A Little Bit of Holiday Magic

by Melissa McClone

  “Unless you burn them, turning breakfast into a three-alarm call.”

  “You’re a firefighter,” she said. “I’m sure you can take care of any flames.”

  “Oh, I know how to put out fires.” He looked up with a mischievous grin. “I also know how to start them.”

  His words, flirtatious and suggestive, hung in the air. His gaze remained on her.

  Grace’s pulse skittered. Attraction buzzed all the way to her toes. Something passed between them. Something palpable. Something unsettling.

  She looked away. Gulped.

  “I have everything you need.” He returned to the dominoes. “On the counter.”

  She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came from her Mojave-dry throat. “Thanks,” she finally said.

  She shuffled to the kitchen in her bare feet, eager to put distance between them.

  A few words from a gorgeous guy? A look? And she was incapacitated?

  So not good.

  Pancake mix sat on the counter, along with measuring cups, a wooden spoon, eggs and a stainless-steel bowl.

  What was happening to her? She wasn’t in shock. She didn’t need more sleep. Maybe loneliness had finally sent her over the edge.

  Grace measured the flour mixture. Her hand trembled and her vision blurred. She managed to fill the cup and dump the contents into the mixing bowl without making too much of a mess. She added water and eggs. Stirring the batter, she slowly regained her composure.

  Dominoes clattered against the hardwood floor.

  Liam laughed. “Oops.”

  Bill released a drawn-out sigh. “We’ll have to try that again.”

  Her son clapped. “Again. Again.”

  “I’ve figured out your M.O.,” their host said. “You don’t do anything once.”

  Bill impressed Grace. “You pick up quick. Are you sure you aren’t married with kids?” she asked him.

  “Nope. Most of my friends are married, but my life is good, and I’m happy. Marriage and kids can wait until those things change. And if they don’t change, then I’ll be happily single.”

  “Wait until you meet the right woman.”

  “Why settle for one when there are so many out there?”

  “So cavalier.”

  He shrugged. “Some of my friends have great marriages. Others not so good. My parents have struggled with a long-distance marriage.”

  Grace’s life had started the day she fell in love with Damon. He’d wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, but being a Ranger kept him away from home and cut his life short. “Being married takes work whether you’re together or not. Damon and I were apart a lot. Loving someone isn’t easy. But we managed. Had a child. Were a family.”

  “My parents and I have never been much of a family. My dad is always away because of his job. His traveling is hard on my mom. Makes me wonder if the family thing is for me.”

  “If you don’t know, it’s good you’re waiting to settle down.”

  “Thanks for saying that. Everyone else has been telling me to grow up because I’m missing out.”

  “I never said you weren’t missing out,” Grace teased.

  She felt sorry for Bill. He could play all he wanted and be as sweet as could be, but she would never change places with him. At least she had Liam. One day, Bill was going to find himself lonelier than her.

  “Cartoons. Cartoons,” Liam chanted. “Peanut wants to watch cartoons.”

  Bill looked at her. “Is Liam allowed to watch TV?”

  “Yes, but I limit how much.”

  “That’s good,” Bill said. “Kids should be outside playing and making snow angels, not sitting on the couch inside.”

  “You sure don’t act like a confirmed bachelor who doesn’t want kids.”

  “I may not want children of my own, but that doesn’t mean I don’t like other people’s.”

  “Fair enough,” she said. “You’re the perfect playmate and babysitter rolled into one. If you ever get tired of being a firefighter, you’d make great manny.”

  His brow furrowed. “A what?”

  “A male nanny.”

  He rose to his feet with the grace of an athlete. “I’ve been known to babysit a time or two. Though I’m the call of last resort.”

  That surprised her.

  “Come on, little dude.” He picked up Liam and grabbed Peanut. “You get the best seat in the house. My favorite chair.”

  Bill carried them into the living room. Thirty seconds later, the sound of cartoons filled the air. Liam squealed.

  Her son seemed to like whatever Bill did. Of course, being a playmate or friend was easy. Being a parent and disciplinarian not so much.

  Bill joined her in the kitchen. “How are the pancakes coming along?”

  “Stirring the batter now.”

  “You’ve got a great kid.”

  “Thanks. But he has his moments.”

  “Don’t we all.”

  Grace tried to focus on cooking, but curiosity about the handsome firefighter filled her mind with questions. “You said you don’t plan on settling down anytime soon, but you must, um, date.”

  The second the words left her mouth she regretted them. Talk about awkward. But wanting to know more about him had gotten the best of her.

  “Yeah, I do,” he answered, as if she were asking if he put butter on his toast. “But I won’t be dating again until December.”

  She added chocolate chips to the batter. “You don’t look like the Grinch.”

  “I’m not. I love Christmas.”

  “Most people like having someone to date for the holidays.”

  “I’m not most people.”

  She would agree with that. “So why won’t you date until after Christmas?”

  “Too many family obligations.”

  “Do you have lots of brothers and sisters?”

  “Just my mom and dad. I meant a date’s family.”

