A Marine for Christmas (Hearts Ablaze: Men in Uniform)

by Jameison, Makenna

  “You know what?” Amy asked, looking around. “I’d rather just forget about it. Let’s talk about Kara’s girls or what time we’re having dessert, or the weather, or anything else. How’s that?”

  Beth smiled sympathetically from across the table, while Kara was distracted by the wailing from one of her twins. Melissa looked a little hurt and disappointed that she’d been left out of learning the whole story, but Amy just didn’t feel like discussing any of it right then. She’d put the whole thing behind her and try to forget the feeling of Jason’s muscular arms holding her close or his hot lips all over her body. She’d try to think of something, anything, but that.

  Chapter 19

  She knew he was back when his car disappeared from the driveway one morning. The long holiday weekend was over, and life had resumed to normal. Or not exactly normal, since she hadn’t spoken to Jason in over a week, ever since she’d stormed out of his house Sunday morning. Or maybe life was back to the “Pre-Jason” normal. It’s not like she’d spoken to him much at all when he’d first moved here. A wave hello here, a good morning there. She could go back to that someday. Maybe.

  The snow had long melted, and the temperatures were hovering in the low forties—much more typical for this time of year. The kids had been bouncing off the walls on their first day back at school. So was she, if truth be told. She felt anxious and antsy now that she knew Jason was back in town, and she was certain that she was bound to run into him at some point. What was she supposed to say? The hurt and regret she was feeling made just the idea of seeing him unbearable right now.

  Amy turned her attention back to the classroom, saying goodbye to the students as the last parents and caregivers trickled in to pick them up. She had a lot to catch up on after the Thanksgiving holiday but was hoping she’d be able to get in a late afternoon run before heading home. Her mind drifted, thinking ahead to the next few weeks. Before she knew it, Christmas would be here. She’d barely begun her holiday shopping. Although the girls had gone out the morning after Thanksgiving, the malls had been so crowded, they’d shopped for only an hour or so before retreating to the safe haven of a restaurant for lunch.

  Kara was excited for her twins first Christmas, and Beth was on cloud nine for the first Christmas she and Nick would have together in her condo. Melissa and Amy were the only ones not bursting with excitement. It would be nice to have someone to spend Christmas with, but for the first time in years, Amy would be alone. Of course she’d go home to her parents’ house in Maryland, so it’s not like she’d truly be alone. Hopefully her sister would be there as well, but Amy never knew what her sister’s schedule would be like while she was completing her residency.

  Amy changed into her running gear before heading out, slipping on a warm fleece over her tee shirt and pulling on a fleece headband for extra warmth. She pulled some knit gloves out of her bag and pulled them on as well. Carrying everything out to her SUV, she drove over to the parking lot she preferred to use for running on the trails. It was amazing how much the landscape had changed in just a few short weeks. The leaves had all fallen off the trees, the cold air had the smoky scent of winter to it, and even the sky was gloomy and grey as if announcing that winter was indeed here. Although she didn’t particularly care for cold weather, she didn’t mind running in it. Running was a distraction and way to clear her head of everything else. Nothing else mattered as she pounded on the trail through the forest. Nothing and no one. She smirked, realizing the last time she’d come here she was upset about Ben. How silly that seemed now. If Jason had done one thing for her, it was to help her finally get over her ex. Now if only she could find a way to get over Jason as well.

  ***

  Jason pulled his son’s suitcase from the trunk of the car the following weekend. The little boy stood beside him, glancing around both excitedly and nervously at the same time. Although Jason’s enjoyment of Thanksgiving weekend had not been without a dark cloud hanging above him due to the way things had ended with Amy, his actual visit to California had gone off without a hitch. He’d gotten to see his parents and brother, he and Kristin had finally reached a custody agreement without needing a court hearing, and perhaps best of all, she’d agreed to let Brian spend the two weeks before Christmas with him. He’d had to make arrangements at work to rearrange his shift, but it was all well worth it to spend quality time with his son. Now here they were, a week later, standing in his driveway together.

  They’d always bonded when he’d gone out to visit, partly because he’d travelled to be with Brian so much. He’d also been lucky in that his and Kristin’s wasn’t a bitter divorce. She’d always allowed him access to Brian, even when she maintained full custody, and Brian had grown up knowing as much as he could of his father, even though Jason had been stationed on the other side of the world.

  He still hadn’t seen Amy since he’d returned, and he hadn’t figured out the right way to smooth things over. Now that his son was visiting it would be even more awkward to go over there. He would’ve loved for Amy to meet Brian, but now certainly wasn’t the right time. And hell, he still hadn’t even gotten to take her out on a proper date. No wonder she thought he was a first-class jerk. He hadn’t told her about Brian. He’d slept with her and then made her feel like he wasn’t interested in anything more by leaving town almost immediately after. He still felt crushed every time he pictured her face before she’d run out the door—the hurt and sadness had been unmistakable.

  “Are you sure this is Virginia?” Brian asked, glancing up at him questioningly.

  Jason laughed as he looked down at him. “Of course I’m sure. What makes you ask that?”

  “Well, it doesn’t look any different from California.”

