Family for the Holidays

Chapter 3

I groaned at my obnoxious alarm chirping shrilly. Rolling over and searching desperately for my phone somewhere in my bedding. Finally shutting it off I sighed enjoying the peace but before I could drift back to sleep memories of last night hit me along with excitement for what today would bring. Springing upright in my bed I fumbled with my phone to call Clara.

"Hey, you weren't kidding when you said early." She picked up after just two rings. Her brown hair pulled into a bun and behind her a beautiful beach.

"He's taking me out for breakfast. What do I wear?!"

It was clear she had already been thinking about my outfits because there was no hesitation as she told me what to pull from my closet. As I carefully twisted strands of my hair into a bun I told her about last night. She then directed me on how to apply makeup and then I was ready. Grabbing my satchel I checked the time and said goodbye to my sister.

I sat on the bottom stair bouncing nervously, it was five nineteen and he would be here any minute. A knock on the door made me jump and warmth spread up my neck and cheeks.

"Good morning," I greeted shyly looking up at him through my eyelashes.

"Good morning beautiful, how did you sleep?"

"Very well, you?" I asked feeling awkward as he placed a hand on the small of my back and led me down the driveway

"Great! I had nothing but sweet dreams of you Cupcake." He winked and smiled as my cheeks blushed.

Darn this boy.

"Getting started early today huh Charming?" I smiled as he opened the passenger door for me and helped me in.

"So where are we going for breakfast?" I asked once we were on the road.

"There's this really great café I love, I work near by and go there whenever I have a bad day. It has a cheery environment and it is also a bookstore." I smiled to myself loving that he was sharing a part of himself with me.

"You like to read?" I asked excitedly "Do you have a favorite genre?"

"I like mysteries, I don't mind some history, but action is my favorite. How about you? I know you enjoy writing so you must like reading right?"

"Yeah, I love to read, I'm usually not too picky when it comes to genre. It really depends on my mood, I like action when I'm frustrated about something, adventure/fantasy when I'm sad, I enjoy paranormal supernatural books, I'm a sucker for a good clean romances and sometimes when I need a good cry I read dramas."

"No mysteries huh?"

"No offense to them but they frustrate me. I don't like secrets and I hate it when I've been screaming at the main character for five chapters and finally and the end of the sixth they do what I've been saying."

"Ah, not a patient person are you?" He smirked at me briefly before turning back to the road.

"I can be, it just depends on the person and circumstance. I can sit with my nephews for hours helping them but when it came to my brothers ex who had no commonsense I lost it very quickly."

"You have nieces too right? How about them?"

"They are too focused on figuring things out on their own they rarely ask for help. Too stubborn." I shrugged.

"Does stubbornness run in the family?" He asked and I could make out the teasing in his voice.

"Maybe,"

"Well I look forward to seeing that side of you."

"You may regret saying that." I warned as a memory came to me. "I went rock climbing with my brothers once and we got to a difficult ridge. They reached out trying to help me up but I kept slapping their hands away which meant I only had one hand holding the rock. They quickly realized that was more dangerous that letting me try on my own."