Mistletoe Magic (A Holiday Romance Novel Book 2) Read online

  When he looked back at her, she was biting her lip, the worry gone and replaced with wariness. The hallway behind her was dark, as was the front stoop where they stood. Theresa needed a motion sensor light. It wasn’t safe. He wanted to see her beautiful face without the shadows crawling over every inch.

  “I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “You fell today.” His concern for her hadn’t left his mind all day. Not his real reason for stopping by, but he had to grasp for something before he looked like more of a fool than he already did.

  “I’m fine. Thanks for stopping by.” The door started to slowly close.

  “Wait.” His hand stopped the door from shutting completely. Think, idiot! Say something. “You never did give me the necklace for my mother.”

  “Oh, of course. Umm…”

  She really had no intention of inviting him in. Why should she? He never acted like a gentleman with her. He didn’t warrant a good enough reason to be invited in, even if he did have a lame excuse for stopping by so late at night. He shouldn’t want to be invited in. Coming here had been a mistake. But he couldn’t help it. He wanted to feel happy for once, and anytime he was around Theresa, he felt that.

  “I’m sorry, Ther—”

  “Come on—”

  They both stopped speaking, waiting for the other to finish their sentence.

  Suddenly, her laughter filled the space, making the tension building between them slowly wither away like fog on a beautiful sunny morning.

  “It’s freezing outside. Come in while I grab the necklace.”

  She opened the door further and walked down the short hallway, obviously assuming he’d just follow. Which, of course, he did. He was finally inside like he wanted from the moment he decided to come over. He wasn’t about to back down now. Although, he should. He had no right to be in her home, wanting, wishing for things that he didn’t deserve.

  He closed the door and followed close behind her, which wasn’t too hard as she took her time walking to the living room. Her steps were slow, but slightly uneven. When he eyed the box of wine on the coffee table and a half consumed wineglass, he groaned internally at his lousy timing.

  “Have you been drinking, Theresa?”

  She whipped around so quickly she nearly fell to the floor if he hadn’t grabbed her, one hand on her waist, the other on her back. Perfect position to pull her closer and snuggle against him. And he did a little. Her tiny steps didn’t resist.

  “Is it a crime to drink in your home by yourself?”

  It took all of his strength not to close the distance to her lips. The glassiness of her eyes, which was easier to see now, and the smell of the sweet wine on her breath had him maintaining his control. Although, he didn’t drop his hands from her body.

  “No.”

  “Then why does it matter if I’m drinking?” She scooted even closer. Not that he tried hard to stop her. “Why are you here?”

  Didn’t he explain that already? “The necklace.”

  She slapped her forehead. “Duh! Let me get it.” She moved out of his embrace before he could stop her.

  And what a bad idea it would’ve been to try and stop her. First, because he should’ve never showed up at her house. Second, because she was clearly drunk, or at least very tipsy. He’d never take advantage of her like that.

  She circled the couch, bending in front of the coffee table as she rummaged through what looked like a fishing box. His body instantly reacted to the picture in front of him. Her round little ass wagging in the air had him wishing she never touched a drop of wine tonight.

  But because she did, he forced himself not to move a muscle.

  Bolting upright, she snapped her fingers as she giggled. “It’s not in there. It’s in my coat pocket.” She smiled, a sweet smile, as she pointed at him. “Be right back.”

  He watched her walk out of the room, her slow, lazy pace a serious turn on. Did she know the way her hips swayed side to side were reeling him in? Probably not. Theresa wasn’t the kind of woman to flirt so blatantly.

  A light sound of Christmas music filled the tiny living room space, although, the sound was slightly muffled. He moved closer to the couch, eyeing her phone sitting close to the edge. Why wasn’t she listening to music on the radio or a CD? Music never sounded pure and beautiful out of a tiny speakerphone.

  Theresa clearly enjoyed the dark tonight because the living room was layered in darkness, besides the delightful tree lit up in the corner.

  A Christmas tree.

