'Tis the Season for Love: A Charity Box Set

by Maggie Dallen

  “Very lucky.” He glanced at the door that stood behind the desk and opened out onto a balcony. Great big fluffy snowflakes had begun to drop lazily to the ground. Raking a hand through his blond hair, he stared at the snow, his expression growing somber. “To be honest, I didn’t think families like these existed anymore.”

  She didn’t know what to say. While she’d always been thankful for her family, she’d never realized how much until Jordan’s confession about his own family life. Feeling oddly guilty about it, she went to open the door to the balcony and walked out to watch the snow fall.

  It wasn’t fair that he’d grown up without a tight family unit around him. If she had one wish, it was that everyone got to experience a family like hers growing up. But that wasn’t reality. In real life, there were many children lacking the love and care that she’d been given as a growing child. And at this time of year, she imagined many of them were wishing for more than just a pony from Santa. The thought made her heart ache.

  She stared out at the quiet streets of Snow Pines, Christmas lights twinkling in the distance. Moments later, she felt Jordan move beside her, his shoulder warm against hers. His presence seemed to chase away the sadness. She blinked away the tears in her eyes and managed a small smile.

  “Thank you for putting up with my family tonight.” Her breaths came out in little white puffs. “I’m sorry if they made you feel uncomfortable or anything.”

  “Why would they make me feel uncomfortable?” he asked with a tilt of his head.

  She looked up at him. “It’s just…you know. People don’t usually have male coworkers over for family suppers. Usually, it’s someone they’re dating.”

  He shrugged, staring intently down at her. “Yeah, I guess it’s a little strange. Your sister definitely wants us to date.”

  Eve threw her head back and let out a grim laugh. “She’s not subtle, that’s for sure. But just so you know, I don’t expect anything from you. I won’t deny that I really like spending time with you, but you’re leaving in a few days.”

  His expression hardened and his gaze moved to her mouth. “Yes, I am. And I like spending time with you, too.”

  Her stomach did a little flip flop. He did like her. It was nice to finally know for sure.

  “Truth is, I’m going to miss you.” She licked her lips, a sad smile forming on them. “As much as I was determined not to.”

  A cold December wind picked up just then. Eve shifted closer to Jordan, seeking his warmth. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing his hand against the small of her back. Goosebumps rose along the back of her neck and she couldn’t be sure if it was because of the chilly weather, or because he was standing so close she could smell the tangy scent of his cologne.

  “I’m not sure if this lives up to your romance movies,” he whispered, his voice low and raspy. “But I really want to kiss you right now.”

  A shiver went down her spine. She sighed and leaned in a bit closer. “I want that, too.”

  His eyes searched her face. In his gaze she saw a hunger that made her gut heat and threatened to melt the falling snowflakes around them. With a tantalizing slowness, he reached up to cup her chin in his hand. The pad of his thumb traced along the curve of her lips, burning her skin.

  She wanted him. There was no longer any question. It didn’t matter if he was only staying for a day or for the rest of his life. She had to know what it felt like to touch him, to taste him, to breathe him in.

  Jordan leaned in closer and her heart beat dangerously fast. His lips were only inches from her own. She wondered what he was waiting for – if he would change his mind once again. But with a steadying breath, he seemed finally ready to make his move. Pressing his lips to hers, they met in a sweet kiss that sent flutters deep into her stomach.

  She moaned into his mouth and worked her fingers under the collar of his shirt, pulling him in closer. For a long moment, they embraced in a rush of hands and lips. Despite the cold, Eve felt as if she were going to burst into flames from the heat. She’d never been kissed like this before now.

  Jordan tasted like nutmeg and cinnamon, his tangy cologne filling her senses. His hands on the small of her back were insistent, but gentle. Their lips worked together in a dance until a barking noise caused them both to start. They glanced over their shoulder to see Daisy standing in the Judge’s office, watching them both with her pink tongue lolling out of her mouth. Jordan chuckled and grabbed the railing on either side of Eve. He gazed into her face, his breath coming in and out as if he’d just sprinted down the block.

