Page 8 of Dad Bod Secret Santa

“What are you working on?” Leo asks. I can hear the spirited voices of his wife Karla and their kids in the background, and I curse myself for not calling earlier. I should know better than to try to roll up to his house, when he has a full family of his own.

“I’m working on a jewelry box. Hopefully get it done before Christmas.” I know it’s a tight timeline to do a project like this, but if I keep the carving to the lid, I should be able to squeeze it in.

“Really now?” Leo chuckles. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

“A lucky lady.” I laugh, not wanting to reveal too much.

Before long, I pull into Leo’s driveway.

He comes out when he sees my truck. “Brought coffee.” He holds up a thermos and two mugs as I climb out of the truck. “Figured we might need it.”

“We?”

“You think I’m missing this? You’re making something for a woman? This is unprecedented.”

I roll my eyes but accept the coffee. “You gonna help or just provide commentary?”

He grins. “Both.” Helping me carry in the wood and my tools, he leads me to his workshop behind his house, a large finished shed and the kind of workshop I dream about. “So, what’s the plan?”

Spreading out the black walnut on his workbench, I explain the design I’ve been sketching for days. “Nothing too fancy. Clean lines, dovetail joints. But I want to inlay maple leaves here and here.” I point to my rough drawings. “She mentioned her grandmother had a maple tree she loved playing under as a kid.”

“This is nice stock. Been saving it?”

“Yeah.” I’ve been saving it for something special. I didn’t know when I’d use it but now is the right time.

We spend the next hour cutting and measuring. Leo helps me set up his table saw for the precise cuts I need before working quietly at his bench while I focus on the initial pieces. The familiar rhythm of woodworking is soothing.

“You’ve got that look again,” Leo says, not looking up from where he’s helping me mark the dovetail joints.

“What look?”

“Buddy, I’ve known you twenty years. I’ve never seen you like this. Not even with Karen.”

The mention of my ex-wife doesn’t sting like it used to. “This is different,” I say quietly. “It’s like...experiencing a perfection in life that I didn’t know existed. Does that make any sense?”

“It does, yeah.” Leo smiles and looks toward his house. “That’s how it felt with Karla. She and the kids are the best thing in my life. You think this woman is the one for you?”

“I do,” I say immediately and with conviction. I run my fingers over the grain of the black walnut. “I want to give her a gift that shows her how much she matters to me.”

Leo claps me on the shoulder. “Then let’s make sure this is perfect.”

The hours pass quickly, and Karla comes out to check on us.

“Damn,” I say, looking at my watch. “I didn’t realize the time. Sorry, Karla. I didn’t mean to keep Leo so long.”

“Don’t worry, Hank. I know he wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t important,” she says, sliding her arms around Leo’s waist and hugging him.

Leo helps me wrap the partially completed box and hands it to me. “Same time tomorrow?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“Mind? Hank, I haven’t seen you this happy in years. You can come over as much as you need.” Leo laughs and comes over to slap me on the shoulder and see me out.

I know Maggie’s the one. Now, I need to convince her to give me a chance and let me show her I’m the man for her.

CHAPTER 5

MAGGIE

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