Page 25 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

I could at least try.

I relaxed, settled against him. Inhaled his scent, which had become so familiar to me in such a short time.

He’d listened earlier. Hadn’t judged me for a second. Hadn’t tried to calm me down either. Instead, he’d been there and had validated my feelings.

I trusted him. But then, how was this man even single? And was he for real? If something seemed too good to be true, it probably wasn’t true.

Right?

Didn’t I learn this lesson with Bob?

It was good at the beginning. Too good, until it turned ugly.

“Why are you still single?”

I bit my lip at my blunt question but also held my breath, curious about his answer. Would he give me some superficial story?

“Abby and Marley.”

“Abby and Marley?”

“They’re the reason I’m still single.”

I straightened and turned so I could face him.

“What about their mother?”

He sighed and leaned forward until our foreheads touched briefly. “She left us.”

“You told me that, remember? But why?” I couldn’t believe this. What woman in her right mind would ever leave her kids and a man like him?

And a community like this.

“She had her demons, and she decided drugs were her escape of choice.”

“That’s an odd way to phrase it.”

“I’m trying to put a spin on it, so when it’s time, when Abby and Marley will start asking questions, I know what to say.”

“So, she chose drugs over her family. Is this what you’re saying?”

He nodded. “Makes you wonder what kind of monster I am.”

I inhaled sharply. Never, not for a single fraction of a second, did I ever think that about him. And that’s even after I’d met a man who turned from Mr. Dreamy into Mr. Nightmare.

But Bob was different. Even at the beginning, there had been red flags, signs I’d chosen to ignore.

I didn’t see or feel any of that when I was with James. And hearing him say it made me reject the thought straight out.

I cupped his cheek, his five o’clock shadow raspy under my skin. “Don’t say things like that. Ever since I met you, you’ve been nothing but kind to me. Bossy—maybe. Dominant—definitely. But always kind.”

He sighed, turned his face, and kissed my palm.

“Yo, Cullen.”

Somebody waved to get James’s attention and interrupted our little moment. I looked up, and my face grew uncomfortably hot when I felt every single pair of eyes on us.

Shit. Now they thought I was easy, sitting in his lap after only having met him yesterday.

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