One Hot Christmas (Mercy Island Series Book 2)

by Jacquie Underdown

  Tennessee glanced away quickly, and that mouthful of emotion now sank to his stomach and made him sick. Why the hell did he say that?

  Meanwhile, the blonde woman blushed and nodded. “Me too. Looks like we’re in the right place this Christmas.”

  After breakfast, they were corralled into the living room.

  Tennessee took her position in the centre, smiling. “Good morning, singles. Thank you all for signing up for Twelve Dates of Christmas. I know Christmas can be a daunting time for some, so my intention for this weekend is to enjoy the company of each other and have fun. No expectations. No obligations. And if the spirit of Christmas decides to grace us with a little romance, embrace it fully and open your hearts to what may or may not eventuate.”

  She handed out the itineraries for the day. “Your dates’ names, times, locations, and the transport method allocated to get to your destinations are all detailed here, so there shouldn’t be any confusion. You’ll note that the second date each day will cover lunch at various locations across Mercy Island and beyond. Then, there will be a couple of hours this afternoon of free time. Feel free to take a relaxing bath, go for a stroll on the beach, do your hair, whatever. But at seven, we will all meet for dinner and games in the dining room.” She clapped and threw her hands in the air. “So, is everyone ready for Twelve Dates of Christmas?”

  The participants cheered. Hayden managed a genuine smile—it was hard to escape Tennessee’s contagious enthusiasm.

  “All right. Grab your first dates…” she winked “and let’s get started.”

  * * *

  Hayden’s first date was with the dark-haired, green-eyed woman who had made the comment about his ‘guns’ over breakfast. Miranda—a twenty-four-year-old primary-school teacher from the mainland.

  The first date was a surfing lesson from Bear, followed by coffee at the beachside café.

  Bear watched Hayden and Miranda tramp down the beach. A half-suppressed mocking smile curled his lips. That smile was enough to make Hayden’s muscles twitchy as he fought to push down the desire to punch Bear. He was enjoying Hayden’s misery a little too much.

  Bear gave Miranda some great pointers and practice moves before they were to venture out into the ocean for the real experience. When the pre-lesson was over, Miranda undressed out of her board shorts and singlet, revealing a petite body barely covered by a black bikini.

  “Would you mind putting some sunscreen on my back?” she asked, looking up from under her lashes.

  Hayden passed a glance with Bear, cleared his throat. “Um…sure.”

  He quickly applied the sunscreen, hoping Miranda wasn’t expecting this to be some kind of sensual affair. But then a squeeze of guilt pulsed in his stomach because that was what Miranda had signed up for. He was the fraud here.

  From now on, he would try a bit harder—at least so his dates enjoyed themselves.

  On their way down to the surf, Hayden hissed in Bear’s ear, “You’ll keep, mate.”

  But all Bear did was roll his head back and laugh. “Enjoy yourself. It may end up being the best thing you ever did.”

  Maybe Bear was right. There were worse ways to spend the morning than surfing with a friendly, happy woman who ended up having fantastic balance and stamina as they rode waves for the next hour.

  By the time they made it to the café, Hayden was more refreshed and relaxed. The weather was steamy, so they sat inside in the air-conditioner. Miranda was a talker. Great for him because she carried the conversation as they drank fruit smoothies.

  Afterwards, they strolled back to the bed and breakfast along the esplanade. Before heading inside, he turned to face Miranda. “Thank you for a really enjoyable morning.”

  Heat rose on Miranda’s cheeks. She reached and squeezed Hayden’s arm. “No, thank you.” Her hand slid down his arm. “I’m looking forward to when we date again.”

  Tennessee came out at that moment, glancing from Miranda to Hayden. Hayden took a step back, his stomach churning.

  “Looks like you two had a great time,” she said in a cooing voice and with a smile.

  Miranda’s top teeth grazed her bottom lip as she lifted a shoulder. “It was really nice. And Hayden can certainly rock the whole wet-and-shirtless look.”

