reach her eyes when she said it.
And then it dawned on him that with the wedding and all, he’d never gotten a chance to tell her about his decision.
“We’ll talk about Seattle later.” He reached for her gift and held it out to her. “First, you need to open these.”
She accepted the packages. “Which one should I open first?”
“It doesn’t matter. You pick.”
And so, she carefully removed the small package from the large one. To his surprise, she ripped open the package without worry of ripping the paper. And then she crunched the paper into a ball and tossed it onto the table. It was so not what he was expecting from her.
“Colored pencils.” She smiled as her gaze met his. “Thank you.”
“Keep going.”
She turned her attention back to the larger present. Once again, she unceremoniously tore the paper off, balled it up, and tossed it on the coffee table.
Her gaze moved from the sketch pad to him. “I love it. But are you trying to tell me something?”
He shrugged. “I don’t want you to give up on your dream. You’re amazing at creating dresses. It’s a talent not many people have.”
Color bloomed in her cheeks. “You really think so?”
“I do. I’m not saying you have to sell the boutique, at least not initially, but maybe you could work it out so you have time to devote to your dress designs too.”
“I like the way you think. In fact, I decided to sell the boutique and move to Seattle.”
“What?” Surely he hadn’t heard her correctly. “You want to move to Seattle?”
She shrugged. Her gaze met and held his. “I want to be where you are so that we can see where this thing between us takes us. And the move isn’t all about our relationship. I’ve gotten stuck in the past—hanging onto the boutique at all costs—because I’d convinced myself that it was my last link to my mother.”
“And what has changed?”
“I realized that the shop isn’t the last link to her. I am. I carry her around in my heart. No matter where I go, she will always be with me. So, I’m going to chase my dreams.”
He reached out and cupped her cheek. “She would be so proud of you.”
“I hope so.”
“I know that I’m proud of you too.”
“You are?” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.
“I am.” He leaned forward and then gently pressed a kiss to her lips. Not wanting to scare her off, he used all of his self-restraint to make it short. When he pulled back, he said, “You should also know that I turned down the job in Seattle.”
“You did? But why? I thought it was your dream job.”
“I was wrong. My dream is right here with you.”
She shook her head and leaned back. “I don’t want you giving up your dream for me.”
“I’m not. You helped me find my dream.”
“Wait. What? I’m so confused.”
“I’m going to stay here in San Francisco and start my own web design business.”
“You are?” A smile lifted the corners of her rosy lips. “And you’re sure this is what you want to do?”
He nodded. “I like being the boss. And I like making my own hours because working late into the evening is when I do my best work, not between eight and five.”
“It sounds like you’ve given this a lot of thought.”
“I did. And you know what else I think?” When she shook her head, he said, “I love you with all of my heart. I’ve never loved someone the way I feel for you.”
Happy tears spilled onto her cheeks. “I never thought I’d find true love, but you’ve changed my mind. I love you too.”
With the Christmas tree lights glowing in the background, Dylan stood and drew Liza up next to him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Over her shoulder, he glanced out the window as a few snowflakes fluttered through the sky and then fell to the ground.
Dylan turned his attention back to the woman he loved. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.” She lifted up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.