  “We’ve been caught,” Eve said with a smile.

  “That was...” Jordan shook his head and swallowed hard. “That was something.”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “A good something?”

  “A great something.” He let loose a big breath as she laughed. “I definitely wasn’t expecting to find someone like you in Snow Pines.”

  “Me, neither." She sighed and met his gaze with a helpless smile. “But I’ll still be here after Christmas. You’re leaving.”

  His eyes darkened and he looked down at the ground. “I know. And I hate it.”

  There was nothing more to say. It was the truth. As soon as the play was over, she’d have to fulfill her end of the bargain and Jordan would be gone. He couldn’t stay in Snow Pines forever.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he rested his chin on her head. She took in his warmth and sighed, glad that if only for a moment, she was his.

  Chapter 9

  T minus two days until Christmas Eve and Jordan was flying high. He couldn’t stop staring at Eve from across the office, appreciating the way she brushed her hair off her shoulders, the curve of her waist, and how her eyes shone when she smiled. That kiss on her balcony had been on his mind all weekend. In fact, after Saturday’s long rehearsal, they’d repeated the act, pressed up against her car under the inky black of the winter sky. He wanted to do it again now, but her office mates might find them a little inappropriate.

  Instead, he contented himself with glancing at her throughout the day, occasionally meeting her heated gaze. If there was such a thing as a spark, they had it. There was no denying it. He felt it deep within his gut every time they touched.

  And after the family dinner, he couldn’t help but be amazed at Eve’s family. He didn’t think families like that existed anymore. Most of his buddies had grown up in broken homes. His own family was the prime example of dysfunction. Yet, the Walkers acted like they belonged to a prime time TV show family, complete with the wonderful kids, the incredible wife, and the tough, but lovable father.

  As his gaze met with Eve’s again across the office, he held it, feeling the tension build as her generous lips curled into a knowing smile. There was nothing shy about her and he liked it that way.

  “Isn’t that your phone?” she asked as an annoying buzzing interrupted the heavy silence.

  Jordan looked down at his cell. “Yep. Probably Marie again. That woman just can’t leave me alone.”

  He’d nearly finished his work here and sent it all her way. Everything was perfect. He wasn’t sure why she was still checking up on him. Apparently, she couldn’t let anything out of her control, not even when the job was nearly done.

  “Hello?” The sound of heavy breathing met his greeting along with the noise of street traffic. “Marie? Is that you?”

  “Jordan?”

  The soft and honeyed voice made his spine straighten. He hadn’t heard it in forever, but he knew it as well today as he had a decade ago. “Mom?”

  “Yes, it’s me.” In so few words, he could already pick up the weariness in her tone. “How are you, son?”

  He licked his lips and leaned back in the office chair. What a loaded question. He’d just had the best week of his thirty years, yet he still felt anger and resentment resurfacing at the sudden reappearance of his mother in his life. The two opposing feelings fought with each other, battling for control.

  “Fine,” was all he
could get out. “Just fine. What’s wrong?”

  She’d never called him to celebrate good news. Not even for a holiday or his birthday. There had to be a reason she was calling.

  “Your father and I had a fight,” she said in a raspy voice. In the background, a car honked. “He locked me out of the house.”

  He rubbed a thumb along his temple. “That man is not my father.”

  “He’s your step-father,” she argued in a weirdly defensive tone.

  Eve watched him from her desk, her right eyebrow raised. He glanced up at her and shrugged, unsure how to react to this person on the phone who was practically a stranger now.

  “Mom, what do you want?”

  “Can I come stay with you?” There was a slight tremble to her voice. “Just until things blow over. James needs to cool off.”

  He closed his eyes. She must’ve been desperate to call on him. James had a way of cutting her off from outside friends, leaving her defenseless and vulnerable to his manipulation. He was the only lifeline that James couldn’t completely cut off, no matter how hard he tried.