  Tennessee laughed. “Something to look forward to.” She glanced at Hayden and an emotion he hadn’t seen before burned in her gaze—possession? He tossed the thought aside. No way. He must be confusing matters.

  But that look sparked something inside him—a primal response. Rippling need. It intensified when Tennessee’s first date appeared in the doorway behind her. He was tall and fit with sandy blond hair and Hayden was overcome with an irrational impulse to shoulder him on the way past. He closed his eyes, blew out a breath, squashing those sensations down into the pit of his stomach.

  He needed to get away from all this…tension. He made an excuse that he had left something in his car, so he could have a moment to himself and clear his mind.

  A little later on, he met all the other participants in the living room, where they were organised and set off on their second dates. He was paired with a short, dark-haired woman called Felicity and shuttled to a local vineyard.

  While they were offered wine tasting from the vineyard’s sommelier, Hayden learned that Felicity was an accountant who lived two hours west of here in the small rural town of Moura.

  She was shy but lovely and opened up more as her wine glass emptied. Lunch was incredible—an entrée of fresh local, pan-seared scallops followed by a cut of grass-fed beef from Rockhampton.

  The date wasn’t mind-blowing, but he had enjoyed himself and Felicity’s company. Despite his best efforts not to be distracted on the way back in the minivan, he couldn’t keep his mind on the conversation. He was buzzing with anticipation, not for the woman who sat beside him now and deserved his attention, but because his next date was with Tennessee.

  * * *

  In the thick heat of the afternoon, Hayden sat in the passenger side of Tennessee’s car as they drove through town.

  “Um…the Art Museum is back that way,” he said, looking behind him as they crossed the long bridge off the island. The river beneath glistened in the blistering sun. Boats churned the water in both directions. Metal flashes as light bounced off the car’s bonnet.

  Tennessee blasted the air-conditioner higher. “I organised something off-schedule for us.”

  His brows arched. “Really? What are we doing?”

  She tapped her nose. “You’ll soon see.”

  They kept driving until they had passed through the mainland town and were cruising along a winding rural road. “You’re taking me out to the bush to murder me?”

  She laughed. “Perhaps the next date.”

  Soon enough, they turned onto a beaten track leading towards a modest square building. From the signage—it was a veterinary surgery. Tennessee steered the car left. To the side of the property were rows of kennels.

  His eyes widened. “A dog shelter?”

  She smiled. “I know how much you miss Jilly. And I know these dogs are not her, but I’ve organised that we sit and play with them for the next couple of hours.

  His throat unexpectedly tightened—at how thoughtful this was and, as always, at how much he missed Jilly. When she parked, he said, “This is such a wonderful gesture. Thank you.”

  She grinned. “My pleasure.”

  The shelter’s handler met them at the gates—a full-bodied woman in her early fifties.

  “Thank you so much, Julliette, for allowing us to do this at the last moment,” Tennessee said.

  “It will be lovely for the dogs to have some company. Coming up to Christmas, people are busy or away on holidays, so it gets a little lonely out here. Come on through.”

  The room was lined with big cages—a fairly decent size for a shelter. The dogs each had a bed, water and dog food available. The musty scent of animals filled the air. Loud, various-pitched barks were loud in the small space as
the dogs attempted to assert some authority over the small squares of territory they had.

  “I’m happy if you want to take them for a walk,” Julliette said. “There are leashes available. Or you can sit with the dogs, one at a time, in the back room up here. It helps with the barking if you’re out of sight.”

  Hayden eyed the various shaped dogs of different breeds and colours.

  “A bit full at the moment, sadly. Christmas time, some people abandon their pets in kennels because they can’t afford to pay the fee after their holidays are over, so the dogs get sent here. It’s also a popular time for people to move out of town, unwilling to travel with their dog. Or they might be moving into a new rental where the landlord doesn’t allow the tenants to have pets, so they have no choice but to send them here.”

  Hayden’s heart wrenched. The rental laws needed changing in Australia—people should be able to keep pets. As for the others…

  He shook his head. Getting angry wasn’t what this was about. Dogs could feel human emotions—he wanted to keep it upbeat for these orphans.

