Chapter 11 #2
I respected that. Reece was a whole vibe. People loved her because she gave them a type of energy that was sweet and genuine. I watched her all morning and afternoon, knowing I could easily settle into a life where everything I did was in pursuit of keeping that beautiful ass smile on her face.
That was proven when we went to drop off gifts she’d made for her homegirl. Whatever the day was, I was going with the flow.
“Oh shit, that line is crazy. I need to help because Meleck looks like he’s struggling and Amara is MIA.
Can you give me a minute?” she said, shoving the bags she carried in my direction.
Along with speaking to the vendors selling her pieces, Reece didn’t miss an opportunity to grab a few things she wanted.
I loved that she ran up a tab and didn’t object or give me push back when I stepped up to swipe my card.
It felt good knowing she was already comfortable with my role as her man. I would give her anything she wanted, and right now, it was a bunch of random ass holiday stuff that kept a smile on her beautiful face.
“Yeah, go do your thing.”
She jumped right in, helping with the line.
She was close to Wren. Reece had already explained their friendship, but seeing them together made me truly understand how deep their bond was.
It also allowed me to see another side of Reece, where she was unguarded because she was in a space where she could truly be herself.
Knowing she had the same smile and energy with her girl that she did with me, further confirmed she wasn’t on any bullshit or performing when it came to us.
What I also loved was the way she kept checking in.
Every so often through the rush, her eyes were on me, making sure I was straight.
I wasn’t pressed about Reece helping her girl but appreciated that she respected me and my time.
A woman who would consider my needs was damn sure a win because I would always consider hers.
“Baby, the bag.”
Hearing Reece’s voice made me realize I had been lost in my head because she had eyes on me with a big ass smile on her face, waving me over.
I shifted everything I was holding and handed the bag off before speaking to everyone.
Reece’s homegirl handed her one too then we were heading back down the sidewalk with Reece tucked at my side.
“Thank you for that.”
“You don’t need to thank me. That’s your people. I would never get in the way of that.”
“I know but still.” She grinned. “And that right there is why I don’t set up my own booth. I did that my first year and was stuck at a table the entire time I was out here. The only thing I got to experience was the tree lighting because it was so busy.”
“That’s a good thing though.”
“It is but I missed Jubilee. The next year, I talked to a bunch of the vendors and asked if they would be willing to carry my pieces. They were more than happy to do so and I still sold out, but I got to do all this.” She flicked her wrist at all the stuff around us.
“Wait, I’ll be right back. Let me go make sure Lara got her order. You can stay here so my hips don’t work their way into the conversation,” she said dryly, making me laugh.
“Go ahead.”
Reece was happy as hell to be in the middle of this damn Christmas explosion.
Jubilee was some TV type vibes but I fucked with it.
There were vendors everywhere, Christmas decorations, and kids running their little bad asses through the street and up and down the sidewalks.
The entire time I watched them, I thought about being a parent, yelling at my son or daughter to stop running and pay attention to the other people moving around.
That shit had a smile on my face because I could damn near picture the entire thing and see their faces clear as day. In my head they looked just like Reece’s pretty ass. The thought had me looking toward the ice rink where she was talking to the couple who owned the wood place we’d gone to.
While she was gone, I got a call from my boy Draemen.
He called to check in and gave me shit about getting stuck here in Miller’s Pointe when I filled him in on everything that happened.
I was quick to tell him I wasn’t stuck. There wasn’t a damn thing forcing me to be here; this was all by choice. One I gladly made because of her…
I watched as she made her way to me and walked right into my chest, prompting me to close my arms around her. She dropped her head back and I leveled mine over hers. “How much longer do I have to freeze my ass off out here, Reece?”
“They don’t light the tree until later, but if you want to leave…”
I shook my head. “And have you sitting around the house pouting and mad at me? Nah, I’m good. I’ll survive.”
“Smart man, but I do have something that will help. I think it’s time for Cocoa Express.”
“That shit sounds very PG and that’s not what I was thinking.”
She grinned. “It’s hot chocolate with a twist. It will warm you from the inside and help with the cold.”