  “You lost me.”

  “Nothing worse than being dragged to countless family gatherings, with everyone asking when’s the wedding, even if you only started dating.”

  All she’d wanted to do while dating Damon was think and talk about their future. But she knew guys weren’t like that. “That would get old.”

  “Didn’t your family do that?”

  “No, my family didn’t want me getting serious with Damon. His family felt the same way.”

  “Why?”

  “They thought we were too young. I was fifteen when we started dating. Nineteen when we wed. My parents couldn’t forgive me for eloping and marrying a man who’d joined the military instead of going to college. They haven’t spoken to me since. Damon’s folks were furious when he enlisted. They’d asked me to talk him out of it. Our getting married only made things worse.”

  “You’d think both sets of parents would be proud of what Damon was doing. The sacrifice he and you were making.”

  Bill had no idea how horrible both sets of parents had acted. “We made our choices. They made theirs.”

  He glanced around the doorway into the living room, then back at Grace. “Have you started dating again?”

  Answering should be simple, but the unexpectedly personal question startled her. “A few months ago I went out with another Ranger.”

  “It didn’t work out.”

  “He proposed. On the third date.”

  “Whoa.”

  “That’s exactly what I thought.” She poured batter onto the skillet. “Kyle is a sweet guy from Damon’s platoon, but I wasn’t sure if he was serious about marriage or trying to do the right thing by a fallen mate.”

  “Sounds like a good man, either way.”

  “He is, but...”

&n
bsp; “But?”

  She remembered Kyle, all earnest and sincere, proposing while Liam napped on the couch. She was all for being practical, but Kyle was a friend, nothing more. “I wasn’t in love with him. We went on a few more dates, then it was time for him to deploy and...”

  “Hard to go through that again.”

  “I wasn’t going through it again.” She hadn’t been ready to marry another hero. She didn’t want to love a man and give her all, but not be his priority.

  God. Country. Army. Family.

  That was how Damon’s priorities fell. The army and serving a greater good had always come before her and Liam. She’d known where she’d fallen on the list going into the marriage, had accepted her place, respected it, because she was young, and her love for Damon was that strong.

  But she was not about to accept being second, third or fourth again. Not for any man.

  Grace and Liam deserved to be the number one priority. She would never settle for anything less.

  * * *

  “Breakfast was delicious.” Sitting at the table, Bill leaned back in the chair, his stomach full and a satisfied smile on his face. He liked having a woman cook breakfast for him, especially one with sleep-rumpled hair, wearing his pajamas. The circles under Grace’s eyes had faded. She must have slept well last night. That pleased him. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Glancing out the window, she dragged her upper teeth over her bottom lip. “The snow is coming down hard.”

  “This morning’s weather forecast predicts it will fall all day and into the night. A real bummer.”

  Her features tensed. “I’m sorry if we’re in your way.”

  “You’re not in the way.” Bill annunciated each word. He needed to be careful what he said. Grace took things too personally. “I’m bummed the weather will keep me from skiing today. I have to be at the station early tomorrow morning, so I’ll miss making first tracks in the freshies.”

  Grace gave him a blank stare.

  “Powder,” he clarified. “You don’t ski.”

  “There are ski resorts in Iowa, but skiing wasn’t something Damon and I ever tried.”

  Bill couldn’t tell from her tone whether she was interested in the sport or not. “It’s never too late to learn.”

  “I doubt there’s a ski resort near Astoria.”

  Not interested. Too bad. Bet she would like skiing if she gave it a try. “No, but the mountain will always be here.”

  “Maybe when Liam is older.”

  “He’s old enough now.”

  She stared at her son, who was picking chocolate chips out of his pancakes. “He’s three.”

  Liam raised four fingers. “Almost four.”

  “That’s the age I learned to ski.”

  “But you lived on the mountain.” Grace’s words rushed out. “I bet everyone in Hood Hamlet skis when they’re in preschool.”

  Bill didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself. “Many do, but lots of kids who don’t live here learn to ski at a young age. The earlier, the better. That way there’s no fear.”

  She shook her head. “Fear seems healthy, considering you’re speeding down a mountain.”

  “Kids have a lower center of gravity and don’t have as far to fall. Helmets protect them.” Liam had chocolate and maple syrup smeared on his chin. Bill could count the number of family breakfasts he’d had, growing up, with both his mom and dad at the table. That was too bad because this was...nice. “Want me to teach you how to ski, little dude?”

  Liam raised his hands in the air. “Ski...!”

  Grace shook her head. “He doesn’t know what skiing is.”

  “I’ll show him.”

  “Maybe if we were staying—”

  “Look out the window. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “You can’t go to the mountain today. Tomorrow you work.”

  Okay, she had a point. Bill shouldn’t have offered to teach Liam to ski. He shouldn’t have flirted with Grace before breakfast, either. He might find her attractive, but he didn’t want her to think he was romantically interested in her.