  Juliette unlocked the first gate and leashed the brindle boxer dog inside. “All these dogs have been proven fit for rehousing—so there are no violent tendencies in any of these. This playful, soft-hearted boy is Talby.”

  Hayden took the leash, then leant down and patted the soft fur around Talby’s ears. “Hey there, boy.” The boxer looked up at him with big amber eyes. “Aren’t you the most gorgeous dog I’ve ever seen. Just a puppy, aren’t you?”

  “Can’t be older than nine months, I’d say,” Juliette said.

  The boxer’s tail wagged behind him, so enthusiastically his whole backend wobbled.

  Tennessee laughed. “I think you have an admirer.”

  Hayden smiled. “I think he and I might be feeling a bit of bro love with each other.” He tugged gently on the leash. “Come on, let’s go for a spin around the property.”

  The three of them set off together, keeping to the shade of the eucalypts so Talby’s paws didn’t get burnt.

  He missed this simple pleasure and it sent his brain in a direction he didn’t want. When he decided to break it off with Mandy, she hadn’t taken it well. Understandable. They both knew in their hearts that Jilly was better off with him, but Mandy wanted to hurt Hayden for leaving. It was working.

  But enough that. He was here on a date with Tennessee, and he was going to enjoy it.

  “So, how were your dates this morning?” she asked with a casual tone, but he didn’t miss the curiosity that sat beneath her words.

  “They were really fun.”

  She laughed. “You sound surprised.”

  “I am. I thought I was going to find this whole event intolerable.”

  “Miranda seemed super impressed by you.”

  He rolled his eyes, grinned. “She was super impressed with my body. As for my personality, she wouldn’t know me from a bar of soap because I couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

  She laughed.

  “But she was a really lovely woman.”

  “Good. Maybe you should, I don’t know, see what happens between you two.”

  There was something in the way she said this that made it feel more like a probe to gauge his reaction, rather than a suggestion. “I guess there’s the chance…”

  She frowned, looked away, but it was enough time to see the disappointment in her expression. His stomach tensed with anticipation. Was Tennessee, perhaps, despite her announcement that she wasn’t ready for romance, feeling something for him too?

  “But, she’s not someone I’d see being compatible with. Besides, I don’t want a relationship with someone who sees me as nothing more than a set of arms…” he looked side-long and grinned cheekily “…it’s demeaning. Makes me feel like a piece of meat.”

  Tennessee burst into laughter and playfully slapped his arm. “You wish.”

  They walked for a little longer then started back towards the kennels—wanting to give the other dogs some time with them too.

  “How about you?” he asked. “Anyone catch your eye?”

  She shook her head. “Not the reason I’m participating.”

  “I’m curious to see if anyone does hook up this week.”

  “Oh, there’ll be hook-ups. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “That confident?”

  “Yep, just call me Christmas Cupid.”

  He laughed. “I’ll stand back and watch you work your magic.”

  They arrived at the kennels and, after more petting, Juliette placed Talby back in his cage. Watching the cage door close, Hayden’s chest grew hot and compressed. His throat was aching. “Oh, man, this is too much.”

  Tennessee’s smile was sympathetic. “I didn’t expect to feel like this.”

  “Well, Christmas Cupid, here is your next mission. Use your magic trying to find a home for these dogs.”

  Her smile was small but warm, brimming with empathy. “I wish I could.”

  In the next cage was a grey, excitable Staffordshire Bull Terrier named Rosie. They led her into the small room, fitted with a couch, and spent a few minutes petting and playing with her.

  Rosie jumped on Hayden’s lap and licked his face. “Come on now,” he said, laughing. “Let me buy you a drink first.”

  The dog ran across the lounge to Tennessee and she pulled Rosie into her arms, letting her nestle at her neck. “Oh, I love her so much.”

  “Have you ever owned a dog, Ten?”

