Page 16 of New Home for the Holidays

I wanted to be able to move to Wintervale and set down roots immediately instead of the feeling of being lost and untethered following me from Jasper Ridge. I thought buying a home would be a good way to do it. While I was right, it’s posing a small problem for me now.

Over the last two days I’ve been driving past the elementary school periodically. I’m not sure why I thought I’d catch a glimpse of her, but I was hopeful. It hasn’t happened yet, but I know I won’t be able to go another day without seeing her.

My skin feels too tight and itchy, like I’m going through withdrawal. We’ve been texting and have chatted on the phone, but it hasn’t been nearly enough. I need to be able to touch her soft skin and watch her eyes light up when she sees me.

Everything in me has been screaming to invite her over to my place again or show up at hers at all hours of the night, but I also know my woman needed a little time to wrap her head around what is going on between us. I laid a lot at her feet by telling her that she’s mine and hinting at the future I can see so clearly with her.

She’s not the kind of woman to jump into something blindly and with both feet. I can respect it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it since the beast inside of me, the one needing to be near her, is practically frothing at the mouth.

After cooking for her a few days ago, we spent hours together talking and getting to know each other. I can’t remember a timewhen I’ve been happier. Everything I learned about Morgan only made me fall deeper under her spell. She’s sweet and caring, giving Roscoe the attention he was begging for, but she’s also smart and intuitive.

Morgan asked a lot of questions about my job, but she didn’t seem scared. Maybe it’s because of Jared or the fact that Wintervale isn’t a crime metropolis, but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

I’m thrilled she doesn’t seem scared about what I do. In my distant past there were women I dated who thought they wanted to be with an officer, but then couldn’t handle the pressure. Considering I want to move up in the ranks and hopefully will get to the level where I could be called in at any time, I need someone in my life who can understand and respect my job.

It’s important to me.

But as I turn to drive by the school, again, I’m starting to realize that my job isn’t the most important thing to me anymore. It’s been eclipsed by Morgan. Honestly, it never even stood a chance.

It’s just further proof that whoever I had dated in the past weren’t the right woman for me; none of them were mine. If they were then I would have been willing to listen to their concerns about my job and taken it under advisement. Doing so never even crossed my mind because.

With Morgan it’s different. Everything is different.

I perk up when I see Morgan, all bundled up against the chill in the air, walking out of the school and heading toward her car. I pull into the teacher’s parking lot and flick my lights on and off quickly, not wanting to scare her but still get her attention.

Morgan freezes, her blue eyes wide and curious. When I step out of my cruiser, her shoulders relax, and it puts me on edge. I’m standing in front of her after just a few strides.

My gloved hands cup her cheeks, and I get lost in her eyes for a moment. They’re such a special color of blue, reminding me of ice, but there is nothing cold about her eyes. Everything about my woman is warmth and comfort.

When we were hanging out the other day, at some point she looked around my place while biting her lip. I could see the questions written all over her face, but she was hesitant in asking them. I didn’t want her to hold back with me; I never want her to feel she needs to do so.

I prodded her gently, “What’s on your mind, Treasure?”

“You don’t have any holiday decorations up?” She whispered the words like she was speaking to herself more than to me. Curiosity filled her gaze when she looked at me. “Are you against it or is it like a guy thing?”

I chuckled and her pouty lips lifted into a smile as her eyes glazed over a little bit. That hint of lust in her gaze was difficult to ignore because everything in me wanted to rise to the way her eyes were begging me to have her again. I pushed back the response, not because I didn’t want her but because I wanted to enjoy getting to know her just as much as satisfying the passion fizzling between us.

I had to swallow past the lump in my throat with her question. Even though I didn’t want to bring up the pain of the past, I wasn’t about to lie to her or deflect. That’s not the way I wanted to start our relationship.

“I love Christmas, but it lost a lot of its luster since Dad died,” I admitted softly.

Morgan’s face fell and she whispered, “I’m sorry, Walker. I should have realized that.”

“No,” there was an edge to my voice and her eyes snapped to mine, “you never need to apologize for asking me a question. I’ll always be honest with you even when it hurts. I know you didn’t ask maliciously. From the decorations at your place, it’s clear you love the holidays.”

She smiled and nodded, a dreamy look on her face as she looked away like she was peering into the past, “Christmas was always a special time growing up. I might have moved out on my own, but those traditions stuck, I guess. I love all the possibility of the season. And the magic.”

“And the glitter?” I teased her, “I saw a lot of glitter involved with your decorations.”

She giggled softly and nodded. “Glitter is a requirement.”

“Of course it is,” I agreed, my face a mask of seriousness which had us grinning at each other a moment later.

Her voice was tentative, “So, you’re not opposed to decorations?”

The hope in her eyes did me in and I would have agreed to anything with her looking at me like that. “I’m not opposed to decorations. I like them and I know I need to open up to the holidays again. I guess I didn’t have a reason, but if you’re offering to be my Christmas elf,” I wiggled my eyebrows at her, “then I’m game.”

“I’m not dressing up in some sexy elf costume,” she deadpanned, but the way her lips were twitching gave away her amusement.

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