Chapter 27 ARES
Filled with exceptional food and with the laughter of the Christmas meal echoing in his mind, Ares committed it all to memory.
From his comfortable seat in the living room, he could see Fleur and Josie in the kitchen, laughing as Fleur put away the dishes, a dish towel over her shoulder.
From the vases with white and green floral arrangements in the centre of the table on every available shelf, to a real tree in the living room and tables pushed together to make a buffet, this night was one he’d never forget.
He’d never been so relaxed at dinner. He couldn’t recall the last time his phone stayed silent, the last time he had let his guard down this much to feel sleepy in a house not his own, the last time he was content.
Across the house, Josie laughed.
No, that’s a lie.
Whenever I'm with her, I’m content.
Ares had spent a lifetime understanding that his fate was tied to his brother’s.
That his only ambition would take a step back, never to outshine Xander’s because that’s what was required in order for his brother to succeed.
And given Xander’s horrible past, the childhood they had, it had to be that way.
But in this tiny house on the wrong side of town, Ares had never dreamed of wanting anything so badly as he did at that moment.
From the living room, a clang rang out, jostling him out of his thoughts. Carlos had dropped the silverware.
“Oops!” The jovial man reached down and grabbed it.
Ares wanted to be at next year’s Christmas Eve dinner. He gathered the remaining plates off the table and brought them into the kitchen.
Josie looked at him with a warm smile. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Carlos is doing it, I thought I'd join in.”
“Wise man,” Carlos said, coming into the kitchen behind him.
“Thanks, put them there,” Josie gestured to the sink.
The meal was amazing. A turkey and a ham and all the sides you could imagine, and the little house was bursting with gorgeous decorations.
Fleur raised a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon Ares had brought. “Thank you for this wine, Ares. I like it.”
“It’s been in my storage for years. I thought this was the perfect time to bring it out.”
“Excellent choice!” Carlos clapped him on the back and he tried not to flinch. As much as he loved this dinner, he wanted to whisk Josie off. Friends had dropped by all evening and several had filled their plates and joined them for the meal.
Ares had never experienced anything so comfy.
All throughout the dinner, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. How she greeted every one of their guests with the same joy she had at the beginning of the night, even though he caught her rubbing her hip and leaning more against the wall, signs that she was tired.
So many friends dropped by and asked how she was doing, smiling warmly at her. Ares felt pride flutter in his chest. This was his girl all these friends were talking to with bright smiles and Christmas cheer.
“I can help clean up.”
“I like doing it,” Josie said.
It may have been Christmas dinner he’d never forget but he needed to get out of this warm house with all the delicious smells. He needed to kiss his girl and take her clothes off and give her his present.
“You did all the cooking and the prepping,” Fleur said.
Ares always knew she was a perceptive woman but in that moment, he could have kissed her. “I got this. You go and enjoy the rest of the night with your handsome boyfriend.”
“Mom!”
“What he is handsome, I have eyes. Ares did it offend you that I called you handsome?”
“No Fleur, it did not. Thank you for an amazing night.”
“I don’t know about amazing but we had a good time. Thanks for joining us. Josie, don’t forget Carlos and I have our own Christmas day planned.”
“Mom! I’m leaving before you go into details.”
“Details? No but lots of dancing,” Carlos took Fleur’s hand and swayed all over the kitchen. “You two young people get out of here. Maybe do some dancing of your own!”
“Carlos!” Fleur and Josie said in unison.
“Let’s take that cue to leave. Fleur, there is another bottle of the wine in the front closet.”
“Thank you! Have a good time, Josie. Don’t drink too much. Or dance,” Fleur winked and then laughed.
“I’m going!” Josie took off the apron she was wearing and Ares practically pushed her to the door. Her bag was packed and at the ready. He held out her coat for her to slip her arms into.
“I didn't get dessert.”
“I promise I’ll give you dessert, baby,” Ares leaned in and kissed her. Ah, there was his girl. Her breath tasted of the spice of the wine and she melded into his body exactly where she belonged.
“I told you we should have hung up the mistletoe right there!” Fleur said from the doorway.
“Bye mom!” Joise said. She stepped into her boots, grabbed her cane. Ares waved at Fleur and Carlos and held the door for Josie.
The night was clear and cool and not a snowflake in sight.
He opened Josie’s door for her, then tilted his head to the night sky. He wasn’t the praying sort but he exhaled, wanting fervently for this night to go as he planned.
Ares rested his hand comfortably on Josie’s thigh. The silence was comfortable as it stretched until Ares made the turn off to his destination.
"This isn't the way to your house."
"It isn't, no. I have one more stop to make.
"I don't want to question your driving skills but where are we going?"
"Do you trust me?”
"Yes."
His heart kept out of his chest and right into her hands, even if she couldn't see it. His throat became too thick for him to speak.
“What is this place?”
“You’ll find out,” he hopped out of the car, got her door and offered him her arm.
“It’s a tea shop?” Josie said, tilting her head.
“Yes. And I have the key,” Ares pulled it out of his pocket and opened the door. Inside the smell of cinnamon and yeast hung in the air.
He flipped on the light and it's like they stepped onto the set of a fantasy TV show. The floors were painted to look like they were the forest floor. The counter was all wooden facing. The tables where tree stumps and the stools were mushroom caps. Jars of tea leaves were behind the counter.
“What is this place?” Josie trailed a hand along a stool.
“My friend Finn, his sister Daisy owns this place.”
“It's so beautiful!” Josie surveyed it in a small circle.
