It Must Be Christmas Read online

  Charlie’s shopping bag was starting to fill up, with a tin of hibiscus tea from The Leaf and Grind added to her purchases as well as a box set of bubble bath and lotion from Bubbles. Dave, though, was still empty-handed. “Come on,” Charlie chided. “There must be something you need to buy. You have sisters and stuff, right? Plus you said you wanted to find something for Nora.”

  He smiled down at her. “I think you’re shopping enough for the both of us.”

  “Oh, this is hardly anything.” She pulled him along to the bookstore, past a sparkly artificial tree adorned with paper ornaments. On closer examination, she realized that each round ball was constructed of strips of paper … strips of book pages … overlapping each other. It was a clever idea, and she paused briefly before the tree, reaching out to touch one of the fragile balls.

  “Oh, look at this one,” she said wistfully. “It’s all Shakespeare.” There were random lines from several plays, and as she turned the ornament in her fingers a line jumped out at her. Whoever loved that loved not at first sight? She couldn’t name the play, but it gave her a little shiver just the same. Of course, she and Dave weren’t in love. But still. She’d been the one to look down over the docks and get that silly swirly feeling whenever she saw him.

  Dave peered over her shoulder. “I didn’t know you were a fan.”

  She nodded, scanning the strips for more familiar words. “My parents used to assign reading to me. It was no big deal. I read the first one and I was hooked. Though some plays I enjoy more than others.”

  “Like Romeo and Juliet?”

  “Are you kidding?” She turned her head and laughed up at him. “Young love meets tragic ending. Not my favorite. But it did provide some great romantic lines.” She let the ornament fall back among the boughs and turned all the way around so that she faced him completely. “My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.”

  She hadn’t meant for it to be so serious, but the way he was looking down at her made her shift and slide away toward the door. “Anyway, let’s go inside.”

  The store was crammed full of people, filling the narrow aisles. “Go browse,” she instructed him, moving away. She hadn’t shopped in a while, and she knew there were several titles she was waiting to add to her shelf.

  He disappeared into the nonfiction section.

  It took no time at all for Charlie to pick out a couple of the latest thrillers for Lizzie for Christmas. She hadn’t mentioned it to Dave, but half the stuff she’d already bought today was for Lizzie. Buying for her parents was like buying for the people who had everything, so Charlie had already sent gift certificates for her parents to do some shopping before their holiday cruise. Other than token gifts for Robin and Josh at the clinic, she had no one else to buy for.

  She found Dave in the kids section, a frown on his face. “Find anything you like?” she asked, holding her volumes in her arms.

  “I don’t know what’s good. What’s popular?” His dark eyes pleaded with her for help. “I mean I’ve read to her, but I’m overwhelmed by bunnies and ducks and princesses. She’s almost three. Is that too young to really appreciate a book for Christmas?”

  Charlie took pity on him. “It’s never too early for books,” she decreed.

  Holding her books tightly against her chest, Charlie leaned forward and pulled a good-sized hardcover from the shelf. “I’d get her something she can have as a keepsake. When I was little, my grandmother gave me a copy of The Night Before Christmas, and I read it every Christmas Eve.” She didn’t mention that she read it alone in her room, while her parents entertained downstairs, or that it was still packed away in her things. “How about The Polar Express? The illustrations are beautiful and it’s a classic.” She handed him the book.

  He ran his hand over the glossy cover. “That’s a good idea.”

  “I do have them occasionally. Are you ready to go? I’d like to hit Treasures before we make our way down to the gallery.”

  “Sure. I’m ready.”

  At the checkout Charlie got her “passport” stamped and collected a free bookmark on the way out the door. She was waiting outside, talking to someone who’d stopped to admire a very cute sleeping Daniel, when Dave finally came out.

  “That took a while,” she said, waving good-bye to the woman who’d stopped.

  He shrugged. “They had to change the register tape.”

  They made their way one street up to Treasures, a beautiful old house on the corner of Lilac Lane. Once in the door, they were assaulted by sounds and colors and activity. A middle-aged woman worked the register while someone else bagged and wrapped, and Charlie saw two children disappear into a back room where a sign said WORKSHOP IN PROGRESS.

  “This place is crazy.”

  Charlie laughed. “Josh’s sister owns it. She runs classes here sometimes too. I’ve been meaning to take one, but somehow I never sign up.”

  He looked over at her as they moved out of the way of some browsing women. “Afraid of looking silly? That maybe there’s something you’re not good at?”

  She thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. “No, that’s not it. It’s more … I’m not sure how useful it would be. I’d end up making candles or a pair of earrings or something, and it seems a bit…”

  “Frivolous,” he finished. “And maybe fun. Charlie, you think everything has to have a purpose or fit into a bigger picture. But sometimes fun really is enough. It’s a purpose all on its own. To enjoy life just for the sake of enjoyment.”

  “I’m learning,” she said, leaning closer to him.

  His eyes delved into hers and she felt a delicious shiver run down her spine.

  “I’m always willing to help. I’m a very good teacher.”

  She just bet he was and it sent a thrill rippling over her. She changed the subject, particularly since the crowd was growing larger in the store and she didn’t want to be overheard. “Come on, let’s browse around. Maybe you can find something for your mom and sisters, hmm?”

  They shopped for several minutes. Though she’d already sent the gift cards, Charlie found a gorgeous hand-painted candle-and-holder set for her mother and bought another hand-painted glass ornament for Lizzie. She treated herself to a new knitted infinity scarf, and on impulse grabbed a thick wool hat-and-mitten set for Dave, just in case they ended up exchanging presents. She was admiring a rack of sterling silver and crystal earrings when Dave came over, a huge smile on his face.

  “What did you find?” she asked.

  He held out a large plastic case. She looked at the cardboard insert. “It’s a puppet show. Oh, how sweet!”

  He beamed. “Finger puppets, which should be easier for little fingers, right? There’s one set up over there. The wings fold out so it stands on its own, and the puppets get stored in little pockets on the back. There are little curtains with Velcro and everything.”

  “You’re excited.”

  “I’m happy I found something that I’m certain about, I think. I mean, little girls would love something like this, right?”

  “I think so. And no little parts to worry about. It’s really lovely, Dave.”

  He looked down at her and she got that swirly feeling again.

  “Are you ready? We can hit the last few shops and then get lunch.”

  “I’m ready. If I buy anything more I won’t have arms to carry it.” She kept the mittens and hat beneath the thick infinity scarf, out of sight.

  Their parcels were bagged and wrapped and paid for, and they stepped outside into the bright winter sunlight. They decided to walk back to the clinic and stow their parcels in his truck before grabbing lunch at Gino’s. Gino was doing a brisk business selling pizza by the slice with a can of soda as a festival lunch special.

  The sun chased some of the chill out of the day, and they found an empty bench along the dock where they could eat. Daniel was awake but content, and Charlie lifted her pizza slice high an