  “Just an idea.” A bad one, except... Bill’s dad might be alive, but he’d never been around long enough to show him how to do anything. Liam’s father was dead. The kid was going to need someone to teach him about the outdoors and other guy stuff. “But who knows how long it’ll take them to fix your truck.”

  Grace’s lips parted, a combination of shock and panic. “I thought I could leave today.”

  Maybe Bill should have included denial in the mix. “Not in this weather.”

  “Once the storm passes...”

  Damn. She had no idea about how long bodywork could take. Neither did he, but the vehicle wouldn’t be ready today. “A claims adjustor from your insurance company needs to assess the damage before your truck can be repaired. Sometimes they don’t have to do it in person, but other times they will.”

  Her head dropped slightly. She touched her forehead with both hands, rubbing her temples as if trying to put out a fire.

  He wished she would relax. “Thad Humphreys owns the body shop. He’s a good guy. A great mechanic. Talk to him before you start worrying.”

  Her hands froze. “Who says I’m worrying?”

  She was the epitome of worry. Bill didn’t like that. “No one.”

  Grace lowered her arms to her side. “I have a lot on my mind.”

  “I’m sure you do.” He wanted to help her, but some things he couldn’t do. “I hate to add to your list of things to do, but you should contact your insurance company and file a claim.”

  “I called them after Liam fell asleep last night. I didn’t think you’d mind me using your phone.”

  Not a complete damsel in distress. “I don’t.”

  “I wonder if they’ve towed the truck.”

  “Not yet.”

  Her shoulders slumped.

  He didn’t like seeing her so dejected. “I bet as soon as there’s a break in the weather, they’ll be right out.”

  Her mouth twisted.

  “This isn’t what you wanted to happen, but try to enjoy yourself.” He wished she didn’t seem so concerned all the time. “Relax.”

  “I need to clean up the kitchen.”

  “The dishes can wait.”

  Someone needed to show Grace how to lighten up and have fun. Bill knew how to make that happen.

  Not in his usual way.

  He needed to get her on the mountain and fill her lungs with fresh air and put a smile on her face that would last longer than a blink. Too bad the weather wasn’t cooperating.

  “Snowman, snowman,” Liam chanted.

  “It’s snowing too hard.” Bill hated to disappoint the kid, but safety first. “We’re going to have to stay inside for now.”

  Liam pouted.

  “I’m sure we can find something else to do,” Grace said.

  Bill reviewed the options for kid fun inside his house. Not much beyond TV, Xbox and a few board games. And then he remembered. “I could use some help decorating my Christmas tree.”

  Liam bounced Peanut on the table. “Tree. Tree.”

  “He’s in.” Bill flashed Grace a charming grin. Not the one that encouraged beautiful, sexy women to type their numbers into his cell phone. The I’m-a-good-guy-you-can-trust-me grin he used on everybody else. “What about you?”

  The look on her face made him think she was doing calculus in her head. “Uh, sure, but would it be okay if I took a shower first?”

  Sexy images of bare skin, hot water and steam filled his head. He would like nothing better than to join her.

  Bill swallowed. “Go ahead. I’ll take care of the kitchen.”

  Grace rose. “My suitca
se?”

  “In the living room by the front door.” He started clearing the table, leaving Liam to finish gorging himself on chocolate chips dipped in maple syrup. Two of Bill’s favorite foods. “I didn’t see any cracks in the shell last night. I went ahead and grabbed a couple of plastic bins from the back. One had a few toys in it.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “The conditions must have been horrendous.”

  “I’ve been out in worse.”

  “With OMSAR?”

  “In June, during a mission, my team had to spend the night in a snow cave.”

  “You must have been freezing.”

  “It was fun.”

  She studied him. “You like to have fun.”

  “Fun is the name of the game.”

  Having them here was fun. A different kind of fun than Bill was used to having, but he had no complaints. Even if nudity wasn’t involved. Which it wouldn’t be. Not with Grace. Only wholesome, kid-friendly fun. Still, he had a feeling he wouldn’t have to worry about being bored.

  That was good.

  Bill carried more dishes to the counter.

  His dad claimed boredom was the enemy. Bill hated being bored. He liked a variety of activities. One thing—an activity or a woman—never held his attention for long. Another reason why settling down held zero appeal.

  His parents had celebrated their thirty-fifth wedding anniversary this year, but Bill wondered why his dad had gone the wife-and-kid-route in the first place. The man worked all over the globe, wherever his job in the oil industry took him. He never wanted to be home, had never wanted them to visit him on site. His dad never wanted them around, period.

  Bill hated hearing his mom say he was like his father. He didn’t want to be like his dad. Didn’t want to break his wife’s heart each time he left, and wasn’t there when she needed him. He didn’t want to break promises to his kid, who loved him more than anything. He didn’t want his family to ever question whether he loved them back or not.

  But he was like his father. Bill had failed his mother during her pregnancy. He’d failed helping Hannah after Nick died. He’d failed his best friend, Leanne, by not realizing she’d been spending her holidays alone.

  Bill wouldn’t get involved in a serious relationship.