“Damn sure not what I was thinking but I’m down.”
Reece laughed and lifted onto her toes, stealing a kiss. “Stay here, I’ll be right back. I’m going to surprise you.”
She pulled away from me and headed to the truck parked not far from us and someone else filled her spot.
I glanced at her briefly but went right back to the woman I couldn’t seem to get my fill of.
The line was long as hell and Reece waited patiently, talking to the woman in front of her.
While I watched Reece, Melvina watched me watching my lady.
“You’re welcome,” she said with a teasing tone that had me glancing down at her again.
“I’m not even going to pretend like I don’t owe you, so thank you.”
“You won’t because you know better,” she said smugly. “So am I to assume that you’re staying?”
“Yeah I’m staying.”
“For my Reecee Cup?”
“Yes, for her,” I confirmed.
“I love that girl. A lot of us helped raise her. She’s ours and we’re very protective of her.”
“I’m not gonna hurt Reece.”
She nodded. “I’m going to give you something. I feel like it’s supposed to be for you. I don’t know that for sure, but I’m typically right about these things.” Her brows pinched and she glanced at Reece who was talking animatedly to the woman working the Cocoa Express truck.
When I had my eyes on Melvina again, she removed a folded envelope from her pocket.
“Lenard had things in place for Reece. He was all she had and wanted to make sure she was good. He was always worried that he wouldn’t be around for certain things, and I brushed it off, but he still made plans for her just in case.
When he died, his estate attorney brought this to me.
Said Lenard left it and I would know what to do when the time came.
I’m giving it to you because I believe you’re the one who’s supposed to have it. ”
She extended the envelope and I frowned, not having a damn clue what the hell I was about to see or if I wanted to see it. As soon as my eyes were on the paper, I understood.
If you’re reading this, you want to marry my Reece and I’m not here to have this conversation with you in person. This is all you get but please understand that though I may not be there to make sure you stay good on things with my baby girl there are people who will.
I raised Reece, so she’s everything that I am. If you know her, you know me. If you respect her, you respect me. If you respect me, then as a man, you’ll promise to take care of my Reece. That’s all I got for you, but that’s enough!
Lenard
A letter from her father.
That shit fucked me up. Not because I couldn’t handle what he was demanding of me, but because I could and planned to be the man who deserved the beautiful woman he’d raised. Then there was the fact that someone who really cared about Reece trusted me to do so in his absence.
“That’s important.” Melvina pointed to the letter and studied my face as I nodded.
“I know and I got her.”
She smiled. “Good because I’d hate to think you were accusing me of being wrong. That might not go so well for you.”
I chuckled, placed the letter back into the envelope, and shoved it into my pocket. “Nah, I know better than that.”
“See, I definitely know how to pick ’em.”
“She know about this?” I asked.
“No, and it’s up to you whether you want to tell her or not. If you do, save it for another day. She’s happy, let her stay happy.”
I understood and decided she was right. Melvina walked away, likely going to harass some other unsuspecting person because that’s who she was, loving but intrusive.
I headed across the street and moved behind Reece, easing my arm around her waist just in time to pay for our drinks.
I pulled her into my chest at the same time I dug my wallet out and handed my card to the woman working the truck.
I dropped a kiss upon Reece’s cheek when she threw her head back and frowned at me.
“I was going to pay.”
“And now you don’t have to.”
Instead of giving me shit, she lifted both cups and waited for me to put my wallet back into my pocket before she handed me one.
“Do I need to be carded before I drink this?” I asked, thinking about that death mix she’d made me out at the house.
She grinned. “Probably but you get a pass since I ordered and they know me. Also, I’m sure that’s about two hundred degrees kinda hot, so don’t try to drink it just yet.
Now we have one more stop. We have to get a gingerbread cookie from the Twirl & Crumb booth.
If you love Melvina’s cake. You’re going to love her cookies. ”
“Aight, I’m down. That damn cake is good as hell. I really don’t think anything can top that.”
“They’re not the same because it’s a cake and cookie, but trust me, you won’t be disappointed. We’ll get that and then we can go.”
