Page 45 of A Moon Lake Christmas Hero

"Lunch." His smile held a secret, and Christmas carols playing softly on the radio added to the magical feeling of the moment.

“Here?” There wasn’t much to see. It was a driveway similar to Alan’s. We took a couple of turns before a ranch house came into view.

While Alan and Jessie’s home was an old two-story farmhouse with thick, stone walls, this one was a one-story ranch house. Made of honey-toned wood, framed by a wraparound porch and a snow-covered roof.

Inviting and lovely.

“Is this a restaurant?” I hadn’t heard of it, but then again, I came straight home from work to James and the girls most evenings. I’d visited Blake’s bar a couple of times. Mostly when Jessie decided it was girl’s night out, and we met with a bunch of other women.

“Nope.”

“Then what is it?”

James drove up to the entrance, killed the engine, and sat there for a couple of seconds. “It’s your new home.”

My new what? “What?”

“I own it, but it isn’t being used at the moment.” He shrugged. “You can use it for the time being, or until you find somewhere else to live.”

I gaped at him, my eyes darting back and forth to the house.

It was an amazing gesture.

Not that I wanted it.

At all.

But that he was offering it was a sign of him honoring and respecting my wishes. A testament to his character.

And it made me mad at myself and sad.

Time was running out.

What had I been thinking waiting so long? I’d told myself I needed more time, needed to get to know James better.

Bullshit.

I loved James, loved his girls, loved living with them and being part of their family.

I didn’t want to move out.

I wanted them. Wanted him.

Only him.

JAMES

Looking at the ranch, everything inside of me screamed it was a mistake, even though my head said it was the right thing to do.

I couldn’t force Erin to fall in love with me. Couldn’t force her to become a part of my family, a mother to my girls.

If you love someone, you set them free.Wasn’t that how the saying went?

Well. Here I was, setting her free. Hoping she would one day come back to me.

And it sucked. Big time.

“James?”

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