Page 178 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

I groan. “Mrs. Rosa…”

“I like her,” she says matter-of-factly.

I blink. “What?”

She’s only met a couple of the women I’ve previously dated, but she didn’t like either of them.

She briskly nods once. “She’s a take-charge kind of lady.”

I snort. “So you like her because she’s just like you?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she looks down her nose at me, no mean feat since she’s nearly a foot shorter. “Organization is next to godliness.” She points her finger up at my face. “Don’t screw this up.”

Then she brushes past me and bursts into Roger’s apartment. “I’m finished with my baking. What can I do?”

Mary turns to face her. “I called Cleo’s vet and several animal shelters to let them know she’s missing. Then I emailed photos of her to the shelters, along with Jace’s contact information. I posted on two neighborhood apps with Cleo’s photo and designed a flyer for us to hand out in the building and post on poles in a two-block radius. A couple of other neighbors said they’d help pass out flyers, and my sister Molly and her boyfriend said they’d join us if we need more bodies.”

Mrs. Rosa glances back at me with a look that says,You idiot. Why haven’t you brought this girl home sooner?

Something tightens in my chest.Because she’s not mine, and she never will be.Seeing her in action proves it. I suspect this is Work Mode Mary, and she’s a force to be reckoned with, which only makes it more obvious that she deserves better than someone like me.

“Jace, can you go get the flyers?” Mary asks.

“Uh…yeah. Of course.”

I start to walk out, but she hurries over and grabs my arm, lifting onto her tiptoes to get closer to my face. For one brief, hopeful moment, I think she’s about to kiss me goodbye, but then she whispers, “I tried to pay for the printing with my credit card, but they said they can only take payment in person. It won’t cost much since the flyers are black and white, and we only printed one hundred.”

At first, I don’t understand what she’s saying, but then I look around Roger’s apartment, and it hits me center mass. Roger’s place is furnished with very old furniture, some of the pieces dating back to his wedding. His cabinets don’t contain much food, and the apartment itself is old and run-down. It doesn’t take much to figure out that Roger is only a step above the poverty line, and since I live across the hall…

My back stiffens.

Her eyes go wide. “I wasn’t thinking aboutyou, Jace. Roger is insisting—”

She cuts herself off as she glances back at him.

Grabbing her arm, I tug her into the hall and shut the door behind us. I want to tell her that I know my place and am aware that she’s much too good for me, but my pride wasn’t totally beaten out of me by my arrest and incarceration. “I live in this building too. I know how it looks. Howmysituation looks.”

She shakes her head. “I saw Roger’s medication on the counter. My grandfather had Parkinson’s, and I know how expensive it is. Plus, I made him a cup of coffee, and there’s practically nothing other than creamer in his fridge. Roger is insisting that Cleo is his cat andheshould pay for the flyers, but he’s got enough to worry about. So when you come back and he wants to reimburse you, tell him they were donated, which is technically true. But it’s you who’s donating them, not the printer.”

For a moment, I’m simply speechless with awe. “Yeah. Sure.” With a start, I realize I’m still gripping her arm and loosen my hold. Then I lean in and murmur, “You’re sexy when you take control. I bet you’re a marvel in the courtroom,dominating.”

She draws in a sharp breath, her eyes dilating.

I grin and cup the side of her jaw as I lower my face to hers, our eyes and mouths only inches apart. “I like this side of you. I can only imagine what it will be like if you bring this Mary into your bed.”

Then I barely brush my lips across hers and raise my head. Blood has been shut off from my brain and sent racing to my cock, but I’m self-aware enough to take a step back. Every part of me wants to shove her against the wall and kiss her, to leave her breathless and begging for more, but Roger’s cat is missing, and he will be devastated if Cleo doesn’t make it home.

Priorities, asshole.I may have known the truth about Santa since I was five years old, but I’m not too dense to recognize a gift. Every moment with Mary is borrowed time, and I don’t want to waste a minute.

When I get back,Mrs. Rosa and three neighbors I’ve seen in the halls but never met are sitting in Roger’s apartment.

Mary is standing in front of them with her tablet in hand. “I’ve downloaded a map of the area around the apartment complex and cordoned off sections for each of us to canvass. The color key is at the bottom of the map.” She taps something on her phone, and several phones chime at the same time. “I just sent it to all of you. It’s important we go door to door, personally handing out the flyers and telling the neighbors about Cleo and how important she is to Roger.” She gives Roger a reassuring smile. “My sister says the more we draw on their emotions, the more likely they will be to keep an eye out for her. If you see or hear any leads, text the group chat I created for all of us.”

She walks over, takes the flyers from me, and starts passing them out.

“How much did those cost?” Roger asks me, reaching for his wallet.

“They didn’t cost anything. The printer donated them,” I say, keeping my gaze on Mary. It’s not a lie. Mary must have told the printer enough about Roger and Cleo to make him emotionally invested in finding her. He refused payment and even posted a copy of the flyer by the door. He asked that we let him know when we find Cleo.

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