Chapter 40
Forty
I’ve never been inside the little mall in Tesoro. It’s trendy and upscale. I’m not sure if Stella can afford anything here. “Are you looking for a gift for your parents?”
There’s a small-shops map and Stella is studying it. “Not exactly. I think I might make them something.”
“That’s a good idea.”
She glances away from the map to look at me. “You think? I’ve never really made anything for them.”
Okay—that’s crazy. “Of course. They’ll love it.”
She swivels back to the map. “I hope so.” Suddenly, she hops in place. “Oo! Here. Found it.” Then, slipping her hand into mine, she says, “This way.”
“Who are you buying for, then?” The question makes me realize I haven’t bought her anything for Christmas. I really don’t want Christmas morning to come and have nothing beneath the tree for her. I make a mental note to rectify the problem immediately.
“I’m not buying for anyone. You are.”
“Me?” I lower my brows. “I probably should get Callum a wedding gift.”
“You definitely should. But we have a few weeks. I’ll take care of that, from the both of us.” She stops in front of a shop, peering through the window before going inside.
“The Toybox?” I say. “What are we doing here?”
“No more wasted time, Roman Graves.” Stella moves herself until she stands right in front of me. She slips her other hand into mine so that we are face to face, hands locked together.
“I’m not sure I follow—”
“You have a brother. And you aren’t going to waste any more time. You’re buying him a gift.”
I swallow, trying not to choke past the lump in my throat. “Okay,” I say. Because looking into the bright green eyes of this woman who I more than like, who lost her brother too soon, I realize something: I can’t deny her anything.
“Okay?” she asks, one brow quirked up.
“Okay.” I nod with my entire upper torso and squeeze her fingers in mine. “Let’s buy Mason a Christmas gift.”
We look at everything.
In the end, I realize I know absolutely nothing about my brother. I’ve had everything from a play farm to a blow-up bounce house boxed up in my cart.
Stella talks me into a soccer ball—simple and me. I’ll have my team sign it and send it off to the kid. If he hates it, at least I won’t know about it. At least until my father decides to tell me. No doubt he will.
And while I am completely unsure about the gift, it’s Stella’s words and conviction that make me want to buy Mason something. No time wasted.
Currently, I have wasted the entire four years of the boy’s life. We’ve never met. And while I may not be ready to face my father yet, I’m going to send something to Mason and let him know at least that I exist. That I think about him. That he has a brother.