December 20 - Morning
Oliver put on his topcoat and went out the door. Christmas was less than a week away and he had an important stop before heading to the DLO. Shane's present was ready.
For the first time since her father had left, Shane was fully embracing Christmas. Her mother and sister Alex were flying into Denver tomorrow to spend the week. This afternoon after work she and Oliver were shopping for a tree and decorations.
Oliver opened the door to Custom Crafted Jewelry. He'd had a specific idea of what he wanted to give Shane, and was grateful that he had learned of specialty jewelry stores while solving the Castellucci case.
He touched the bell and the jeweler came to the front of the store.
"Good morning Mr. O'Toole."
Oliver nodded. "Mr. Anderson."
Mr. Anderson reached into the case and handed Oliver a long, slim box. Oliver opened the lid and examined the contents. His blue eyes misted as he envisioned Shane's reaction to this gift.
"Does it meet your specifications?"
"It does."
Oliver closed the box and handed it to the jeweler. "Would you wrap it, please?"
"Certainly. Which paper would you like?"
Oliver frowned as he looked at the various papers. Santa Claus. Snowmen. Bells. Ornaments. Christmas trees. None of these were appropriate. Then, at the very bottom, he found exactly what he wanted.
"This one," he indicated. The white paper was covered with small, blonde haired angels showering stars from their hands.
"Ribbon?"
"Gold."
Half an hour later, Oliver entered the DLO. Shane stood in front of a table, working her way through a large stack of letters. The post office "Dear Santa" project was in full swing, and with Christmas so close, it seemed to Oliver that the stack of letters with incomplete addresses increased every day.
"Good morning, Shane."
She raised her eyes and smiled. "Good morning."
He hung his coat and jacket on the rack, and then walked over to the table. Shane's left hand rested on the table. Her engagement ring sparkled in the sunlight. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" he asked.
"You may have mentioned it a time or two."
Shane leaned over and lightly touched his lips with hers. She moved back quickly, expecting his usual comment about keeping things professional at work, but instead he put his arm around her waist and drew her close, returning her kiss.
The door opened and he released her quickly as Norman and Rita entered.
"Good morning," Oliver said.
"Good morning," they replied together.
Shane turned back to the stack of letters, but her rosy cheeks and sparkling eyes did not go unnoticed by her dearest friends. They exchanged looks and smiled.
Norman and Rita joined Shane at the table. Oliver moved towards his desk. He sat down and took a deep, calming breath, praying that he had released Shane before Norman and Rita saw them kissing. Shane had placed several letters on his desk with badly smudged addresses. He picked up his magnifying glass and studied the first letter. His sense of discipline and dedication to his work took over, and he was able to concentrate on the task at hand.
By lunchtime, they had worked their way through all the letters. Addresses were confirmed and lists printed for postal workers and volunteers who would shop for the items, wrap them and sort them for delivery. After confirming that they would regroup at Bistro Ramon for lunch, Norman and Rita left to drop off the lists.
Shane walked over to the printer, retrieved a sheet of paper and handed it to Oliver.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Christmas tree farms."
"Are you sure you want a live tree? All those needles dropping on the floor. It's quite untidy, and since you rarely wear shoes at home, you could cut your feet on the needles."
"Yes. I'm sure. A live tree will make the house smell like Christmas."
He couldn't resist teasing her a little.
"Christmas smells?"
"Yes. Like evergreen, ham, cookies, poinsettias..."
"Poinsettias have no fragrance."
"Don't change the subject."
"But your feet..."
"Oliver, Christmas tree needles aren't sharp enough to cut my feet. You're not talking me out of a live tree, so please stop trying."
Oliver knew he'd lost. He held her coat, put on his suit jacket and topcoat, folded the list neatly, and placed it in his coat pocket. Shane took his arm and they left to meet Rita and Norman.