  She nodded. “While growing up. We had a Jack Russel. She was stunningly energetic but the most loveable, protective dog we could have ever had. My ex was allergic to dogs, so I haven’t had one since I was a child.”

  “So, today is a little bit of therapy for you too.”

  Rosie licked Tennessee’s face and she squealed with laughter, which only made the dog more excited as she ran across their laps soaking up all the attention. Putting her back into her cage was some kind of torture.

  For the next hour, Hayden met a dozen dogs, switching between walks with them and visits in the room. But the time soon came to leave. They cleaned up with sanitiser, thanked Juliette, said a final goodbye to the dogs, then headed back to the car.

  Tennessee’s hand drifted to the gear stick, ready to shift it into drive. Before she could, Hayden reached over and pressed his hand gently on top of hers. He looked into her kind blue eyes. “I don’t even know what to say. This, I think, was the most thoughtful thing anyone has done for me.”

  She smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.”

  “So bittersweet, though, right?”

  “Totally. I wanted to throw all of them into the backseat and take them home to Seaspray House.”

  “Me too. So much. I keep telling myself not to race back there and hand over whatever money Juliette wants for Talby. He stole my heart. Those eyes.”

  “I was feeling that love between you two.”

  He laughed. “Thank you. I had a great time.”

  “Me too.”

  He let go of her hand, his heart tugging in his chest, and she set off down the road they had come in on. On the way home, they chatted about all the dogs they met today and their memories of their own pets. His heart was so full—he didn’t want this date to end.

  * * *

  Before the group dinner, each participant in Twelve Dates of Christmas was given a small piece of paper. Upon the paper, they had to write three compliments about each person they had gone on a date with today and slip the note into designated Christmas stockings hanging in the living room. At the end of the four days, each stocking should hold twelve notes. Only then would they be able to read the positive messages left for them.

  Hayden filled out a note each for Miranda, Felicity and Tennessee, then joined the others in the dining room for an Italian-themed meal accompanied by a bounty of wine and beer.

  He sat beside Miranda during dinner, but his focus was on Tennessee. If she moved, his eyes followed. If she spoke, he listened. He couldn’t
help it—she was like a magnet, always pulling his attention towards her.

  After platefuls of food and copious alcohol, the atmosphere was electric. The love game for tonight was a quiz that ‘supposedly’ indicated who they were most compatible with.

  For Hayden, he was matched equally well with Felicity, because of their shared interest in the simpler life—camping, fishing, bushwalking, and with Yasmine, who he hadn’t spent much time getting to know yet.

  He took the outcomes with a grain of salt. He didn’t need a quiz to tell him who he was compatible with. He knew already, and, after a few unmistakable signals today, he was beginning to wonder if Tennessee felt the same.

  The festivities wound down around eleven pm. After a full day spent in the heat, not to mention all the excited tension going on the dates, stamina was fading fast.

  Before bed, Hayden took a moment to get some space outside, sitting on the bench that overlooked the dark ocean. He was one of those people who could handle crowds, but not for too long. After time spent with a lot of people, he needed long moments in solitude.

  He listened to waves crashing upon the beach. Heard the crickets and night-time insects clicking and singing nearby. He breathed in the salty air. His body temperature slowly cooled.

  Footsteps crunching over grass sounded behind him. He turned to find Tennessee.

  She sat beside him—close. Her thighs touching his. Warmth curled through his body.

  “How are you holding up?” she asked.

  “I’m good. Just taking in the view.”

  “Do you think everyone is having a good time?”

  “Absolutely.” He grinned cheekily. “Even I am, so that’s saying something. You’re running a great show. I think you’ve found your calling.” She was a natural socialite. Full of authentic charm. Never short of conversation. No one had to try around her because she accepted everyone for who they were.

  Her smile was wide. “Oh, you think so? It feels right, you know? It was a huge risk buying this place, but I had this intuition buried deep in my guts that kept saying, ‘go for it’. It was the first time I’d ever listened to that voice. And until now, I didn’t know if I’d done the right thing. But I wholeheartedly think I have.”