“When Daisy started this place, so many people told her she’d fail. But she has a whole online business and now she rents out the property for events. I was told we can make ourselves drinks and help ourselves to the pastry.”
“Raspberry chocolate tea? I need that!” Josie went behind the counter, grabbed the jar and scooped some tea out into the glass tea pot that had been left there, as an invitation. “Pick one.”
Ares didn’t want to take her eyes off her. “Is it weird that I bought you here? You’re in the kitchen all the time.” He randomly shot his hand out and pulled out a jar of apple and ginger tea.
“This one.”
“It smells so good!” Josie busied herself measuring out the tea.
“Is it weird? Maybe. It’s totally unexpected.
I am in the kitchen all the time, but I chose that as a career.
You might’ve noticed that I like playing in other people’s kitchens.
This is cool. I feel like I’m on a set, about to serve a hobbit or something. ”
Ares laughed, relief rolling through his veins. “Good. You look very cute behind that counter. I’ve been told that the dark chocolate cookies are a favourite.”
“You can grab them, use those tongs,” Josie instructed.
“Hopefully I don’t drop them.”
“We can work on your serving skills.”
“Is that so?” Ares got the cookies in the little bag, leaned over the counter.
“Yep.”
His lips met hers and he kissed her, pleasure swarming through his body.
A timer beeped. “The tea is steeped,” Josie explained. She poured the tea into two takeaway cups and capped them.
“Does Daisy just let people into her cafe to make their own tea on Christmas Eves?”
“There is a whole other part. Come with me.” Ares made sure the lights were off, the door locked then taking her hand, he walked her around the building.
“What is this?” Josie squeezed his hand.
A sprawling garden, with a sign above it that said, “Dragonfly Tea Shop’s Fairy Garden.” Christmas lights were around the sign and soft yellow flood lights lined the path.
“A garden.”
“This is amazing!” Josie hung on to his arm for balance but they followed the path, passing fairy houses with miniature foxes, wolves, squirrels all wearing elf or Santa hats.
“You know how you said that you felt like you belonged with Xander, Harper, and Logan when you told my brother off for trying to make me do something I didn’t want to do?’
“Yeah. Oh, look at the reindeer!” Josie leaned down and righted a tiny statue of a snowman that had toppled to the side.
"That's how I feel with you, like I belong. I can buy you anything Josie but I wanted to give you an experience that was just us. Something we could have tonight and remember forever.”
“This is definitely out of the ordinary.”
They sipped their tea and walked through the garden’s paths, their feet making footprints in the light dusting of snow.
“When Daisy first opened, people told her she couldn’t compete with the big places. But she persisted. I know your circumstances are different …”
“Did you bring me here just to show an example of a success?” Josie’s high pitch tone had him stopping in his tracks.
“When we first started our business, we scrounged profiles of people who had done something we were trying to do…”
Joise burst into laughter. “I know there are successful restaurants out there, Ares.”
“I know. I’m sorry I can't turn my business mind off sometimes. You need to find your own place instead of using Carter’s space. You can make something your own.”
“I wished I had made this. This is so fun. Look at the elves!” Josie pointed to a collection of tiny little felt elves perched on the garden wall.
“You have made something magical too Josie.”
“Thanks. I love this! Thanks for bringing me here. Can I ask you a question?” Her fingertips brushed against his, her tone so serious his belly clenched.
Was she going to ask him about his business?
He cupped her face in his gloved hands. He didn’t want to lie to her. There was so much that she couldn’t know.
“You can ask me anything but you might want to ask yourself if you really want to know the answer and if you’re okay with me lying to you by omission.
I will always answer you as honestly as I can but when it comes to my business and things like my childhood, there’s a lot that I won’t or can’t share. ”
His heart stopped beating. It was the first time that he had said those words. But they had to be said because this woman had his whole heart. He didn't know if she could live with the unknowns that he wasn’t willing to give her.
“Okay. Are you an investor in Daisy’s business?”
He didn’t know what he’d been expecting her to stay but that wasn't it. He laughed and kissed her forehead. “No but I wish I was! I think she started this with a small inheritance from an aunt. Finn showed me the list of companies that are renting this place out.”
“It's a good reminder to get out of my comfort zone. Thank you for this magical walk.”
“You're welcome.”
An icy snowy drizzle started to fall. “Are you ready to leave?”
“As much as I want to go through the garden again, I'm freezing. Can you bring me back here?”
“Yes. I’ll book with Daisy again.”
Ares’s pulse raced. He had one more stop, one more thing that he wanted to show her and he hoped she found it just as magical.
Back in the car, Josie put her hand on his. “Thanks for coming to our Christmas Eve dinner. You looked so relaxed.”
“I loved every minute of it,” Ares turned on a playlist and soft jazz notes filled the car as they drove onto the bridge, and kept driving, passing the busy subdivisions.
“Ares, I think you missed the turn to your house.”
“There you go, complaining about my driving again.”
“I am not!”
“We have one more stop.”
“So many surprises. I love it.”
“Good,” Ares squeezed the top of her thigh and kept driving, glancing at the navigation map. He had never driven here at night.
A few minutes later, he drove into a long driveway.
“Where are we?”
He didn’t answer her, his heart in his throat. But he raced around, opened her door and took her hand.
“Are we on a cliff?”
“We’re forty metres above the shoreline, yes. I have one more thing to show you.”
Lights lit up the walkway to the front door that was in between two large slabs of walls.
“What is this?”
Ares stepped up to the lockbox and pressed his thumb against it. It beeped, and he opened the door.
“Welcome home, Josie.”