Page 196 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

“She still went to your apartment without me,” he finally says. “Which means I get to go without her.”

“Aidan,” Mary says. I finally allow myself to glance at her, and she’s still standing in the same spot, the ornament clutched in her hand.

I shift my attention back to Aidan. “Maybe you can come visit sometime. I don’t have a Christmas tree. Maybe you and yourmom can help me decorate one.” I wonder if I’ve overstepped, but I realize that part of me wants a tree in my apartment. Even if it’s just a small one. And I want them to help decorate it.

“Can we?” Aidan asks, swiveling to face his mother.

Her mouth twists to the side. “We wouldn’t want to inconvenience Jace.”

“No inconvenience at all.”

“Can we go tomorrow?” Aidan asks.

Mary releases a nervous laugh. “Why don’t we decorate our tree first? Then we’ll make arrangements to decorate Jace’s.”

“Sounds like a good idea to me,” I say, getting to my feet. “So where do we start?”

“Actually,” Mary says, setting the ornament down on the mantel. “I thought maybe we should start with dinner first. If that’s okay with you.”

“Sure,” I say. “I’m actually starving, and whatever you’ve made smells delicious.”

Aidan looks up at me. “Mom made meatloaf and mashed potatoes. It’s my grandma’s recipe.”

I grin. “One of my favorite meals. And I suspect it’s a whole lot better than the type I make for me and Roger.”

“You make meatloaf?” Aidan asks. “You touch the gross meat?”

“Sort of,” I say, laughing. “How about I tell you how I make it while we eat?”

“Okay.”

I look up at Mary and am surprised by the longing in her eyes. But as soon as she realizes I’m looking at her, she bolts into the kitchen.

“Come on, Jace. I already set the table,” Aidan says proudly, walking into the dining room. “Mom only helped a little.”

I follow him. The house has a mostly open floor plan, and the dining room opens to the kitchen, giving me a view of Mary frombehind. I can’t take my eyes off her ass. An image of her from Friday night fills my head—her naked in bed, staring back at me as I entered her from behind.

“Does Mom have something on her butt?” Aidan asks, interrupting my thoughts.

I jolt.“What?No. Why?”

“Then why were you staring at her butt so hard?”

I need to get him to focus on something else. Dinosaurs? School? His weekend away? “Uh…what did you do at your grandparents’ place this weekend? Do they have their Christmas tree up?”

I already know the answer, but it’s as good a topic as any.

The dining room table is set with three place settings at one end of the rectangular table, and it’s no surprise there are cloth napkins. That brings a smile to my lips. Mary has already brought out a bowl of green beans.

Aidan takes a seat at the head of the table, his brow furrowing. I’ve been around him long enough to know this is his something doesn’t make senseface. “Yes, but their tree is blue and white, and I told them that Christmas colors are red and green.”

“I’ve seen some really pretty blue and white Christmas trees,” I say, standing behind a chair as Mary comes out with a small platter of meatloaf and sets it on the table. Her cheeks aren’t flushed, so I think I may have escaped this situation unscathed.

“Now you’re staring at her face,” Aidan says, sounding perplexed. “Mom says it’s not polite to stare.”

Oh. Shit.

Mary looks up, but her gaze doesn’t reach mine.

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