  If he’d been at home right now, it would’ve been easier to say no. But Junction was less than an hour away from Snow Pines. He could drive over and back before the end of the work day. There was really no feasible reason to turn her down, except for the fact that they’d been here before – when he was only sixteen. And that fight had ended in him leaving the house for good.

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “Meet you at Jerry’s Shop in an hour.”

  “It’s called Billion’s Auto now,” she replied, relief in her voice. “I’ll see you soon, baby.”

  He hung up the phone and grabbed his coat. Eve was still watching him, her eyes tracking his every movement. He paused and placed his hands on the back of his chair, swallowing hard. “My mom’s had a fight with her husband. She needs me to pick her up. I’ll be back in two hours.”

  “I’m going with you.” She stood up and plucked her purse from a drawer in her desk. Daisy was quick to follow, jumping up from her dog bed as if she expected to go on a walk.

  He held up a hand. They’d just started dating, if they could even call it that. This family drama was the last thing he wanted to subject her to. “I don’t think you want to do that.”

  Her lips pursed and Jordan could recognize the beginning signs of her stubborn side coming out. He bit back a smile, always amused to find himself on the receiving end of her attitude.

  “Jordan Davis, we’re coming with you. And that’s final.” She swung the strap of her purse over her shoulder and reached for Daisy’s leash. “Besides, it might be nice to have a guard dog by your side.”

  He side-eyed the happy dog, doubt showing in the lines of his frown. “Is that supposed to be my guard dog? If so, I think I’m doomed.”

  They left for Junction in his Grand Am. He had to clear off the passenger seat and toss the fast food wrappers before she could get in and Daisy jump in the back seat. Luckily, Eve didn’t seem disgusted by his messy car. She buckled up like she’d been in it a million times before and grabbed his hand once he’d pulled onto the road.

  “Has this ever happened before?” she asked him, searching his face.

  He kept his eyes trained on the road, his gut churning with anticipation. “She’s left me voice mails from payphones before. Would never say why she was calling, but I’m guessing it was because of a fight. I never returned them. This is the first time we’ve talked in years.”

  A woman like Eve could never understand his predicament. She had the perfect family. He still couldn’t forgive his mother for choosing her abusive husband over her own son. It burned a hole in his stomach just to think about it. And yet, here he was, driving out of his way to rescue her. Clearly, he wasn’t free from her like he’d thought.

  “Is your sister going to be okay with you skipping out on dress shopping?” Jordan asked, intent on changing the topic. Anything was better than talking about his mom. “I don’t think we’ll make it back in time.”

  Eve nodded solemnly. “She already canceled. Something about an appointment with a florist. I swear, those two are so busy they just need to get it over with. Get married this weekend. Then, we can all finally stop talking about wedding planning.”

  He chuckled, feeling the laughter rumble in his chest. It was nice to talk to a girl who wasn’t so obsessed about weddings. “Does this Aaron guy even exist? I mean, you’ve been talking about him for weeks, but I’ve never met the guy.”

  “He does.” She leaned forward in her seat, pulling at the seat belt. “I swear. He and Brianna are so cute together. They met their freshmen year of college. If anyone was meant-to-be, it’s those two.”

  A soft smile pulled at the left side of his mouth as he watched her out of the corner of his eye. She was so optimistic, so sure of the world around her. He hated the thought of that ever changing. She deserved a life full of those happy promises – one where parents never split up and kids always came home for Christmas.

  The trip to Junction didn’t seem to take long. Within the hour, he was pulling into what used to be Jerry’s Shop. A new sign with the name Billion in bright red letters shown above the auto mechanic shop. He wondered what had happened to Jerry, the red-faced jolly mechanic who always had a beer in his hand. Maybe he’d retired, sold the place and retired to Mexico. Jordan preferred that possibility among all the others.

  “That’s her,” he said, pointing to a woman standing outside the shop with a plastic bag clutched in her hands.

