AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hazel
I can’t stop thinking about Callum Locklear.[1]
The feel of his warm lips against mine, the light scratch of the two-day stubble on his jaw, and the thick silk of his cropped hair in my fingers. When he walked me up to my doorstep yesterday and kissed me again before I went in, I considered pulling him inside with me, but I let him leave instead before walking into my kitchen on wobbly legs.
And since then, Callum’s face is never far from my thoughts. So I jump a little at my desk when my phone vibrates. It’s the group chat with my girlfriends Esther, Stella, and Tiegan.
Stella: Has anyone heard from Hazel recently? I think something happened to her.
Me: Ha ha. I’m here.
Tiegan: I know the holidays can be hard for you. Is there anything we can do to help?
Me: I’m alright. Just having a little time alone.
Esther: That’s not what Ruthie said…
Stella: What did she say? Is she up to her matchmaking again?
Me: *face palm emoji*
Tiegan: Don’t knock it until you try it. She seems to be on a roll right now.
I decide to ignore the direction of the texts, even though they make me smile.
Me: Let’s meet for coffee next week and we can catch up. I’m about to head home from work.
I’m at work, and Hal and I are just winding down for the day. It’s a tiny firm—just Hal, an administrative assistant, and me. Our assistant, Dinesh, has already headed home, but Hal and I stayed a bit later to check a few more things off of our to-do lists.
“Looks like snow again,” Hal says as he walks into my small office.
I turn and glance out the window behind my desk. The sky, darkening rapidly in the advancing twilight, swirls with steely gray clouds, and the bare branches of the trees dotting the town square wave in the winter wind. One-by-one, Christmas lights switch on, and I smile as I turn back around and busy myself with a stack of papers.
“It’s my favorite season,” I tell Hal as I clip some documents together and slip them into a file folder. And it is. I just wish it didn’t have so much pain associated with it. Although, a kernel of hope in me thinks I might be making some new memories with Callum. “It’s beautiful with the lights.”
Hal squints and moves closer to the window that looks out into the square. “Well, what on earth—”
My phone buzzes on my desk, and my heartbeat quickens when I see that it’s Callum. I pick it up and accept the call.
“Hey, you,” I say. “What’s up?”
“Look outside,” his deep voice says into my ear. I spin my chair around and look out my window. There’s a carriage—an honest-to-god horse-drawn carriage with an open top—parked just outside my office, complete with a liveried driver in a top hat. Large velvet red bows adorn the carriage and white Christmas lights twinkle in the cool evening. Two sleek black horses stamp their feet and blow steamy breaths. I can hear the jingling bells on their tack from in here.
I see Callum climbing out of the carriage, wearing his customary brown canvas coat and wool Stetson, phone pressed to his ear.
“Callum, you didn’t,” I say with a delighted laugh.
He looks directly at me through my window and waves. “I did,” he says. “Can you get away and go for a ride with me?”
I glance over at Hal. “Oh, I’m pretty sure I can talk the boss into letting me go.”
“Well, if you won’t go with him, I will,” Hal says, loud enough for Callum to hear him through the phone. “I’ve always wanted a carriage ride.”
I step outside a couple minutes later, bundled up in my heavy wool coat, hat and gloves. Callum helps me into the carriage and settles in next to me, spreading a heavy blanket over our laps before he reaches down to pull out a thermos.
“Oh, you didn’t,” I say with a laugh.
“Believe it,” he says as he pulls out two cups. “Like I said before, I’m not afraid to lay it on thick for a beautiful woman.”