  He still didn’t have one. As he thought about it, he never intended to put one up, but a plan started to form, one he should diminish in its tracks.

  Theresa came back in the room with a small lacy drawstring bag. “I hope your mother likes it.”

  Aiden took the bag from her hand and opened the tiny pouch to reveal a sparkling yellow necklace that had three layers of beads. He poured it into his hand, eyeing the delicate design of light yellow beads patterned with darker yellow beads. It was simple, yet gorgeous. Like Theresa. He loved it, just because she made it. He had no doubt in his mind his mother would as well.

  “It’s gorgeous. She’ll love it.” He looked up, wanting so badly to kiss her breathless, but the glossiness in her eyes stopped any movement. “Will you help me find a Christmas tree tomorrow?”

  She smiled, then laughed softly. “You don’t need my help.”

  His resistance was slipping. A hand extended until he reached her cheek and brushed back a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear. “Maybe. But I want it.”

  In his crazy messed up way, he was admitting he wanted her. Did she understand his mixed up words?

  “Officer Crowl—”

  “Why do you always call me that?” It annoyed the hell out of him. “I want you to call me Aiden.”

  For a small second, she looked panicked. Or perhaps he interpreted it wrong. But he didn’t misinterpret her silence. He was making her uncomfortable for some reason.

  “Will you please help me tomorrow?”

  “Sure.”

  That’s all he needed to know. “I’ll pick you up around noon. Have a good night, Theresa. Sorry for dropping in so late.”

  She nodded, but said nothing else as they walked to the front door. He made sure he heard the lock click behind him before he headed to his vehicle.

  He had a date.

  Well, he thought so, anyway. Did Theresa see it like that?

  Shit. He had to work tomorrow and he said he’d pick her up at noon. That didn’t give him much time to hang out with her before his shift started at two. Would Chief Duncan give him the day off on such short notice?

  Slamming his door shut, something close to a smile graced his face. The first real smile in the longest time. There was only one way to find out what the chief would say.

  He just had to ask.

  Chapter 8

  Aiden had never in his life requested the day off the same day he wanted it. Hell, since Cynthia died, he always asked for more time to work. He needed to keep his life busy, away from the moments where his mind could drift away.

  Why was he doing this? Why was he pretending something good could happen between him and Theresa?

  As the door swung open to a petite little girl with pigtails in her hair, he knew. Maybe he didn’t deserve happiness, but he craved it. He yearned for a family of his own. A wife, a woman to love with all of his heart. A partner. Not someone who would control and decide his every move.

  Theresa just might be that person. He didn’t know if he didn’t give her the chance. So that’s what he was doing.

  “Hey, pipsqueak. Is the chief home?”

  Laura smiled brightly, her cheeks blooming a soft shade of red. “Yep. Him and Grandpa are arguing about what Christmas movie we’re going to watch. Come on in.”

  He stepped inside Chief Duncan’s home, not straying from the foyer because he wanted to make this quick. Laura paused in her step
s when she noticed he wasn’t following her. “I’ll just wait here.”

  “You know Dad won’t mind if you stay for a cup of hot chocolate. Grandpa makes the best, and we’re having that with some cookies while we watch a movie.”

  “That’s the best offer I’ve had in a while, but I can’t stay, pipsqueak. Maybe another time.”

  Her cheeks tinged an even darker shade of red. “That’d be awesome. Be right back.”

  He shook his head at her retreating back and chuckled. Laura was a sweet little girl. Since the moment he met her, he called her pipsqueak. Every time he did, she blushed a different shade of red.

  Nerves, a very uncommon occurrence, attacked him as soon as Chief Duncan strolled into the foyer.

  “Everything okay, Aiden? Not sure the last time you visited me here.”

  “Yeah. Everything’s fine. I…” A breath left his mouth slowly. “I was wondering if I could have the day off. I already talked to O’Connor, and he said he’d cover my shift. I wanted to make sure it was okay with you.”

  Chief Duncan puckered his brows briefly, then nodded. “Don’t think I mean this offensively, but you never ask for time off. What’s going on?”

