Page 13 of The Santa Situation
“What was that, Jemma?” Joe asked, his eyes finding mine in the rearview mirror.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just muttering out loud.”
“Hmm,” he hummed, his eyes finding the road again.
With a deep breath, I pushed those memories from my mind and willed my heart rate back to normal.
When we reached Hobson’s Landing, the sun was low in the sky, staining the river pink and lavender. Cade was easy to spot, bearded and broad-shouldered, his gloved hand raised in greeting as I paid Joe my fare and climbed out of the car.
“You ready for your big debut?” Cade called as I approached the dock.
“As I’ll ever be,” I said, stepping carefully across the frosted planks. “Just promise me I won’t end up in the river.”
Cade chuckled. “Not unless you jump. The Graymalkin’s steady as they come. Gotta be, to haul lobster in these waters.”
I smiled, my pulse spiking again when I saw Charlie already standing at the bow, his Santa suit standing out against the fading light as he stared out over the darkening water. He looked … well, unfairly good in it. Certainly better than I looked in my cobbled-together costume. The red coat fit snugly across his shoulders, tapering down to a trim waist, and the velvet pants hugged his ass in a way that was frankly indecent for someone portraying a jolly old man. The kind of fit that told you he’d been working out since he last wore it.
And when he turned and saw me, the smile that spread across his face was pure warmth.
“Hey, Jem.”
“Hey, yourself.” I stepped onto the deck, gripping the railing for balance as the Graymalkin dipped gently in the current. “How’s it feel to step into the shoes of Jolly Saint Nick?”
He gave a sigh, tugging at his fake beard. “Itchy.”
I laughed, scratching at the cheap wig on my head. “Same.”
Cade hopped aboard, settling in at the helm. “All right, you two. Here’s how this works. We’ll follow the channel down to the harbor, nice and slow. Should take about twenty minutes. When you see folks waving, you look merry and wave back.”
“That’s all there is to it?” I asked.
“Yup,” he said as he handed us each a life preserver that hooked around our waists. “Safety first.”
I tugged mine on over my parka and settled it around my middle, stepping into place along the railing as Cade started the engine. The motor’s low hum vibrated through the deck beneath my feet as we eased away from the dock.
The river opened before us, smooth and dark. The air was cold enough to make my eyes water, but I didn’t care. I lovedthis time of day—the hush before night fell, the lights from town beginning to shimmer in the distance.
Charlie came to stand beside me, close enough that his sleeve brushed mine. He didn’t move away, and neither did I.
For a few minutes, we stood in silence, the only sound the steady churn of the motor and the faint slap of water against the hull. Somewhere in the distance, a gull cried.
I sneaked a glance at him, unable to help myself. The wind had pulled a few strands of his hair loose from beneath the Santa hat, and the fading light turned his skin the color of honey. His breath fogged the air between us. He looked content—peaceful, even—but when he turned his head, our eyes met and something in my chest stuttered.
It was a look I remembered, even after all these years. Curious. Searching. A little dangerous in the way memory could be when it refused to stay buried.
Cade called something from the helm about the current, but I barely heard him.
Breaking Charlie’s gaze, I turned back toward the water, hoping the view would steady me. The sky was deepening now, the pinks fading to violet, the first stars winking faintly overhead.
“It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?” I said softly.
When Charlie didn’t answer me right away, I turned to face him again. He was still watching me.
“Yeah,” he said, his throat bobbing around a swallow. “Absolutely gorgeous.”
I should’ve laughed. Teased him. Said something to break the spell. But I didn’t. Couldn’t. Because the way he was looking at me made the hair on my arms stand on end, like the electric charge before a lightning strike.
“Charlie,” I whispered.
