A Daddy for Christmas: Holiday Romance (Holiday Romance Collection Book 2) (5 page)

Brice felt like hitting something for some reason. He should turn around and hightail it out of there, but he didn’t want to. He liked Jacob, and hell, he was flattered. The kid’s real dad was a hero. “I told you that I wouldn’t let it happen like that.”

“He’s my son, Brice. I have to protect him. This is why,” Megan said, shaking her head, flustered, “I didn’t want to date.”

“So what, you’re just going to stay single for the rest of your life?” Brice said, agitated.

“No, it’s not like that, I’ll wait… until Brice graduates.”

“Megs, that is a long time from now. Hell, you’d have to wait 12 years. Are you willing to wait that long?”

Meg looked down, then stepped out of his embrace, “Yes.”

Brice blew out a deep breath. “You mean to tell me, you are willing to give up your chance in having more children, and falling in love, just so you can watch your son graduate?”

“No, I am willing to wait for him, so he is not disappointed.”

“What the hell did his dad’s death do to you?” Brice asked. His voice rose slightly, and she flinched. “I’m sorry. I didn’t…”

“No, it’s fine. I think you should go.”

“Megs, come on. Think about this.”

“I have done nothing but think of it, Brice. This is too hard.”

“What are you so scared of?”

“Everything.”

Brice looked into Megan’s eyes, and saw sadness, saw how scared she was, and all he wanted to do was erase it. “Honey, don’t you think I’m scared?”

“What do you have to be scared of?”

Brice tried to reign in his patience. “Listen, I told you today about my ex, Jenna. She has a son named Tyler. He is 10 now, and I was with her since he was an infant. I loved that kid, and she left me for my brother. And now, instead of the father that I wanted to be, I am the damned uncle. And get this, my brother doesn’t want me to see the kid, so we both lose out. I hate Jenna. I have never hated anyone in my entire life, but that woman, well she can suck canal water.”

Megan’s eyes widened at his declaration. “That’s ….”

“Yeah, it sucks, but that is life. I would never do that to a kid, Megs. I am good with kids, hell I am practically a kid myself. Come to my apartment, you can play my Xbox, take out all my
Star Wars
action figures.”

Megan smiled slightly, but Brice caught it. “I saw that.”

Megan looked down. “I know.”

“Mommy, Officer O’Reilly, is dinner ready?” Jacob asked as he came into the room. He looked from both his mother to Brice and smiled, then took his seat at the table. “You didn’t put the plates here,” Jacob said, confused.

Brice looked over at Megan and raised one eyebrow. She knew what he was asking, and it would be hard, but she couldn’t deny her son of the father figure he so desperately wanted, and she couldn’t deny herself of maybe finding the man of her dreams.

“So, how was your day, Jake?” Brice asked. The little boy’s eyes lit up, and you’d think he gave him a new puppy.

“It was so awesome! Thanks so much for the coloring books.”

Brice’s cheeks reddened. Megan smiled at his embarrassment, then scooped out the scalloped potatoes and placed them on Jacob’s plate. He made a face, and then picked up his fork. “Would you like a hamburger or a hotdog?”

“Hotdog, no bun.”

“No bun?” Brice asked. “Have you ever tried a bun?”

Megan looked over at Brice, and wanted to warn him not to go there. Meal times at Chez James was a pain in the butt—literally.

“No, but it doesn’t taste good.”

“Oh, I see,” Brice said. He picked up a hotdog bun, and placed a hotdog in it. “How about this, what if I try this hotdog, and if I can eat one bite without getting sick, you’ll try it, too?”

Jacob looked at Brice as if he were nuts. “Uh…”

“Okay, how about this…what if I let you have a ride in the police cruiser to school tomorrow?”

Megan’s eyes widened. “Brice, I don’t think…”

“Okay!” Jacob yelled. He was so excited that he grabbed the hotdog bun bag and nearly spilled the contents on the floor. Brice grinned as he watched the kid pick up his hotdog and place it on the bun.

“How about some ketchup?” Brice asked. “It’ll put hair on your arms.”

Jacob looked down at his arms, and then nodded. “Yes, please.”

Megan just watched, dumbfounded, as she took a bite of her hamburger.

“Mustard?” Brice asked.

“What will that put hair on?”

Megan nearly spit out her food.

“Um, that’ll put hair on your legs,” Brice said, laughing at the expression on Megan’s face. He wiggled his eyebrows, and Megan had to take a drink of her cola, so she wouldn’t choke.

“Awesome!” Jacob waited for the mustard and ketchup to be put on, and then looked over at Brice.

“Let’s do it together, on the count of three.”

Jacob nodded.

