by T. J. Finn
The door to his office opened and he stopped his pacing to turn and glare at whoever dared to bother him right now. Jack looked in, eyes wide and hesitant.
“Get out.” Max barked the order loud enough for everyone to hear. When Jack didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes. “What?!”
“I thought you’d want to know that the state is sending in the big guns. We should have completely plowed roads in a few hours. Then the Red Cross is on the phone wanting to know if we need them to come.”
Max clenched his jaw and tried to take deep breaths to calm down. He still had a job to do and that had to take priority over everything else right now. Nodding, Max forced himself to sit down at his desk. Looking up at Jack, he picked up the phone. “I’d leave right now. I’m not in the mood.”
Jack quickly slipped out of the door, closing it softly behind him. Max felt a little guilty when he watched him go to his desk. He shouldn’t take this out on his men. This was his personal life not part of his job. Leaning back in his chair, he answered the call that was on hold focusing on the job at hand and not the fact that his heart had been shattered in so many pieces that he wasn’t sure they’d ever fit back together again.
He let the Red Cross know he didn’t think they needed them to come then threw himself into everything else that needed to be done. He met the state’s plows and let them know where he thought they should start and sent them on their way. But despite throwing himself into his job, though, he couldn’t stop thinking of Willow.
He’d gone past Willow’s house throughout the day, checking to see if her husband’s car was still in the driveway. As the day progressed, the more he thought about what he’d seen and heard and realized e only knew a small part of the story. Not the whole story.
Each time he passed her house, his wolf would pace and growl, angry that there was another male with their mate. Then, he drove by one more time, noticing that the driveway was empty. Pulling in, he didn’t remember making the decision to stop until his wolf yelped and he realized what he had done. Was she even home? Or had she gone off with her husband, turning her back on everything they had talked about.
He got out of his Explorer and walked up to the porch, staring at the door. He finally tried the door and was relieved to find it unlocked. Slowing opening it, he quietly went inside then stopped his tracks. There were no lights on but they weren’t needed. The fire roaring in the fireplace not only cast a red glow in the room, but the Christmas lights on the tree softly glowed in the corner.
“Max.” he turned at Willlow’s breathy voice to see her standing there holding a box that was marked Mom’s Christmas Ornaments. “What are you doing here?”
He closed the door behind him, taking off his hat and gloves. Words were lost to him for a moment until he looked at the tree then back at her. “Why was Darwyn here calling himself your husband?”
She carried the box of ornaments past him to set it down by the tree. The tree. Max stared at it a moment again. She was decorating for Christmas. She was using the tree and lights he brought her to decorate her house for a holiday that she professed to hate.
Straightening, Willow turned back to him and picked up the folded document on the coffee table. “He came to ask me to come back to him and start over. He said he had lied when he told me he didn’t love me and was sorry he walked out on me.” She held up the documents in her hand. “He told me that he hadn’t signed the divorce papers like I thought he had and that we were still married.”
The words sank in and his heart seemed to stop beating. Still married. Willow wasn’t available to him after all. He let out a breath and nodded turning around to leave. “Well, I’ll let you guys work this out and I wish you both…”
“I said no.” Max turned back to look at her. She took a tentative step toward him. “I told him I had fallen in love with someone else and made him sign the documents in front of me. Then I kicked him out. I’ll send the documents to my attorney and he’ll take care of the rest.”
Man and wolf just looked at her for a moment. His heart felt like it started beating again then missed beat as he stepped toward her. “You did?”
Willow nodded and dropped the document back onto her coffee table and closed the distance between them. Reaching up, she caressed his cheek. “I love you Max Tucker. I don’t know what being your mate means but I do know that I don’t want to deny I have feelings for you. I only want to be in your arms and to hell with everything and everyone else who might object.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close against him. Her arms went around his neck when he kissed her. Lifting his head, he looked down at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “So you don’t mind if anyone sees my Explorer sitting outside your house all night?”
She smiled and shook her head. “Nope. Of course, I think a few suspected there was something between us anyway.” but I don’t care one bit.”
He looked past her at the tree then down at her again. “I see you put up the tree.”
“I did. I couldn’t get a hold of you so I put it up to feel closer to you. But now that you’re here, why don’t you help me finish it. I’ve got dinner in the oven and a nice fire going. We can eat, decorate and talk.”
Max shook his head. “No more talking about anything more than where to put an ornament, how great the food is and where would you like me to touch you next.” He hugged her tightly then, loving the feel of her in his arms. Dropping his head slightly he whispered in her ear. “I love you Willow McAfferty. Promise me that you’ll never let go.”
Willow lifted on her toes, her warm breath on his skin as she whispered back. “I promise, Max. I promise.”
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I hope you enjoyed reading about Max and Willow. You will see more them I promise!
I had a lot of fun, and a few tears, and some more laughs writing this story for you. If you read this, it would mean a lot to me if you would leave a review. Even just a quick note on Amazon to say - Good Job, or Great Read, makes a big difference to me and my career.
This book is dedicated to my tribe - Leigh Zapata, Linda Pantlin Dunn, Toni Barone Paul, Corrine Aker, Dawn Potter and Carol Ann. Your love, support and encouragement keeps me writing!
About the Author
TJ Finn loves reading, writing, stalking other authors that she can fangirl over on Facebook, and non-hoppy beer.
She's the author of super sexy paranormal romance and can't wait to get her next book out into the world for her brand spanking new raving fans.
You can find TJ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads. She loves to hear from readers and really wants you to find her on the inter
net so she can procrastinate writing her next one-thousand words.
Also by TJ Finn
Touch of Danger (A Magic, New Mexico Book)
Fated Treasurers; Paranormal Dating Agency writing as D. T. Strange
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
Dangerously Scrooged
First Edition, December 5th, 2019
Copyright © 2019 Two Strange Chicks Publishing, All rights reserved.
Cover by EmCat Designs
