Page 3 of His Off-Limits Christmas Gift

I dialed my older brother, my lifeline for most emergencies in life, and prayed that he’d come through.

“Hey, Sis. I’d say long time, no see, but…” He chuckled.

“Yeah, funny.”

He’d come home for Thanksgiving but left early from the family dinner. With a job in New York, a partner at a bar that was always slammed with holiday traffic, he wasn’t there for the moment when Kyle dumped me. I’d filled him in on all the details, though, because Mom called him to ask him to talk to me—again, in the effort of trying to get the truth out of me.

“Is Mom still bothering you?” he asked.

“Yes.”Hegot it when I said it wasn’t my position to explain why Kyle dumped me. He didn’t push and ask. “I can’t stand it anymore.” Once more, I slumped onto my bed. Covering my eyeswith my free hand, I sighed and willed this budding headache to go away.

“I’ve got an idea.”

I perked up, lowering my hand and opening my eyes. “Yeah?”

“Come to the city. You could do me a favor and fill in a vacancy at my friend’s business. He can’t find an assistant worth a damn.”

What friend?I rolled my eyes, dismissing my curiosity. It hardly mattered who it was. Brandon didn’t associate with losers and creeps.

I could be an assistant. But… “I’m starting that contract thing in January.”

“I know. It could just be for the month. You could be a temp.”

I was excited for something different to get me out of town, but I snorted, doubtful. “Yeah, right. Mom would never hear of my not being here for all the Christmas crap.”

He chuckled, in the same boat of hating the forced cheer all month long. “But she wouldn’t hear of your passing up a job opportunity to pad your thin résumé. You only graduated last year, after all. This could be a short-term work experience to count on.”

Hmm.He was on to something there. Mom and Dad were practical about money and my future like that…

“You know what? I’m in. Tell your friend I’ll be there.”

“Seriously?” he asked, a bit surprised. “That’s kind of spontaneous for you. I figured you wouldn’t want to do something impulsive like that.”

I shrugged, even if he couldn’t see it. “Trust me, Brandon. I’m desperate to get out of Rockton. For any reason.” Impulsive or planned, I refused to suffer through staying here like this.

Because I do not want to be home for the holidays. At all.

“Please?” I added, worried this might just be an idea, not an actual offer.

“All right. I’ll do you a favor and break the news to her for you, okay?”

“Thank you!”

Just like that, my mood lifted and a smile spread on my face.

I was getting out of here. And I couldn’t wait for the break to move on from the boyfriend I once thought I’d be with forever.

It was a Christmas miracle, a chance to hide away and not have to explain why I had been dumped just before the holidays.

2

NATE

Iwalked in through the main lobby door and stopped short.

“Juan. My man.” I grinned, approaching my favorite doorman. I didn’t necessarily haveonefavorite. All four of the security men who took shifts manning the front and main entrances to the office building were great guys.

Juan surpassed them all with his joviality. Dressed in his typical suited uniform, he classed it up with a red and green tie. Then a pin on his lapel that readOnly 23 Days Until Christmas.The teeny numbers could be flipped for the countdown. He’d understood the assignment of getting into the holiday spirit. He always did.

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