Page 1 of Stuck With My Christmas Crush

Chapter 1

Jason

“Come on, Maddie. We don’t want to keep your mom waiting.” I open the car door and stand aside as my niece climbs into the back seat of my Chevy. “Remember to buckle up.”

“Of course, Jason. You treat me like a child.”

“You’re six years old, Maddie. You qualify.”

She huffs at me as I check her seatbelt and then carefully shut the door.

“Rocko.” My dog, a mastiff cross, lifts his floppy ears and tilts his head. He listens, alert and attentive. “Be on guard til I get back, okay?” I check the time on my Fitbit. “Between fourteen-thirty and fifteen hundred hours.”

“He really understands, doesn’t he?” says Maddie, more of a statement than a question, as I get into the driver’s seat and start the engine.

“Yup. He’s a very smart dog.” I turn around to face Maddie. “All set? You got everything?”

“I think so.”

“Let’s go.”

I shift the truck into gear and drive slowly through the open gate. The engine chugs as I slip into neutral, pull on the handbrake and get out to shut the gate behind me. I pull the hefty chain through the impressive wrought iron gates, but I don’t bother securing the padlock. From the road, the gates look shut and locked, and with Rocko on patrol, there’s little chance of an intruder chancing his luck.

“Good boy.” My dog sits patiently behind the gate as I get back into my truck. I watch him in the rearview as I make a final adjustment to the mirror. His eyes don’t lose focus as I drive to the road. He’s still in the same spot when I make the turn in the direction of the main highway.

“Did you have fun today?” I flick a glance at Maddie who is looking out of the window. She’s bundled up in her cute pink woolly hat and padded jacket.

“Yes, Jason. Thanks for asking. Rocko and I had a lovely time.”

“That’s good. I’m glad. It’s always a pleasure to have your company, Maddie.”

My niece has started talking in a way that she thinks sounds like a princess since I moved into the Mansion Hotel. Maddie loves the ramshackle, dilapidated, moldering pile. Me, not so much.

I’m only there for a short time, living in the tiny gatehouse on the once-grand estate. The situation is not ideal. And, to be honest, inheriting a property like this one is a massive headache. But, I signed the papers and now I’m the proud owner of a serious money pit. Bills started rolling in even before the ink dried at the lawyer’s office, making my head spin, my bank account set to freefall, and my stomach tie itself in anxiety knots. Conveniently, I’m in between contracts at the present time. I told my agent to hold off putting me forward for anything until after the holidays. So, here I am, overseeing the inventory and imminent sale of the land, buildings, and chattels therein. I can’t wait to flick it off and move on to my next engineering job, wherever that may be. Until suchtimes, and because there needs to be someone onsite for security reasons, it just seemed obvious that I would move in. Temporarily. Just until things get sorted out, or until I get some kind of security system installed. I want to be free of this burden and get my life back. The sooner the better.

“Can you play some Christmas music?”

“Really?”

“Yes. We can sing along.”

“Maddie. I’d really rather not.”

“Jason. Don’t be such a Grinch.”

“I’m not a Grinch. I just don’t want jingle bells when I’m driving… It’s distracting.”

“Fine. But, you know, you’re heading for the naughty list, and you won’t get any presents.”

Maddie sees me looking at her in the rearview and huffs. She looks out of the window again, her hands clasped in her lap like the portrait of the lady in the Mansion Hotel’s grand entrance hall.

My niece is adorable, although demanding. She melts my heart, and I love my role as uncle, although Maddie just calls me Jason, without the label.

“Look, Jason. There’s a fairy driving a ladybug,” says Maddie as I drive past a red VW at the side of the road which has been painted with black dots. The car is stationary.Its hazard lights are on. “Hey. I think it’s the same fairy who came to Isabel’s party.”

“Maddie. Do you think there might be more than one fairy?” I can’t believe what I just said. I laugh to myself, bite my lip, and roll my eyes.

“Well, duh. Of course, there’s more than one fairy. I can name them for you, if you want.”

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