  Should he admit the real reason, or make something up? Theresa probably didn’t even think it was a big deal. Not a date like he did. Maybe she’d back out when he tried to pick her up. Maybe she wouldn’t even stay that long.

  What the hell was he doing?

  The chief placed a hand on his shoulder. “Aiden? Are you okay?”

  “I…I don’t know what I’m doing, Chief.”

  His hand fell away. “About what?”

  Talk about awkward. It had to be for the chief as well, yet he didn’t appear as if he found the conversation strange.

  “I asked Theresa to come with me to get a Christmas tree.” He shrugged. The simple statement said it all. Confirmed when Chief Duncan smiled a little too brightly. What was with the smile?

  “Enjoy your day off, Aiden. You deserve it.”

  Well, why did it feel like he didn’t?

  “You’re sure? Because I—”

  “If anyone deserves—and needs—a day off, it’s you. You work too hard.” Chief Duncan let loose a small sigh. “Sometimes you worry me. Trust me when I say I know how hard it is to lose someone you love dearly.”

  The chief was obviously talking about his mom, because besides that, he didn’t suffer the loss of someone special in his life. If only the chief knew why he struggled with her death. Nobody knew the real reason. He wasn’t about to start explaining now. The chief could believe what he wanted.

  “I’m fine, Chief. I promise. I appreciate you letting me have off on such a short notice.”

  He said his goodbyes quickly and headed for his vehicle before the chief could twist any more emotions out of him. In the span of just a few minutes, he went from joy to sorrow to dread to happiness. It was like riding a damn roller coaster.

  He made a quick call to O’Connor as he drove back home to let him know what the chief said. As soon as he walked back into his house, he went on a crazy cleaning frenzy. His house wasn’t that messy, but he wanted it to look spotless before Theresa arrived. His life may be a complete cluster inside, but on the outside, he always made sure it looked in order. It took him less than thirty minutes to organize his house, considering it was already pretty spotless.

  Glancing at the clock on the wall in the living room, he realized he only had twenty minutes before it was time to pick her up. He didn’t even eat lunch. Did she? Should’ve he made something to eat for them? Would she expect food?

  A tired hand ran down his face as another slew of torrential emotions flooded him. What the hell was he doing? Nothing would ever work out between them.

  ❄

  Theresa dabbed a little more concealer to her cheek, blending it in as best as she could. After another five minutes of trying to hide the bruise gracing her face, she sighed. He didn’t notice the bruise last night, although it would’ve been difficult since she had all the lights off. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice it today either.

  She couldn’t figure out why he wanted her help with getting a Christmas tree. This was the second time he asked her for help. Did she appear that pathetic to him? Did he think she loved the holiday so much she’d do whatever when it came to Christmas festivities?

  What did he really think? That’s what she wanted to know.

  He was up and down with her all the time. One minute acting like she was the rarest gem on earth. The next, like a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe. Well, okay, maybe he wasn’t that bad, but he could be such a grouch with her.

  She poured herself a glass of water, hoping to soothe her rattled nerves some. Sleeping in this morning hadn’t helped to reduce the hangover she had. The medicine she downed helped somewhat. The hot shower was what did the trick. She stood under the warm spray for the longest time, just letting the heat calm her down. It also gave her time to think.

  What crazy things did she say to him last night? She remembered most of it. It was the parts she couldn’t quite recall that concerned her. By the time he stopped by, she drank about half of the wine box. She hoped she didn’t say anything too embarrassing, like, “Hey, do you like me? Because I have the hugest crush on you.”

  Drinking the glass of water, she then refilled her glass.

  Wait? Maybe she misinterpreted his words. Here she was, patiently waiting for him to come pick her up, and he didn’t intend to.

  Setting the glass down gently on the counter, she smacked her forehead. “Idiot. He didn’t ask you out. Your drunk-induced mind created that.”

