Page 3 of Wrecked for the Holidays

“They are useless bits of nothing that take up space and drop needles on the floor. They are for children. You aren’t a child, are you?”

“Even when I was a kid, we didn’t have one.”

“Oh, Jakob, people like you have better things to do with their time than bother with silliness like Santa and trees and whatever. It would be a shame to waste your genius.”

“I don’t see how a tree or Santa would have wasted my brain.”

“Because nonsense would have distracted you from your studies.” Mom paused to gather herself before the finale. “Is this about you being gay?”

“More than gay people like Christmas, Mom.”

“Don’t be obtuse. The moving out, Jakob.”

“That’s right, son. We do care about you wasting your time. You’re twenty-three, but the silly things you want to do tell us that you have every intention of not taking your job at the lab seriously. It’s an outstanding opportunity for you, and you’re going to throw it away,” Dad chimed in.

There wasn’t a reason to argue with them because I’d have a better chance of winning against a brick wall. I lay back on the bed and thought about the handsome man who was so nice, even though I’d crashed into him. If I had any sense, I would’ve at least gotten his last name. There must be a ton of men named Reed in the city. He was wearing scrubs, so I could narrow it down a little. That meant he could be a nurse or a veterinarian or, I don’t know, a preschool teacher. They had messy jobs and dealt with bodily fluids, but why would he be working on the weekend? I was taking that one off the list.

My parents didn’t need or want my input, so I closed my eyes and imagined what Reed would do if he were here right now. He’d probably double-check my fingers like he was doing on the roadside. Possibly, he’d be the one to drive mehome and fix my Christmas tree.

My plan had been to get the tree today and go to the Christmas market downtown tomorrow. I’d read about all the booths they had, and surely, I could find something for my little hotel room, which was really an extended-stay place for business travelers. It wouldn’t kill my savings to stay there for a month. It’s not like I had anything to spend my money on anyway. My education was paid for by grants, and I didn’t have any friends, pets, or hobbies.

I was so focused on tuning out my parents that I almost missed the knock on the sliding glass door to my treatment cubicle.

“Come in,” I called. My parents were deep into a discussion about my foolish choices and didn’t notice the knock.

“Hey, Jakob.”

Reed.

Chapter 2

Reed

Iwas an absolute idiot. If I were smart, I would have gone home, contacted my insurance company, and called it a day. Instead, I came to the hospital to see the man who drove into the back of my truck, and now I was eavesdropping as he was harangued by people who had yet to even ask if he was okay.

He sounded so sad that it physically hurt me. The guy just wanted a damn Christmas tree, and somehow, he was too smart for it? What the hell did one have to do with the other? They kept saying motel, but he drove a decent car with on-call emergency services, which weren’t cheap. How down on his luck could he be? Listening to the couple—who I presumed to be his parents—bitch, I didn’t blame him for moving out. They reminded me of an aunt and uncle of mine with their kid. He wasn’t a kid anymore, but they sure as hell hadn’t stopped bitching at him.

When I peeked around the curtain, Jakob was zoned out, facing the wall. A little smile curved his lips. His pretty, pouty lips were the perfect shade of pink. His blond hair was a mess, but with the riot of curls, it was probably always that way. His eyes were closed, but I distinctly remembered their dark blue from the side of the road. Most of all, I remembered the cute reindeer lounging onesie he wore and the heartbreak in his voice at the state of his Christmas tree. He’d been on a mission that was thwarted two steps from the finish line.

The staff started giving me odd looks, and I couldn’t blame them. Lurking outside a treatment cubicle wasn’t a good look for anyone, let alone a doctor who worked in the damn department. Jakob’s doctor was great, but since I was thereand had been in the accident too, I might as well check on him. I gently swept the curtain aside, stepped into the room, and hoped he’d be all right with me being there. Strictly professional, of course.

“Hey, Jakob.”

“Oh, hi…Reed,” Jakob answered with a beaming smile.

He hadn’t been smiling on the side of the road, but I’d suspected he was a sunny one. Who wouldn’t be while wearing a reindeer onesie? He still wore it, and in the harsh lights, I could see it was wrinkled and dirty, likely from his Christmas tree adventure. More than anything, he looked absolutely exhausted. This boy needed a bath and some cuddle time to soothe away his shitty day.

“I was in the neighborhood and decided to pop by to check on you.”

“How do you know my son?” his dad asked with a suspicious glare. “He doesn’t have any friends.”

Jakob’s cheeks heated to bright red. “Dad!”

“Honey, it’s true. It’s not your fault the other children would rather not spend time with someone so much more advanced than them. Goodness, even your brothers couldn’t handle your brain, and they were related to you,” his mom added while she flitted around the room, straightening everything and nothing.

I could see the humiliation in his expression and wished I knew how to help him, but I wasn’t sure what to say that wouldn’t worsen things.

“I was the one who got in Jakob’s way today. If I hadn’t been there, it would have been fine.” Jakob giggled from the bed, lightening the mood a bit. “So I guess I’m here to apologize.”

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