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Chapter 5

A Christmas Tree Of His Own

Bobby stared at the ornament in his hands and bit his bottom lip. You blew it, she's trying to do something nice for you, and you blew it. He looked down at his partner, trying to smile. "Thanks Alex, the ornament is, is really nice."

Alex searched his eyes, trying to make sure that he was alright with the gift. "You're welcome."

He carefully placed it back in the box. His heart felt heavy, and he wasn't sure why. He glanced at the clock. "Uhm, it's getting late, I better head for home." Home, you idiot, home is an empty apartment. His heart begged him to stay, but his brain kept interrupting, telling him it was time to go. Bobby began shuffling his feet with uncertainty, but also realizing his response to the gift had dampened the events of the day.

Alex nodded dishearteningly. "Yeah, I need to get a few things done myself." She looked around the room, and began putting the boxes inside of each other.

Bobby put his coat on, wrapping his scarf around his neck, he looked at the tree again. With the dimming of the daylight, it was beginning to look like a tree that was covered with snow. A sad smile played on his lips, wishing he could fight the urge to leave and watch the change in the tree as evening came on.

Picking up the boxed ornament, he smiled at Alex. "Thanks Alex."

She looked up at him, giving him a warm smile, wishing he would change his mind. "I should be thanking you. You did most of the work, and I definitely wouldn't have been able to have gotten the tree in the stand alone."

Bobby grinned. Somehow, he knew that wasn't true. Alex is a pretty resourceful woman. "You're welcome." On the spur of the moment, he leaned down and kissed her on her cheek. Her skin felt like velvet beneath his lips, and he caught a faint scent of lavender. Quickly straightening up, he turned and left. Getting into his SUV, he sat there for a moment. What the hell did I just do? He shook his head, as he pulled out of her driveway.

Alex stood next to the tree, looking out the window watching him drive down the street. She gently touched the spot he had kissed. Maybe he's not a loss case after all? Smiling, she turned to finish cleaning up the living room.

A few blocks from his apartment building, he spied a tree lot. He glanced down at the ornament sitting on the passenger seat. Without a second thought, he swung into the lot, and stopped. He began walking the short rows, stopping and checking different trees. Coming upon a small tree, he leaned down and picked it up. Gently pulling on the needles, he smiled. The owner raised a brow when Bobby brought the tree to him. "It's such a small tree, you sure you don't want a larger one?"

He shook his head. "It's just right for my apartment."

The vendor nodding, somewhat surprised that such a large man would want such a small, almost delicate tree. Shrugging to himself, he asked, "Do you need a tree stand?"

Bobby nodded. The man pointed to several stacked near his small makeshift shed. Walking over, he picked out one, and carried it back to the vendor. His eyes fell on a cluster of mistletoe. Picking up a small piece, he put it inside the tree stand. The vendor grinned at the addition as he rang up the total.

Once paid for, he loaded the tree and stand into the back of the SUV. He made a couple of more stops, before he pulled into his parking spot. Making several trips up to his apartment, he was able to finally close the door behind him. Looking at the bags he had brought up, he stripped off his coat, and began arranging his purchases. Digging out a CD from one of the bags, he put it in his player, turning the volume up. The soft crooning of Bing Crosby's White Christmas slowly filled his apartment.

Placing the tree stand on a small table, he checked the base of the trunk. Taking a small saw out of a bag, he evened out the end, and then placed it carefully in the tree stand, making sure that it was secured down. After adding water to the stand, he began putting the lights around the tree. Slowly, he began adding the ornaments to the tree, leaving one spot bare. Taking the ornament that Alex had given him out of the box, he placed it in the spot of honor. Smiling, he took the silver tinsel out of the box, and began hanging it over the branches. Standing back, he smiled at the tree.

Alex picked up her phone on the second ring. "Hello?"

Bobby stopped in front of his tree again, and smiled. "I was wondering if you would like to come over for dinner tomorrow?"

Carefully listening to the background, she raised a brow. It was Sawyer Brown singing It Wasn't His Child. She smiled. "I'd love to. What do I need to bring?"

Bobby set a small wrapped package underneath the tree, turning the name tag out. "Ah, just yourself."

She grinned. "So, what are you going to fix?"

He rested the phone between his ear and his shoulder as he reached up, hanging the mistletoe above the doorway into the living room. He furrowed his brow as he thought. "I was thinking ordering out Thai."

Alex laughed into the phone. He cocked a brow. "What's so funny?"

"It's not the kind of dinner that comes to mind while listening to Christmas tunes, is it?"

Bobby turned and looked at the CD player, slightly chuckling. "No, I guess it isn't."

Reaching down, he flipped the switch on the tree, the quiet blue lights emitted the feeling of peace. As if in a trance, he stared at the lit tree, feeling a weight had been lifted off of his heart.

"Bobby?" Alex's soft voice broke into this thoughts. "Are you still there?"

"Hmm?" His mind slowly began working again. "How about five o'clock?"

Alex smiled into the phone. "I'll be there."

With that, they said their good-byes. Alex tapped her chin with her phone. She wasn't sure what had distracted him, but with the quiet sounds of Christmas music in the background, she felt that something good was happening to him.