  Jordan’s mother stood nearly six feet tall with willowy limbs and a thin waist hidden by yards of faded fabric. The dress she wore was a product left over from the eighties, with a large frilly collar and tied waistband. White tights covered her legs and led down to her sensible white sneakers. The only piece of jewelry she wore was a thin gold band around her left ring finger. Her thick blonde hair had been brushed back into a severe bun, accentuating her cheekbones.

  “Baby.” She walked up to Jordan’s door, holding her arms open. “It’s been too long.”

  He reluctantly let her hug him for a moment, and then backed away. This wasn’t the time for a family reunion and the pit in his stomach was only growing larger the closer she got to him. Still, she didn’t seem to notice his standoffish attitude.

  “You’ve brought your girlfriend,” she said, watching Eve get out of the passenger door with Daisy on her leash. His mom smiled and patted her hair for flyaways. “Isn’t she just beautiful? I wish you would’ve told me you were bringing her. I’d have made myself look more presentable.”

  Jordan went to roll his eyes, but paused mid roll when he caught a closer look at his mother’s face. A dark bruise had begun to form around her right eye, her eyelid swelling half shut. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to examine it.

  “Did James hit you?” he growled. A familiar rage sprung to life in his head. He hadn’t felt that in years. “Did he beat you?”

  “It was an accident,” she sputtered, pulling out of his grasp. Tenderly touching her eye, she winced at the pain. “We both lost control. It was my fault, really.”

  He pointed to the back seat of the Grand Am. “Get in the car.”

  They didn’t have time to argue over the specifics of who caused her eye to swell. The longer he stayed in this town, the more likely he was to hunt down his jerk of a step-father and return the favor. That could only lead to some time behind bars and he couldn’t afford that on his record.

  “Let’s go,” he growled.

  “I was just about to call you, baby,” his mom said, taking a step toward the auto shop. For the first time, Jordan noticed a man standing in the shadow of the doorway, watching their conversation. The sight of him made a shiver run down his spine. He recognized the hulking size of those arms and the fists clenched tightly at his sides. “Me and your father, we made up. I appreciate you driving all this way, but now I don’t need to put you out any longer. James is waiting for me.”

  J
ordan felt like he was going to burst into flames. Red hot anger coursed through his veins. “You, what? You’ve got to be kidding me. The guy just pummeled in your face.”

  “It was an accident, baby,” his mom repeated, glancing fearfully behind her. “Please don’t make him mad.”

  “Oh, I’ll do a lot more than that,” he muttered, taking a step toward the shop.

  Before he could make it around the car, Eve had intersected his angry rampage. She stood in front of him, her eyes wide and hands held out to stop him. Daisy danced nervously beside her, seemingly picking up on the tense situation.

  Jordan curled his fingers into tight fists, but didn’t go another inch further. Instead, he glared with all his might at the shadow in the doorway up ahead. It was the figure of a man who’d haunted his nightmares for over a decade. Except, now he wasn’t a little kid anymore and it wasn’t him who needed to be afraid.

  “You don’t want to do that,” Eve whispered, placing a soft hand on his shoulder.

  He forced his glare away from the shop and down at her. The frightened look on her face caused him to start, guilt creeping up instead. This wasn’t okay. He couldn’t fight his step-dad with Eve standing right there. She’d lose all respect for him. And he would hate himself forever.

  “Fine. Let’s go.” He glanced back up at the shadowy figure. “Have a nice life.”

  Turning on his heel, he marched right past his mother and back to the car. She tried to say something to him, but he was too deaf with rage to listen. Instead, he threw the key in the ignition and blared his music.

  Glaring through the windshield, he was surprised to see Eve approach his mother in front of the car. Daisy followed, offering the woman a friendly lick on her hand. Jordan was struck by the strange image. The woman he’d fallen for and her golden-hearted dog standing next to the woman who’d ruined his childhood. The woman who had hurt him so badly, he could hardly look at her. It was surreal, like he was in another dimension. They exchanged a few quiet words and then Eve handed her a slip of paper. With a quick hug, they parted ways and she got back in the car.