  No big deal. How many times did she fantasize about him asking her out? Too many to count. She’d just chalk this in the too-bad-you-have-an-overactive-imagination category and move on. Maybe she’d take a bath. She had no other plans for the day and her head still pounded with a dull ache. A bath sounded soothing.

  Swiping the glass of water from the counter, she drank it in one long swallow, then set the glass in the sink. As she headed for her bedroom to change, a loud knock sounded on her door.

  With slow, hesitant steps, she walked to the door and jerked in surprise when she saw it was Officer Crowl standing on her doorstep. No. Aiden. She was somewhat positive he asked her to stop calling him Officer Crowl. That it bothered him. Why?

  Well, she wasn’t going to ask.

  He knocked again.

  Oh, right. She should probably answer the door. Of course, in the light of day with no alcohol dulling her shyness, she was a little afraid to open the door. What should she say?

  Gripping the handle a little too hard, she opened the door with what she hoped was a simple smile. Nothing that said, “I’m so glad you’re here. You make me so happy any time I see you.”

  “Hi. You ready?”

  She nodded, afraid to even respond with a hi back.

  He snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot. Grab some boots, a hat, gloves, and scarf. I don’t want you to get cold getting the tree.”

  “Where are we going?”

  His lip curled up slightly, almost resembling a smile. It made her weak in the knees, and so desperate to see a real smile on his face. What would it take to elicit a genuine one from him?

  “It’s a surprise. Grab your stuff and I’ll you meet in the car.”

  A surprise? Interesting. A strange giddiness flooded her. Maybe this wasn’t a simple friend helping a friend. Could he see this as a date? She quickly grabbed her winter gear, exchanging her light knit mittens for a more heavy duty pair of gloves. Locking her door, she tried not to skip merrily to his car, or show her excitement at spending the day with him.

  As she shut the car door, her mood dipped. Spend the day with him? He worked on Sundays. Was that pathetic she knew his work schedule and they weren’t even close friends?

  “I guess we’ll have to find a tree quickly. There won’t be time to decorate it.” Her face flamed with heat. “Not that I expected to help y
ou decorate it. I wasn’t implying that. I’m sure you don’t want my help with that.” She started to twist her hands fiercely. “You have to work later, and—”

  His hand covered hers that were coiled together in a tight ball. “I asked for the day off. I’d love your help decorating it.”

  “Oh.”

  Another small curling of his lip. “I could even show you how to string popcorn.”

  “Okay.”

  “Are you okay, Theresa? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.”

  She wouldn’t say she was uncomfortable, even with his hand covering hers. She wished she would’ve waited to put on the gloves. She wanted to feel him skin to skin.

  “Theresa?”

  How did she explain how she felt right now? She couldn’t even explain it to herself. He asked for the day off. To spend it with her.

  Just. Wow.

  “Office—Aiden…” She let out a slow breath as his features tightened into a scowl and just as quickly relaxed. So she remembered correctly. He didn’t like it when she called him Officer Crowl. Good thing she caught herself. “What’s going on here?”

  He squeezed her hands. “I don’t know. But I’d like to find out. I’m going to try hard not to act like a jackass. I’m sorry about that, by the way. What do you say?”

  Wowza again. Was he admitting he wanted to start a relationship? Try to, anyway? Her mother never called her dumb. Might’ve said irresponsible a time or two, but never dumb.

  “I think that’s a great idea.”

  The sweetest, smallest smile punctured his face. She almost melted into her seat at the sight of that glorious smile. It lit up his features so brightly, the striking lines of his jaw more prominent, the sparkle in his eyes more glittering. It just made him that much more handsome. He needed to smile more often.

  “I think so, too.” He cleared his throat as he backed out of her driveway. “Did you eat?”

  “Umm…” Sadly, the thought of food earlier made her stomach cringe with a terrible urge to throw up. “Not really.”

  A low chuckle escaped. “Do you feel like eating before we hunt down a tree?”

  Food was the furthest thing on her mind. Him, on the other hand, she’d devour in a second. “I can wait.”