“We’re leaving?” I was hopeful but knew better.
“Absolutely not. We’re staying until the tree lighting, but right now we’re getting cookies to go with our cocoa and then we’re going to make snow globes.
After that I’ll do more shopping with your card since you’re so friendly with it.
” I chuckled, fully prepared to let her run that shit up.
The snow globe thing was what I had an issue with.
“How about you make one and I watch?”
“Nope, you’re making one too.” We walked down the sidewalk until we made it to the tent set up for snow globe crafts. After she got us checked in with some woman named Stacy, we found a spot at one of the shared stations. I placed my cocoa on the table and pulled her down into my lap.
“Um, we can’t work like this.”
“We’re gonna have to because it’s the only way I’m doing this.”
“If you don’t want to sit there, I will. That man is fine as hell,” Stacy said, placing two glass globes in front of us. Reece glared at her but sat her ass right where I wanted it.
On me.
“You just want me out here looking crazy,” she fussed with a smile.
“Nah, I want you wherever I am, and you can stop fronting like I’m not where you want to be. Now, what are we doing?”
“You have to pick your stuff for inside. It can be whatever you want. See?” She motioned toward the tray in the center of our table and I surveyed the miniature trees, houses, sleighs, and ranch items.
“Aight.” I nodded. “Pick a house, we’re starting with mine.”
She turned her head, looking at me over her shoulder. “Not we, you.”
“Nah, you’re making it. I’m supervising. You know how this shit goes. We got our thing and that’s how it works.”
Reece rolled her eyes but reached for one of the tiny trees then picked over the houses until she had the one she wanted. “I like this one. It looks like my house.”
“I’m with it. That works because it’s perfect for what we’re doing.”
“Which is?” she asked.
“Building shit, together. You cool with that?”
“I’m very much cool with that,” she said with a big ass cheesy grin on her face.
After we finished our snow globes, our next stop was Mistletoe Memories, a photobooth that allowed you to take pictures with your person under mistletoe, and of course, as soon as the curtain closed to give us privacy, I took full advantage.
The bags dropped to the floor and I had my hands and mouth on Reece.
I palmed her ass and brought her body to mine before my tongue was in her mouth enjoying the bourbon laced cocoa that lingered, making our kiss even sweeter.
“This is a photobooth, not a make out room,” Reece said when I let her up for air.
“I was trying to do a test run. The pictures are supposed to be of us kissing under mistletoe, right?”
“Yes but you didn’t let me push the button.”
“Aight, do it now?” I pulled her in front of me, loosely draping my arm around her neck. As soon as the screen counted down, I kissed her temple, for one pose, lifted her chin and made contact with her mouth, and the others were just of her grinning at me.
The shit was cheesy as fuck but I loved every minute.
We did one more playful round of her twerking on me and me gripping her thigh and lifting it high enough to hook her leg around my waist. Reece leaned into my body doing the most until the last shot, then we collected our bags and stepped out to get the pictures.
“Aww, these are so cute.” She blushed hard, pushing her hair out of her face. She had that wild ass hair loose because she knew I loved it, but made sure to keep earmuffs on so she wouldn’t be too cold. “I can’t wait to compare them to next year.”
“So we have a thing then?”
“Yes, we officially have a thing.” I damn sure didn’t have any complaints because a future with Reece was already a done deal as far as I was concerned.
She frowned. “It’s Christmas Eve and we don’t have presents.”
Damn, I didn’t even think about that but honestly I was the happiest I’d been in a long time so buying shit that didn’t really hold much meaning hadn’t even crossed my mind. Something else did though..
“How about this? We do all the shit you want to out here and my present to you is I won’t complain. Not even once and then when we’re done, we can head home and you can be my present.”
Home…
She lifted onto her toes and kissed me. “Mm, that sound’s promising and like a very Merry Christmas.”
“It damn sure will be, so you better get everything you can from me out here because when we get to the house, you’re all mine and I’m collecting.”
She grinned and kissed me again.
“Challenge accepted.”