Page 2 of New Home for the Holidays

“You don’t think I’m just running?” Giving voice to my deepest fear in looking to leave Jasper Ridge had sweat breaking out on my brow.

“No,” there was steel in the one word, unmovable and filled with grit. “You’re not running. You’re searching.”

I nodded and tried to swallow past the lump in my throat. It wasn’t easy. Even though I didn’t even know where I’d be going, or even if I would be going since I wasn’t leaving without a job lined up, I was already dreading saying goodbye to her.

“And anyway,” there was a teasing lilt to her voice, “maybe if you’re gone people will stop asking us when we’re going to finally get together and I can find myself a guy who will stick around.”

I barked out a laugh and shook my head at her while feeling lighter than I had in a long fucking time. She wasn’t wrong. Ever since we became friends when we were practically still in diapers, the town of Jasper Ridge decided we made the perfect couple. Would our lives have been easier if that were in the cards for us? Maybe.

But neither of us were interested in the other in that way. We never even tried. Sure, I could appreciate that Jade grew up into a beautiful woman, but that’s all it was. There wasn’t any spark of attraction between us. We both deserved to feel that for whoever we ended up with and settling for less wasn’t the way to find it.

After that conversation, for whatever reason, things seemed to move faster. Now, only a few months later, I’m in Wintervale and the holidays are right around the corner. I’m not looking forward to them, not by a long shot, but I’m also not dreading them the way I did the last few years without Dad around.

He always went above and beyond when it came to the holidays. I think it was because he was trying to make up for Mom not being there to celebrate with us. He tried to give me the joy and magic she would have added to the season.

What he never understood was havinghimwas enough. Fuck, the man was my hero and no matter how old I got it never changed. He was my parent, sure, but he was so much more. He was the foundation of my life and without him I’ve been feeling the floor shift underneath me.

I pull over on the outskirts of Wintervale to sit back and see if anyone decides to test the speed limit while coming into town. There are a few ranches and homes out that way, but I’m not expecting much. Since moving to Wintervale, the crime has been exactly what I expected—pretty much nonexistent.

Don’t get me wrong, as much as I was willing to go to the city and see more action, I’m just as happy to not have to deal with hardened criminals. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ever calls to respond to, but they’d be a lot heavier in the city. Both in number and in the mental or physical toll they would take.

Wintervale has a good feel and speed to it. The people around town are nice, which has made it easy to settle in. Even better? The other guys on the force with me aren’t complete dicks who took one look at me and tried to shut me out just because I didn’t grow up with them.

I’m not sure what I would have done if that had happened. I’m glad it didn’t. I’ve become friends with one of my fellow officers, Jared Taylor. I’m not sure why, since everyone’s been welcoming, but we’ve clicked since the day I started my new job.

As I settle in with my radar gun, I zone out a little bit and think about how intent Jared is to get me out in town more. I haven’t been fighting him on it since I’m still new, but I also haven’t met anyone who has sparked more than a friendly conversation and a sense of community.

When I see a car approaching which looks like it’s going a little faster than it should, I use my radar to clock the speed and lock it on the screen as they pass me. The shock of blonde hair I see has my heart pounding in my chest for some unknown reason and there’s a pulling feeling in my gut.

I’ve never been one to ignore my gut. Sure, they’re not going dangerously fast, but that doesn’t stop me from pulling out behind them and switching on my lights and siren. I’m not even sure why until it’s already done. Every moment it takes me to get out of my vehicle and approach the car I’ve pulled over feels much longer than it is.

There’s no explanation for what I’m feeling right now. None at fucking all.

The driver’s window is already open when I get to it, and I’m momentarily stunned by the beautiful woman looking at me with amusement in her eyes even though she doesn’t say anything. I have no idea what the look she’s giving me is about, but I hate it when her eyebrows pull together in confusion.

“Oh, you’re not who I was expecting,” she blurts, her eyes going wide like she didn’t mean to say the words out loud.

For a second, the only thing I can hear is the blood rushing through my veins as anger simmers through me at the thought of her expecting anyone, especially a man or a fellow officer. With a deep breath, I force myself to calm down because my reaction makes no fucking sense. I don’t know this woman; I’ve never seen her before.

But she’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen in my life. The blue of her eyes is light, like crystals or water so fucking clear that you feel desperate to drown in it. I’ve never seen anything like them, and it feels like I can’t breathe for a moment, like Iamdrowning.

If this is how I go, I’m not going to complain.

Her lips are light pink and perfectly pouty. I wonder if they’ll get redder and plumper after kissing her. Would the blushcoloring her cheeks extend to other areas of her body if I were to tell her all the filthy fucking things I’m thinking about right now?

Even though her blonde hair is piled high on top of her head, I know, just fucking know, it’ll be long and drape down her back like silk. The vision of how it would look as she’s sitting reverse cowgirl on my lap and dancing for me with every thrust upward has my cock thickening behind my fly.

I try and shake my head and swallow, but my mouth has gone dry. It’s for the best because I can’t trust what would come out of my mouth right now. She’s fucking stunning. Gorgeous. Otherworldly.

Mine.

“Officer?” Her soft voice jolts me back to the present and I try and shake off the lust trying to overtake me. Her eyes flick over my chest and I can’t help but puff up a little, hoping to see appreciation in her gaze. “Everything okay, Officer Montgomery?”

I clear my throat. “Do you know how fast you were going?”

“I’m sorry,” her words are filled with sincerity as she hands me her license and registration without me needing to ask for it, but I don’t look at it.

My hackles rise and I can’t keep the hint of irritation out of my voice, “Get pulled over often?”

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