Author's Note: I had hoped to finish this story before Christmas, but the "most wonderful time of the year" can also be one of the busiest. So this year, along with two turtle doves, Rosebuds get Rosilla for the second day of Christmas. Enjoy!
Author's Note #2: In terms of timeline, this story takes place after Half-Life & Havana Nights . . . except Rosewood never met Tawnya and Villa never met Adrian.
Villa was silently cursing the mismatched ingredients in her refrigerator when a knock at the door pulled her out of the kitchen. She went to the foyer and opened her front door to find Rosewood standing on her stoop. He lifted a plastic bag to eye level, "Have you eaten dinner? I brought takeout." She smiled and pulled the door open wider in invitation. He pointed over his shoulder with his free hand, "What if we eat out here? Have you seen your neighbors' Christmas lights?"
"Of course I've seen them," she said, stepping outside and pulling the door closed behind her. "Most of them have been up for weeks and they're hard to miss when I'm pulling up to my house after nightfall five or six nights a week."
"Yes, but have you seen them 'enjoyed them' or just seen them 'noticed them'?" he asked as he walked back towards where his GTO was parked in her driveway.
Villa rolled her eyes with a smile, "Would you really have me out here right now if you thought I'd already 'enjoyed them'?"
"Would you have come outside just now if you had already 'enjoyed them'?" he asked.
"Whatever." Villa lifted herself up to sit on the trunk of his car. "Stop being smug and gimme the food," she said.
Rosewood chuckled and handed her a container and plastic fork. "Lo mein," he said. He began rifling through the bag for his own meal, but paused before he actually removed anything else. Then he pulled his keys from his pocket and walked back toward the front of the car. Villa watched as he leaned into the car and turned the key in the ignition.
Suddenly, the voice of a radio DJ drifted through the car's speakers, ". . . home of Miami's classic R&B and now Christmas classics," followed by Donny Hathaway's "This Christmas."
"Takeout in the front yard with Christmas music from the car radio. What are you up to, Rosie?" Villa smirked.
Rosewood returned to the back of the car and took his own seat next to Villa. "I may have gotten a bit of a 'bah humbug' vibe off you when you so hastily turned down the invite to Officer Newman's Christmas party today," Rosewood said. "I thought I'd try to get you into the holiday spirit."
"Just when I thought you had reached the pinnacle of butting into my business . . ."
Rosewood shrugged, undaunted, "Christmas is big for the Rosewoods, so big that it spills over onto our friends, including you. I've gotta get you in the right mindset for the festivities to come. Besides, what would you be doing tonight instead?" he asked.
She stalled by staring into the paper box of food in her lap, and then sighed, "Searching my refrigerator for a quick meal so that I could do a little more case work before bed." Rosewood opened his mouth to speak, but Villa beat him to it, "If I hear that I-told-you-so tone in your voice, I will throw this fork at your head."
Rosewood closed his mouth and swallowed. "How are your noodles?" he finally asked, trying and failing to hide his smile.
"They're good, unlike that segue," she said, shaking her head. The two ate in a comfortable silence for several minutes before she spoke again, "It's not that I don't like celebrating Christmas. I just don't really know how to do it yet. By myself, I mean." She could feel Rosewood's gaze on her as she spoke, but her eyes stayed focused on the fork she twirled in her food. "When I was a kid, I had all kinds of Christmas traditions here with my family, even after my dad left. Then Eddie and I got married, moved to New York, and started traditions of our own. I've been back here, without him, for almost two years now but it's different this year. Last Christmas I was still getting used to being back in Miami, I was busy with work, I was just starting to reconnect with my mom, and Mike and I were—" Her list stopped abruptly at her own mention of her ex and Rosewood's friend. She looked up then, curious about his reaction to the other man's name.
"So you were distracted last year?" Rosewood asked, urging her forward with no awkwardness.
"Yeah, but things have settled down this year so I woke up on the Friday after Thanksgiving and it hit me that I would have to make new Christmas traditions on my own. It felt a little overwhelming so . . . I've been avoiding it. I was avoiding pretty well until Newman's invitation."
"Even with this festival of lights on your street?" Rosewood smiled.
Villa shrugged. "I actually like the lights," she said, "but I don't have to participate to like them. Besides, even though things are more settled now, I'm still busy. And I've never done the outdoor lights myself. And there are other houses on the street without them."
Rosewood laughed. "You hear yourself, right?" he asked.
"I know they're excuses!" Villa snapped sarcastically. "I already admitted I'm avoiding," she mumbled. She took another bite of her food. "Just enjoy the lights."
Rosewood laughed, but gave in. "So what exactly is the theme over there?" He pointed to a house across the street and two houses down from Villa's.
The eaves of the tiny house were strung with a line of classic white bulbs. The yard, on the other hand, was filled with an eclectic mix of light up figurines: a three-foot-tall candy cane, a sea otter on its back holding a wrapped gift, a tiny outline of a palm tree, and a child-size replica of the Abominable Snowman from Rudolph dressed in a scarf and Santa hat. "I don't think there is a theme other than Christmas," Villa laughed.
Rosewood had pointed to another house, but Villa spoke before he could ask her about it. "I love this song," she sighed and he turned to find her smiling with her eyes closed as the beats of a 90's R&B cover of "Let It Snow" filtered through the speakers.
Rosewood watched her as he began smiling himself, and then stepped down from the car. He turned to extend his palm up to Villa. "Shall we?"
Villa opened her eyes and looked down at Rosewood's outstretched hand with a raised eyebrow. "What? You don't like to dance to Boyz II Men by yourself either?" she asked, the question a reference to their first dance in front of the jukebox at Off Limits.
He shook his head. "I like dancing with you. You like this song. Win-win." She took his hand then and let him pull her forward. As the opening harmonies of the song transitioned to the first verse, he guided her hand to his shoulder and took her waist in his own. They swayed along through the first verse and chorus before Rosewood spoke again, "You don't have to make new Christmas traditions by yourself, you know?"
Villa looked up at him, "My mother and I are—"
"I don't mean just with your mother," he said. "I told you, Christmas is big for the Rosewoods."
"That's nice of you, Rosie, but as much as I enjoy your family, I don't want to be the Rosewoods' Christmas guest out of pity."
Rosewood chuckled, "It's not pity, Villa. My mother and sister have already asked me if you're coming to at least three different things they're planning this month, including Christmas dinner. They love having you around."
"So you're inviting me as Donna and Pippy's guest?" Villa asked. "Not yours?"
Rosewood stilled, but kept his arms around Villa. "I love having you around. I thought that went without saying." He paused and then asked, "Full disclosure?" Villa opened her mouth to speak, then closed it and nodded silently. Rosewood spoke again, "It's not just that I love having your around. I feel the same way about you that I did last spring, but I saw how investigating Eddie's murder affected you. When we got back from New York, it seemed like you needed some time to process it all. I've been trying to give you that time. I will give you that time-as much as you need-but when you're ready, I'll be here."
By now, Villa's eyes were filled with tears, "You're right. I did need time, but I'm pretty sure I've taken all the time I need now. I'm ready, too. To try. With you."
"So you'll spend Christmas with me?" Rosewood asked.
"Yes," Villa smiled.
"And you'll let me take you on an actual date? With no Arnold Palmers or pool cues?" he asked.
"Yes," she laughed.
"And maybe we can come up with some new Christmas traditions together?" he lowered his forehead to hers.
"If you'd stop talking, I've got a pretty good idea for a Christmas tradition we can start right now," she whispered. When he smiled, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer for a kiss.