Page 165 of Kick the Candle (Knight Games 2)
"A few thousand years."
"And you are..."
"A few months from my nine hundredth birthday."
I smiled. "Good enough."
Digging through my bags, I pulled out a small package I'd wrapped for the occasion and presented it to her. "It's a few days early but Merry Christmas."
"You shouldn't have." Her actions didn't match her words as she ripped into the plaid paper.
She laughed when she saw what was inside. "Sunglasses?"
"I thought they might be a cool accessory for you to wear when you're a bridesmaid at my wedding?" I raised an eyebrow in question.
She gasped, then reached forward and drew me into a hug. "You do have everything you want."
I nodded.
"And yes, I would be happy to be your attendant. Rick must be so happy."
Lifting my packages, I smiled and moved for the door. "You know, I think he is."
I should have known something was up when Rick said he would meet me at my father's on Christmas morning. We'd spent every minute possible together since our engagement, unless I was working at the hospital. It seemed odd to arrive at Dad's brownstone alone.
Rick met me at the door wearing dark washed jeans and a holiday sweater with a reindeer on the front.
"Nice. Where'd you get that one?"
"The salesperson at Macy's said they were, and I quote, 'all the rage.'"
"I can honestly say that sweater has never been sexier." He kissed me and ushered me inside, his hand finding the small of my back.
After a meal of roast lamb and red potatoes (my favorite) we gathered around a professionally decorated artificial tree in my father's living room. The place still looked like a museum, not so much as a grain of dust to disrupt the sterile ambiance. Thank goodness the cabinet was open. The Christmas parade was playing on mute in the background.
Something was missing though. Dad was distracted. As expected, no one had called him about a service for Seraphina. My guess was all of her clothes were still hanging in his closet. My heart drooped into my stomach. I'd never seen him this down.
"Here, Dad. Open mine first." I handed him the gold wrapped box I'd brought, hoping to cheer him up. He tore off the paper and smiled. "Scotch! The good stuff. Jeez, Grateful, thank you."
I smiled. I'd splurged a little to buy a high-end label. After the taste Julius had given me of the good stuff, it felt wrong to get stingy on Dad. It wasn't as pricey as the vampire's but the purveyor had sworn my father would enjoy it. I figured the extra money Julius had sent my way should be put to good use since I couldn't get a loan with it to buy my house, a problem I swore I'd solve after Christmas. In the meantime, I'd left the Book of Light at Logan's, not knowing whether I'd be evicted again any time soon. He'd agreed to keep it there, even after he'd learned of my engagement to Rick.
"And now you." I handed a smaller box to my caretaker.
After an elaborate spectacle of opening it, he dangled my gift between his thumb and forefinger as if it smelled. "A cell phone?"
I nodded. "It's time."
Rick grimaced and looked inside the box as if the phone might be a joke and the real gift still inside. I'd suspected he wouldn't love it; a more than hundred year habit was hard to break. Still, he needed it.
"He doesn't have a cell phone?" Dad asked incredulously.
I glanced at Rick, who quickly masked his disappointment. "Long story," we said at the same time.
There was only one gift left under the tree, the size of a thick manila envelope. My father presented it to me ceremoniously. "From Rick and me."
"Both of you?" I asked. Odd, considering I wasn't aware they'd ever spoken before today.
I tore into it, curiosity making short work of the wrappings. Inside was a thick stack of documents.