  “Maybe not,” Jason agreed. “What were you expecting?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe some different trees and grass.”

  “Different trees and grass,” Jason chuckled. “These do look pretty much the same,” he said, glancing around. He noticed Amy’s car was gone from the driveway, he wondered if she was out running errands this morning. The last Saturday he’d been in town Amy had come over to see the painting. Now there was a definite possibility that he’d run into her since he’d likely be in and out all day with Brian. He was nervous to see her again, unknowing how she’d react.

  Jason had gotten up early this morning to drive to National Airport in Washington, DC to pick up Brian. Jason’s brother had been home on leave over Thanksgiving and was able to accompany Brian on the cross-country flight. It had been good to both pick up Brian and give his brother one last goodbye before he returned to duty. R&R was never long enough, but it had been nice that his brother had been able to make it all the way home this year.

  “What do you say we head inside? I’ll show you the tent I set up for us to camp out in the living room.”

  “With sleeping bags?” Brian asked excitedly.

  “Yes, two sleeping bags. One for me, and one for you, buddy. Next time I’ll have a bed set up for you—promise.”

  “No, sleeping bags are better!”

  “High five?” Jason asked.

  “High five!” Brian shouted, jumping up in the air.

  At that exact moment Amy’s SUV came driving down the street. Jason cringed slightly at the bad timing. She’d obviously seen him standing in the driveway with Brian, and now here he was just staring at her. He felt a slight clenching in his gut as he caught a glimpse of her behind the wheel. This wasn’t the right time for him to rush over there and convince her they needed to talk. It would be rude of him to not at least wave hello though. As her car approached he raised a hand and waved. It was a friendly, neighborly gesture, if not exactly the way you’d want to greet the woman you’d just slept with. Her car pulled into her driveway and she stepped out, wearing those running tights again and a fleece-looking jacket.

  “Who’s that?” Brian asked. “Do you know her?”

  Jason realized he was still staring, and Amy glanced over in their direct
ion, her brown ponytail bobbing with the turn of her head. She had dark sunglasses on, so Jason couldn’t see her eyes, and her mouth was set in a tight line. She nodded ever so slightly at him as she went to the back of her SUV to retrieve her grocery bags from the trunk. If she hadn’t needed to walk in that direction, Jason had a feeling she wouldn’t have even acknowledged him at all. Not that he deserved any different.

  “Why didn’t she say anything? I saw her looking at us.”

  “Doesn’t matter,” he said, putting a hand on Brian’s back to guide him inside.

  “Why?”

  “It’s just grown-up stuff.”

  “Like what?”

  “She’s mad at me right now. Now come on.”

  “Are you mad at my Dad?” Brian shouted across the street.

  “Brian,” he said firmly, giving him a stern look.

  Amy looked back at them, startled, her red lips forming a perfect “o.”

  “Sorry,” Jason called over, his voice gruff. He was still holding Brian’s suitcase, and Amy had two bags of groceries in her arms. He knew Amy wouldn’t yell or get mad at him in front of his child, but this wasn’t exactly the way he planned to smooth things over.

  “I have to put my groceries away,” she said, her voice halting. She bit her lip and turned, walking quickly toward her front door. Jason felt his heart breaking all over again.

  “Let’s go inside, buddy,” he said, looking down at Brian.

  “I don’t think she likes you,” he said in his little four-year-old voice.

  “You know what? I think you’re right.”

  Chapter 20

  Amy felt the tears welling in her eyes as she hastily shoved her keys in the front lock. She jiggled them around while balancing the groceries in her arms, and then nudged the door open with her knee when the doorknob finally turned. She’d been expecting to run into Jason at some point but hadn’t considered she’d be forced to get out of the car and unload her things while he and his son stood there and watched. It was humiliating, really. He had a life already, filled with plenty of people and plans for the future, and there was certainly no room for her in it.

  Carrying her groceries into the kitchen, Amy thought back to the summer, when she and Ben had just begun dating. God, she had noticed Ben for years, always wanting to be around him with his charisma, good looks, and charm. After just watching from the sidelines as he dated girl after girl, he’d taken notice in her when he returned to town last spring. When they’d finally gotten together it had been like a dream come true. Then out of nowhere, she’d discovered she was pregnant. She and Ben both had been nervously excited. She was on birth control pills but there’d been that one time she’d forgotten to bring them on a weekend away, and they hadn’t been able to stop themselves. That was all it had taken, and in an instant she’d been planning a life revolving around her child.

  When she’d lost the baby a month later and found out she could never have children, it had been devastating. They hadn’t told anyone that she was pregnant, and just like that they’d kept the loss a secret as well. She’d broken up with Ben shortly after that, unable to deal with the heartache. Ben moved on with his new girlfriend, perhaps trying to heal in his own way.

  That Jason had a son didn’t bother her as much as that he’d kept it a secret. And then when he’d said she wouldn’t understand until she had a child of her own was like a dagger straight through the heart. She sighed, tossing some of the pre-packaged cookies she’d bought onto the counter. She hadn’t meant to blurt out that particular piece of knowledge to Jason. Hell, even her best friends didn’t know. But there had been such a raw anger rushing through her at the moment, she’d wanted to say something, anything, to make him understand the hurt.

