Page 12 of Havoc for the Holidays

“Please, no. I think I'm rather flattered.”

“Excellent. How do you want your steak cooked?” He took his keys from his pocket and tossed them toward me. Naturally, I fumbled them, but my lucky stars finally made an appearance and I managed to keep from dropping them.

“Medium rare, please. And thank you.”

“Go get comfy and let the car warm up. This shouldn't take long.”

I trudged across the parking lot toward the vehicle he indicated and sighed to myself under my breath. I was nervous for all sorts of different reasons now, none of which were related to the car situation. I'm sure he didn't do it intentionally, but his flirtatious demeanor had managed to get my tormented thoughts properly diverted to the thinly veiled promises of the direction our evening was headed.

Ezechiel’s car was much fancier than my old beater. I was almost afraid to dirty the seats as I carefully climbed into the passenger seat and kept my hands neatly folded on my lap lest I push one of the numerous buttons. Mumbling an “oh” under my breath over almost forgetting to warm the engine like he’d asked, I went to put the key in the ignition, only to realize I didn't need to. I should have realized when I read the giant button that said start/stop. Thankfully, he wasn't there to see me blush in humiliation.

This was going to be a night fraught with opportunities to mess up, but for some reason, I wasn't nearly as nervous about it as I should have likely been. For once, I actually had a bit of excitement to revel in. Fingers crossed I could get through it all without any more issues. Lord knows, I could use the break.

Chapter eight

Ezechiel

Iglanced toward the passenger seat as we pulled out onto the road and could barely contain my smile. This was not at all how I expected our evening to go, nor did I actually expect him to concede so easily to my proposal, but here he was, in my car, as we headed back toward my house with a fancy meal in the backseat. I wanted so badly to reach out and grab his hand to offer some sort of comfort for his distress, but I had to play my cards carefully. He was better now than he was earlier, butobviously, something was bothering him and I didn't want to make it worse.

My home wasn't all that far away, but I took the opportunity to drive slowly and revel in the strange intimacy that came with sharing a small space filled with the anticipation of what was to come. Even if all we did was share a meal, I'd be over the moon. This shy, enigmatic man with the weight of the world on his shoulders had me fascinated. To be completely honest, the urge to wrap him up and hold him close was strong. He hadn't wanted me to see his breakdown, but now that I had, I wanted to find some way of easing his troubles.

His quiet contemplation didn't ease my worries much. Judging by how he fidgeted and readjusted his weight in the seat, he was still troubled. I had to believe we would be able to resurrect the excitement and anticipation of our date once we got back to my place. As I flicked on the blinker and slowed to make the turn, he perked up in his seat.

“Oh, I completely forgot—are you staying in one of those adorable cabins? The ones your mom owns?”

“Indeed, I am.” I chanced another glance and was rewarded with one of his priceless, unfettered smiles.

“I take Becs over every Christmas once your mom gets them all decorated for the holidays. She calls them the gingerbread houses. Are they as cute on the inside as they are on the outside?”

His childlike joy was infectious and heartwarming. “I think so, but I might be biased. Would you both like to come over and put up the decorations this year? Mom has volunteered me to help.”

“Oh! Oh, yes! You don't mind? She wouldn't mind?” He nearly bounced in his seat as I pulled up to my cottage and killed the engine. The lane running through my mother’s property was dotted with at least a dozen similar cottages, but this guest cottage was the largest and closest to the main house. It was alsothe only one that she never rented out to tourists. I think in her mind, it was always mine.

“Come on, before the food gets any colder.” I popped my door open and smiled before climbing out. He hurried to follow, meeting me at the steps as I juggled the large bag containing our dinner. “I have a few bottles of beer in the fridge, plus a bottle of wine mom sent over the other day.”

“Oh… oh. That’s… sure. Whatever you're drinking is fine with me.” Even in the darkness, I could tell he was blushing. Once I got the door open, the light confirmed my suspicions. He was as rosy as a peach.

“What’s got you flushed, doll?”

“I'm not actually a big drinker. I mean, I do sometimes but not often.” He ruffled his hair before shifting to the side to kick his shoes off. “I just never have the time.”

“Right. I keep forgetting it's different for parents.” I contemplated avoiding the question I'd been pondering since the day I first met him, but if we were going to give this thing a real shot, I figured it would need to be asked sooner or later. I beckoned him into the kitchen and set the bags on the table before going in search of plates as I voiced the difficult personal question.

“Is her mother not in the picture? I suppose you don't have to answer but…”

“No, you should know. I mean, everyone does. Small towns are like that.” He shrugged and fiddled with the edge of the countertop before continuing in a quieter voice. “Prom night mistakes turned into life changing consequences. We were sixteen.”

“That’s…” I whistled low under my breath. “That’s tough.”

He nodded and flashed a shy grin. “It was. We talked about different options, but I knew even then that I wanted a family. She wasn't ready for parenthood, but I didn't want my childbeing adopted. So she signed over her rights to me once Rebecca was born. Cut and dry. My parents were a huge help.”

“Jesus, I can't even imagine.” I paused with the plates in my hands and truly tried to put myself in his shoes. A teenager with a newborn baby? My biggest worries as a teenager were what party I wanted to hit up on the weekend and how late I could sleep in and still make it to school on time. My admiration for him skyrocketed instantly.

“I wouldn’t change it for the world. Sheismy world.” He reached out and took the plates with a smile. “You can ask me anything. You know that, right?”

“Same, doll.” I winked and turned to fetch silverware.

“Okay then. Why me?” He turned his back to me and set the plates on the table before taking the to-go containers from the bag.

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