Page 7 of Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

Ah… “Who picked out the tree at your office?”

“Perry.” A long-suffering sigh. “I swear, I think he pulled the thing out of the trash. Said the tree had plenty of life left in it.”

Well, it had some life. Not necessarily plenty. And she’d watered it before they left so…

“Told him we didn’t need that nonsense.” Jake pressed a button on a nearby remote, and his gas fireplace immediately flared to life. “But the kid is young, and he was so excited. Then he started playing his damn music.” A disgusted shake of his head. “If I’d had to listen to Jingle Bells one more time, I think I would have lost my mind.”

“You don’t like Christmas music or, um, Christmas?”

He turned toward her with a half-grin. “Just call me Ebenezer, but I stopped believing in the magic of Christmas a lifetime ago.”

That made her chest feel funny. She tugged his jacket closer even though she should probably be taking it off, and True inched toward him. “Why?”

“Why?” He blinked his intense, I-can-see-straight-into-your-soul eyes. “You really don’t know a lot about my life, do you?”

No, she didn’t. Just the gossip she’d greedily absorbed. “You were always a private person.” Back in school, no one had known his secrets. “But now people know that you were in the military?—”

“Sweets, I was in special ops. No one in this town knows what I actually did while I served because those missions are classified and probably always will be.” His powerful arms folded over his chest. His head cocked, and the light hit his dark brown hair. His eyes—so dark and deep—held her stare. “Growing up, my life was no picket-fence dream.” Flat. Cold. “My dad cut out on us when I was five. My mom had to work two jobs in order to provide for me and my brother. There was barely any money when the holidays came around. If we were lucky, we’d score a tree that looked far too much like that piece of crap Perry hauled into the office. Hell, maybe that’s why I don’t like the thing. Reminds me too much of my past.”

She wasn’t inching toward him any longer. Instead, she nearly ran for him. True stopped right in front of Jake.

“My clothes were filled with holes and they were faded as hell not because I was trying to be cool and rebellious, but because we were dirt poor. We had nothing. Holidays were a painful reminder of that fact. So, no, I’m not particularly fond of Christmas and its so-called magic. It’s just another holiday to make people who are struggling feel like shit.”

Her lower lip trembled.

“What. Are. You. Doing?” Jake seemed utterly horrified as his hands dropped to his sides. “And why the hell did I just tell you all of that?”

What was she doing? Nearly crying. And she was also throwing her arms around him and holding on tight.

“True.” He didn’t hug her back.

She just hugged him harder.

His hands rose to pat her awkwardly. “True, my family is okay now. Tommy is a lawyer. I’ve got my own business. We take care of our mom. Right now, she’s gone on a cruise we bought for her and her new husband. She is good.” Another awkward pat. Just his right hand patted her this time. “I shouldn’t have told you any of that. I go from telling you nothing to telling you everything. That is not normal.”

She pulled back and peered up at him. “I’m sorry Christmas was so difficult for you.”

“Forget it. It’s in the past. Dead and buried.” He hurriedly stepped back. Like three steps. “Even if the Ghost of Christmas Past had to turn up in my office tonight.”

True frowned at him.

“Forget it,” Jake said again as he turned away. “Long day. You want a beer? Wine? Some food? I’m starving, and I can whip us up some steaks.”

“You don’t have to cook for me.” She trailed after him as Jake made his way into the kitchen. Her gaze took in every detail. White cabinets. White granite countertops. Gourmet kitchen. Like something straight out of a magazine.

“Well, I’m cooking for myself. Doing it for two won’t be hard.”

A sudden, horrific thought struck her. “Is your girlfriend going to have a problem with me staying with you?” Of course, Jake would have a girlfriend. She should go to the motel. One hundred percent.

“Nope.” Fast. Very fast. “No girlfriend, so no problem.” He held a bottle of wine in his hands. “You got a boyfriend who will have a problem with you staying here?”

“No boyfriend.” Just an ex-husband she’d like to forget, thank you very much.

A half-smile teased Jake’s lips as he pulled out two glasses and filled them with red wine. He offered one glass to her. “Then I guess it’s just us.”

Her fingers took the glass. “Just us.” The glass trembled in her hand, and some of the wine slid over the edge.

He steadied her hand. “You’re safe with me.”

---