  And now it looked like Jason had won whatever custody battle he’d been fighting with his ex-wife since his son was visiting. It’s not like she was about to move away, so she’d just have to get used to it.

  In the meantime, she only had a couple of hours to get ready for her friends to arrive. She was throwing a tree-trimming party this afternoon, and she still hadn’t even gotten her tree up yet. Although picking out a fresh tree sounded appealing, she had an artificial one in the basement that would just have to do for this year. On second thought, maybe she could turn her tree-trimming party into a tree-assembling party as well. Since the guys would be here with her friends, she figured Nick and Aaron could help her lug it upstairs to the living room. She still needed to shower and change and then get snacks and drinks ready for her friends. Maybe putting on a little Christmas music would get me more in the mood, she thought.

  She walked over to her iPod and turned it on, hearing the strains of a Christmas tune just ending. She’d had her playlist set to holiday music all week, attempting to cheer herself up. It wasn’t the same though without Christmas decorations filling her home. This afternoon with friends was just what she needed. A few decorations, some music, drinks, and the scent of spiced cider filling her home might be just what she needed to get back in the holiday spirit.

  ***

  “Hey!” A male voice called out as Melissa got out of her car later that afternoon. The wind nipped at her, and she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to stay warm. “Hey, Red!”

  Puzzled, she turned in the direction of the voice. She’d been called “Red” a few times over the years by friends thanks to her flaming locks, but it wasn’t often by strangers on the street. Or ever, really. Her eyes narrowed and she put both hands on her hips as she saw Amy’s neighbor Jason jogging across the street toward her. His front door was open, and standing on the other side of the glass storm door was a little boy. Well, that was new, she thought. She knew some of what had happened between Amy and Jason, but Amy had seemed determined not to delve into all the details.

  “Red?” she asked accusingly as he got closer. He was tall, much taller than she’d thought when he’d jogged by her that day over a month ago. His dark hair was cropped short, his blue eyes intense, and his muscular frame clad in a Henley shirt and khaki cargo pants that hung perfectly from his hips. He was probably cold standing out here like that in this weather, but she wasn’t about to rush this along.

  “Yeah, sorry,” he said as he came to a stop in front of her. “I don’t know your name; that’s just how I think of you.”

  “So you think about me and not…say…Amy?”

  Jason smiled, shaking his head. Obviously Amy had told her friends what had happened, and they weren’t going to make it easy for him. “Not in the way you’re thinking of, Honey.”

  She laughed, caught up for a moment by his charm, and then remembered that she was angry with him. “So why are you running across the street to see me? Amy lives right there.”

  “I need your help,” he admitted.

  “And I would help you because…?”

  “Because I hurt Amy. I didn’t mean to, and I just need to talk to her to apologize and explain myself. Even if she doesn’t want to see me again, don’t I at least owe her that?”

  Melissa tilted her head to the side as she appraised him, trying to decide what to do. Yes, her friend had been hurt by him. But would helping Jason talk to her really make any difference? What’s done was done. “Look, I don’t know if it would make any difference. As far as I know, she thinks you’re a total jack-ass.”

  Jason winced at that, knowing that Amy had every right to be angry with him. Melissa seemed to take pleasure in passing on that particular bit of news to him, but he realized she was upset for her friend’s sake.

  “Look, just put in a good word for me if you can. Please tell her that I would love a chance to explain myself. Yes, Brian is here for two weeks, as you can see,” he said, gesturing toward his front door. “But if you could at least ask her to answer the phone when I call….I don’t want to keep bothering her, but I can’t stand knowing I’ve upset her this much.”

  Melissa considered him, trying to decide what to do. He did seem to be going through an
awful lot of trouble just to speak with her. I mean, it’s not like he could expect Amy to swing by for another rousing night in the sack with his son staying with him. Maybe he really did just want to smooth things over. “All right—I’ll try,” she said shortly. “I can’t promise anything though.”

  “Thank you,” Jason said, nodding toward her, his voice smooth and deep. “And please, just tell her that I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen the way that it did.”

  “Okay,” she said with a shrug. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  She turned back to her car and retrieved her purse and a bag teeming with garland, ornaments, and tinsel. As she closed the door she saw Jason was still standing there, eyeing the bag questioningly. “Tree-trimming party,” she explained. “Amy loves Christmas.”

  He nodded, and a flash of some emotion she couldn’t quite detect filled his eyes. “Have fun,” he said, turning away. In a moment he’d jogged back across the street and was pulling open the door and scooping up Brian into his arms. As she watched him go, she couldn’t help but think this wasn’t a guy that had purposefully hidden the fact that he had a child from her friend. He seemed to love his son so much—they were obviously comfortable and happy together. And didn’t the guy fly cross-country several times a month just to see the kid? She wasn’t entirely sure that Amy would see things the same way though.

  Chapter 21

  “Like this?” Nick asked an hour later, trying to arrange the lights according to Amy and Beth’s direction.

  “No, you’re missing that whole section,” Beth protested with a laugh. She good-naturedly tossed a strand of garland at him that was waiting to be hung next, and he easily snatched it out of the air.