Page 78 of Can't Get Over You
Finlay’s heartmelted like chocolate in a warm pan. “You sure do. We’re going to spend Christmas together. With Jude.”
Cody slid a furtive look over to the big man with the dark expression before reaching for Finlay’s hand. With a tug, he led her to the fireplace. “What’re those things?”
“They’re nutcrackers.” She lifted one and brought it down for him to hold.
“You’re telling me Gunnar boughtthose?” Ava asked.
“He did,” Jude said.
“What is it?” Cody examined it, playing with the jaw.
“It’s a Christmas decoration,” Finlay said. “But also, if you put a nut in its mouth and press the lever, the shell will crack.”
“Can I try?” the boy asked.
“Absolutely.” Finlay added it to her mental shopping list. “Next time I’m at the store, I’ll get us a bag of nuts, and we’ll do it together.”
“Why’re they dressed like that?” He kept watching the row of toy soldiers as if trying to make sense of them. “Are they fighters? Do they keep bad guys away?”
My God. Finlay sat on the edge of the coffee table, wishing so badly she could make this boy feel secure. What had he seen in his short life? Had he ever felt protected? “That’s exactly right. They stand watch over the fireplace where they can see the doors and windows and keep us safe.”
Jude stood behind them like a warrior. He had his hands on his hips as he seemed to assess the situation. “You want one in your room?”
Cody looked at Finlay for approval, but Jude needed to have the authority, so she waited for him to answer. “Um…” The boy glanced at the front door. “I want to leave them down here.” He clutched the one he was holding to his chest. “Except this one.”
“Okay, so just one for your room?” Jude asked.
Cody nodded, his expression earnest and so trusting.
“You got it.” Jude’s demeanor softened. “This is my first time at Miss O’Neill’s house, too, and I think you’re brave for staying here. It makes me want to be brave, too. I think the three of us are going to have a lot of fun together.”
Cody gazed up at him, unsure.
“Have you ever made Christmas cookies before?” Jude asked.
Still wary, the boy shook his head.
“What about ornaments?” Jude pulled a sparkly gold one out of a box.
“In school, we made them out of popsicle sticks.”
“Cool. So we’ve already got two fun things to do. Bake cookies and get ourselves a Christmas tree to decorate.”
The boy didn’t show much emotion, which had to be hard for Jude. How could he gauge what the boy needed or wanted if Cody didn’t make it clear? She wanted to help but knew the two had to find their way together.
“Have you ever had a Christmas tree before?” Jude asked.
“We have one at my school.”
“Well, now, you can have one right here.” Jude pointed toward the corner of the living room. “And that means you can decorate it, and Santa can put the presents underneath. Sound good?”
The boy nodded, still not quite trusting. And it was hard to watch because, even though Jude was way out of his comfort zone, at least he was trying.
“There’s lots to do in town over the holidays,” Jude said. “We can go ice-skating and get hot cocoa.”
The boy perked up. “I want hot cocoa.”
“Then we’ll get some.”
