At first, she’d even tried to compare Jarrett to her father, but she quickly realized they were nothing alike. Preston Saunders would never open his home to a bunch of strangers for Thanksgiving dinner. Nor would he give up his time to help paint a room for her baby son, or even stay and play coach as she gave birth.
Mia touched her lips thinking about the shared kisses. Even though Jarrett had been goaded into the one under the mistletoe, he hadn’t acted as if he minded at all. Yet he hadn’t exactly shown up at her door the past thirty-six hours wanting to continue what had been started either.
Suddenly the elevator doors opened and Jarrett got off. He immediately smiled. “Hello, Mia.”
“Jarrett,” she said, trying to act casual. He looked too good in his jeans and sweater with a sheepskin jacket hanging open and his cowboy hat cocked just a little. “Merry Christmas.”
He raised his arm to check his watch and she noticed the big shopping bags. “Is it that time already?” He eyed her closely. “I guess I’d better finish up my wrapping.” He glanced at BJ. “Where are you two headed?”
“To the Christmas service at the church.”
His smile faded. “Give me a second and I’ll drive you.”
“Jarrett, no. I can’t let you do that. I can drive myself. We’re not going that far.”
“There’s a lot of snow still on the roads, and your tires aren’t in that great a shape.”
He was right, but she hadn’t had a chance to replace them. “It’s only a few miles.”
“And you have precious cargo.” He nodded at her son and pulled out his keys. “Then at least take my SUV. It’s four-wheel drive.”
He was letting her drive his car? She looked at him, telling herself not to read anything into it. It was for her ten-day-old son. She decided to test him.
“Okay, I’ll let you drive us, but only if you stay for the service.”
He frowned. “You’re kidding, right?”
She shook her head.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside a church.”
“It’s not going to crumble down around you. C’mon, you can handle it. You’re a big strong guy,” she challenged him.
He hesitated and finally relented. “Okay, just let me drop these presents off in the apartment.”
She hadn’t really thought he’d come, but suddenly she was glad she didn’t have to face this night alone. Nor did she mind spending Christmas Eve with this man.
Nearly two hours later, Jarrett stood in the back of the church, watching as the parishioners fussed over BJ. Mia was enjoying showing off her son. She’d put up a brave front, but he knew it had been hard for her to come back here without her brother, her family.
He glanced around the ornate stone building with the stained-glass windows and high ceilings. He remembered another church across town where his stepmother had insisted they go to services weekly. And the Sunday school teacher who swore that a young Jarrett’s bad attitude would send him straight to hell.
That hadn’t been a good time in Jarrett’s life. His mother had died suddenly when he was barely six, and within a few months his father had another wife. The following year his baby brother, Trace, had been born. And the struggle between the McKane brothers had begun. The father he’d so badly needed after the loss of his mother, turned away and found another family. Jarrett had been told he had to carry more weight and help out. Suddenly there wasn’t any time to be a kid, or time to be with the father he’d needed so desperately.
He quickly pushed aside the bad memories. Tomorrow was Christmas, and, thanks to Kira, he and Trace were finally working on liking each other.
Family wasn’t the only thing that gave him trouble; he was still hoping to hear from Fulton.
He’d closed the office early today, but Neil had his cell phone number. If the land deal crashed, no one would have a happy holiday. He might even end up being a permanent resident in the Mountain View Apartments.
He glanced across at Mia. Not that he would mind being her neighbor. If he was honest, he was happy that he got to spend time with her tonight. He tried to tell himself it was only because he felt protective of the new mother. But he was attracted to her, big-time. As much as he’d tried to stay away, she kept drawing him back into her life. He sure as hell wasn’t putting up much resistance, either.
Mia walked over to him. “I’m sorry I kept you waiting. Everyone wanted to see BJ.”
“Well he’s a cute kid, and you should be a proud mama. It’s okay if you want to stay.”
She shook her head as she pulled the carrier hood up and covered the baby. “I really need to feed BJ. Could we go home?”
“Sounds good.” He took the carrier from her and escorted her through the doors. Once outside they were greeted by a strong wind and snow flurries. He pulled Mia close against his side, trying to shield her from the biting cold.
At the SUV, he helped Mia get in and quickly latched BJ’s safety seat in the back, then he climbed in the driver’s seat and started the engine.
Glancing out the window, he waited for the cab to warm up. “I was afraid of this.”
She was shivering. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think the weather would turn bad. It’s supposed to be clear tomorrow.”
Her coat wasn’t heavy enough to keep her warm. He flipped the heater on high and took a blanket from the back seat to drape over her legs. “We’re lucky it’s not a big storm, just the tail end of it. But I’ll feel better when we’re back at the apartment.”
Jarrett pulled out of the parking lot cautiously. He glanced at the baby in the back seat; he was starting to fuss.
“Hang on, BJ. We’ll be home soon.”
Jarrett turned off the main street onto a back road, thinking he could shave off some time. First mistake—the road was deserted. Secondly, it hadn’t been cleared of snow. Even with four-wheel drive, traction was nonexistent.
“Sorry, this was a bad idea. I’ll turn back.”
BJ began to cry louder.
Jarrett found a wide spot in the road and slowed more as he began to turn the wheel. He cursed when the back of the vehicle began to slide. “Hang on,” he called to Mia. He gripped the wheel tighter, turning into the slide, but he couldn’t gain control. When he got the car stopped they were off the side of the road.
Jarrett cursed under his breath and BJ let out a wail. Shifting into Reverse, he backed up, but nothing happened. He tried going forward again, but the only thing he got was the spinning of the tires as the car slipped sideways, deeper into the snowbank. Although angry with himself, he remained calm. “I’ll go see if I can dig us out.”
“Be careful,” Mia called over the screams of the baby.
Placing his hat on his head, Jarrett got out and made it through the ankle-high snow to the back of the car. He opened the hatch and took out a shovel. He began digging, but soon discovered it was useless. He made his way back to the driver’s side and climbed in. Pulling off his gloves, he took out his phone. “We need a tow truck.” He punched in his roadside assistance. By the time he hung up, he wasn’t happy. “She put us at the top of the list because of the baby, but it still could be an hour.”
“Long as we’re warm, it’s okay,” she said. “Do you have enough gas?”
“Yeah, a full tank.”
“Good. I need to feed BJ. I’ll go in the back.”
“No, stay up here, it’s warmer.” He flipped on the interior light, leaned into the back