Page 7 of My Secret Santa Mason

Everyone turned to look at him, and Mason looked incredibly uncomfortable. Like he would rather be anywhere but here.

“I think there’s been a mistake,” he grumbled.

“No, no,” Rae said. “It’s exactly how it should be. I nominated you.”

“What?” Mason asked, and his eyes shot fire. He pulled his lips up in a snarl, but when he glanced at Tanner, his buddy’s death stare was enough to get him to calm down again.

“It’s not such a big deal, Mason,” Rae laughed. If she was aware of Mason’s almost aggressive reaction to being nominated, she didn’t show it. “It’s going to be fun. It’s the season of giving, you know?”

Mason grumbled something under his breath that made Tanner shoot him another hard look before he stood and shuffled his large frame out of the booth. He stepped up on the stage, and that made him look even larger. He was a beast of a man, broad, thick beard, and those eyes…God, those eyes.

He reached into the hat and grabbed the last piece of paper.

When he read it, he frowned.

“Well, that’s a look of pure Christmas cheer if I’ve ever seen one,” Betty teased.

Mason looked at Betty with a deer-in-headlights look that was almost comical on a man with his bulk. He muttered something inaudible.

“I’m sure you can figure something out, Mason,” Betty said. “You’re a man of many talents, and I know you know how to make a plan.”

Mason still looked like he would have been more comfortable with a knife or a gun in his hand—in this setting, he seemed completely out of his depth, and I almost felt sorry for him.

“That’s it, ladies and gentlemen!” Betty cried out, finally wrapping up the drawing. With her broad smile, she shooed Mason off the stage as if she wasn’t at least half his size, and Mason made his way back to the booth. When he sat down, he looked relieved not to be the center of attention anymore.

Rae came to me when everyone started chatting.

“Well, that was interesting, huh?” She nudged me, her eyes bright. “I thought he could do with something a little more social.”

“The poor guy looked like he’d rather be dead,” I said with a chuckle. I didn’t know Mason personally, but I knew the look of pure terror when I saw it.

Rae laughed and nodded. “I thought it would be fun, draw him out of his shell, you know? He’s such a big, burly, fear-nothingtype. It’s good to know that even he can be out of his comfort zone.”

I glanced in Mason’s direction. He was talking to Tanner with a very serious intensity. I felt sorry for the man—Rae was really going all out, teasing him when he clearly didn’t fit into this world. I wondered why she was so set on drawing him out. But then, he was a sight for sore eyes, I couldn’t deny that.

I didn’thatelooking at him. When he glanced at me and our eyes locked, a shiver ran down my spine.

I turned my attention back to the party, trying not to let myself get caught up in Mason. He was a man who preferred to be alone, and I doubted this strange attraction I felt toward him was mutual.

The diner was alive with laughter, the clinking of mugs and the happy chatter of people discussing gifts and ideas with each other, excited about the Christmas Party and the reveal that would happen on Christmas Eve. I’d never been to an event where everyone was this excited to be a part of it all. I moved through the crowd, snapping pictures of the smiling faces, the festive decorations, and the piles of wrapped presents stacked near the tree. Everything was perfect, the kind of day that made me feel like everything was going to be perfect in the end.

The special holiday treats were a hit—the eggnog lattes, the peppermint mocha cookies, and the cranberry scones that practically melted in your mouth. I caught Betty at the counter, laughing with a group of locals, her cheeks flushed with happiness, and I snapped another picture.

I felt a strange flutter of pride as I watched people enjoying themselves. I’d come to Silver Ridge to escape, to start over, and I’d found so much more than I’d bargained for.

I glanced over at Mason’s booth where Rae, Tanner, and Hunter sat together, chatting happily. Tanner had Hunter onhis lap and they worked on Play-Doh together, squishing and kneading and balling it up to start over again.

Mason was there, leaning back with a beer in hand, his eyes scanning the room with that ever-watchful gaze. He looked out of place, like a wolf among sheep, but there was no denying how his presence seemed to anchor everything around him. Our eyes met, and for a moment, the noise of the diner faded into the background.

His gaze drew me. I wanted to go to him. He was gruff and rude, and I didn’t like him.

But the problem was, that wasn’t true. Ididlike him. And that irritated me because I didn’twantto like him.

I tore my gaze away, feeling a blush creep up my neck. I busied myself with my phone, scrolling through the pictures I’d taken. They were good—really good, actually. They captured the spirit of the event perfectly, all the joy and community that I’d been craving. This was the kind of exposure I needed. I had no idea what the future held, but if I could start a new life and a new business where I could create events like this where people could really come together, then it would be a good future.

I just had to put myself out there again and keep my options open.

The festivities finally wound down, and after I’d helped Betty clean up a few things, I headed back to the cottage I rented.

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