Page 333 of A Merry Mountain Christmas

And he had to question his sanity for not being in bed with her instead of here, rescuing the man who’d crushed him only hours earlier.

Lee came to a stop and grabbed the front of Jack’s shirt, trying to maintain eye contact but failing badly since he could hardly keep his eyes open. “Let me give you some big brother advice.”

His hand tightened, and he pulled Jack closer. The combined smell of beer and vomit nearly made Jack sick too.

“Don’t trust her, bro,” Lee said. “They convince you that you need them, then they cheat on you.”

Little did Lee know, and while part of Jack longed to rip off the Band-Aid and tell him what he knew, now was not the time. Jack wasn’t sure Lee would even remember once he sobered up.

“Yeah,” Jack said with a bitter laugh. “You don’t know the half of it. Come on, let’s get you to the car.”

Lee continued to mumble about women and cheating, then added, “Don’t build your life on a lie, bro. Don’t do it.”

“Lie?” Jack asked, unable to stop himself as they rounded the corner to the street. “What lie?”

“That he…” Lee violently shook his head and nearly fell over again.

Jack grabbed his arm and righted him. Did Lee know about their father’s misdeeds?

“Did you two take the scenic route?” Maisie called out, standing next to her car with the rear door open. She’d spread out some kind of tarp on the back seat that draped onto the floor. When Jack gave her a questioning look, she shrugged and flashed him a completely unselfconscious grin. “I’m used to hauling sick animals around.”

“I am not a sicko.” Lee pointed a finger at her face but misjudged his aim, poking her in the nose.

She easily batted it away with a short laugh. “Whatever, get in the car.”

The two of them managed to get him belted into the back seat, but he was already slumped over and snoring by the time they closed the door.

“Do you even know where they’re staying?” Maisie asked. “I could call Addy, but I’d hate to ruin her night.”

Disappointment washed through him, but he knew what he needed to do. “Yeah, they’re at the Grove Park Inn, but we can’t drop him off like this.”

“You want to take him back to your place?” she asked in disbelief. “Thatwould definitely ruin Addy and Georgie’s night.”

“No, not my place…” he said slowly.

Understanding spread over her face. “Oh.”

“It’s a big ask, Red.”

She studied him for a moment, and he was certain she was going to say no, but then she placed a soft kiss on hislips and stared up at him. Her eyes were always so expressive. Mischievous. Playful. Fierce. Angry. And now they looked adoring. He knew better than to think she was the kind of woman who gave out that kind of look often. When had he gotten so lucky?

“Do you have any idea how sexy a man who cares for wounded creatures is?”

“Lee’s not a—” he started to say, then stopped. Lee was probably the walking definition of a wounded man. He ran a hand over his head in frustration. “Sorry about tonight. You can just drop us off at a motel. A cheap one’s fine. It’s not like Little Lord Fauntleroy will notice until morning.”

She grinned at the nickname. “No, we’ll go back to my place, but I might insist on putting him out in the playhouse where I keep the other sick animals.”

He lifted his hand to her face, tucking an unruly red curl behind her ear. “No, you won’t.”

“Okay, I won’t, but don’t tell anyone. I’d hate to lose my rep as a hard-ass.”

He laughed, sweeping her into a hug. A hug now, holding hands earlier. Jack’s other relationships hadn’t been like this. He’d never felt this pull to be physically close to a woman unless it was going to lead somewhere. But Maisie had always felt more like a partner than just a lover.

The thought caught him off guard, but as the idea settled in, he wasn’t all that surprised. What was it Iris had said in her note?You’ve never looked at any other woman the way you look at her.

When he pulled back, he stared into her eyes in amazement, and a certainty he’d never felt before filled him—Maisie O’Shea was the one for him. It was much too early to tell her that, but he knew it to the marrow of his bones. Hope and peace settled in, making him feel like he’d finally found where he belonged.

Once Maisie started driving, he texted Iris to let her know he’d gotten her note and how much he appreciated her approval and support. He also let her know that he wouldn’t be home until morning, but he was only a text or phone call away if she needed him.

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