“One, Two, Three,” Brice said. Then Megan saw something that she had never seen in all of Jacob’s five years: he ate something different, without having to be forced, and … he liked it.

Jacob smiled, mustard stuck to his teeth. “Yum!”

“Atta boy!” Brice exclaimed, and then put his fist out for a bump. Jacob joined his, and they ate the rest of the meal with grins on their faces.

Megan knew when she had been beat, and with Brice and Jacob becoming fast friends, she knew that day had come.

Chapter 5

A
fter dinner, Jacob and Brice played in the living room while Megan popped popcorn in the microwave. Megan hadn’t gotten to see her son play with his father very much, and that really stunk, but seeing Jacob play in the living room with Brice, nearly made her cry. Jacob was so enthusiastic, and Brice got right down on the floor with him, making car sounds, weird helicopter noises—that only boys seem to be able to do—and talk about cars.

She was just about to walk in with the popcorn when Jacob started asking Brice questions.

“Officer O’…”

“You can call me Brice, buddy. A cop is just my day job.” Megan smiled as she heard Brice, thinking he was just as cute as her son.

“Brice, do you have a dad?”

Megan felt her throat thicken. Why did Jason have to die? Why did he have to leave Jacob without a father?

“Yeah, buddy, I do.”

“Do you live with him?”

Jacob was so serious in his questions that Megan didn’t want to interrupt; besides, she was just now realizing how very little she and Brice knew about one another.

“No, buddy, I don’t. My dad lives about thirty minutes from here. He’s a farmer.”

“Whoa! Like with cows and stuff?”

Brice chuckled. “Yep. Cows, chickens, horses…bulls.”

“Bulls!”

“Yep, I knew you’d be excited about that. You know how I knew that?”

“No, how?” Jacob asked. His eyes went real wide as he waited for Brice’s reply.

“Because you’re wild.”

Megan frowned, and so did Jacob.

“But, then again, so am I.”

Jacob smiled once more. “Really?”

“Oh yeah. Why do you think I’m a cop?”

Jacob shook his head back and forth.

“I’ll tell you why, buddy, because only the best cops are wild like us. You and me, we have to stay on our toes. You know what my momma used to always say?”

“No, what’s that?”

“She used to say that the wilder the better, and after I saw you at the police station, nearly turning your momma in for being in the jail already, I knew you were something special.”

Jacob laughed, and his grin widened. His front tooth gap from where he had just lost a tooth was evident. “Thanks!”

“You’re welcome. Now, why did you want to know about my dad?”

Jacob looked down at the Legos and picked a few up. “Well, I really want a dad.”

Brice put his finger under Jacob’s chin and lifted it slightly so they could see each other’s eyes. “Listen, Jake. You know that you have a dad already, right?”

Jacob didn’t say anything. Megan could barely breathe, she just watched the exchange from the kitchen like a coward—all alone in the dark.

“You have him here,” he said, and pointed to Jake’s heart, and then he pointed to Jake’s head, “and there.”

Jacob sniffed, and nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“Did you know my momma died?”

“Oh no!” Jacob cried, as he put his arms around Brice’s neck. He hugged tight, and Brice put his arms around Jake, too.

“Now, don’t you worry. I’m just letting you know because we all need something. Like I need a momma, and you need a daddy. But the good thing is, is that you have me, and you have your mom. I will always be your friend no matter what.”

“Really?” Jacob asked and pulled away slightly to look into Brice’s eyes.

“Really.”

“What about your mom?”

“What about her?”

“Well, I get you as a dad, and who do you get as a mom?”

“Well,” Brice said, “I hadn’t really thought about that. I don’t know. I’ll just have to wait.”

“Maybe my mom can fill in.”

Brice chuckled and pulled Jacob in for a hug once more. “Maybe. She
is
pretty old.”

Jacob giggled. “Yeah.”

A few minutes later, Megan walked in with the popcorn and tried to hide the fact that she had cried. Brice, of course, noticed right away. He put his finger up to Megan’s cheek and swiped at the few remaining tears. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just…yeah.”

“It’s okay, Megs. We were just doing some guy talk. Isn’t that right, Jake?”

Jacob grinned and picked up some more Legos. “That’s right, Brice!”

The rest of the night went so fast that neither Brice nor Megan wanted it to end. Jacob fell asleep halfway through the new Lego Movie, and Megan and Brice ended up holding hands while Jacob rested on Megan’s lap.

When it got late, Brice helped Megan get Jacob to bed, and then when he was all tucked in and safe, Brice pulled Megan into his arms.

“I can’t stop thinking about you. I thought about you all day, I couldn’t concentrate on the movie, I couldn’t concentrate on anything but the way your hand felt in mine.”

Megan sighed. “Oh, Brice,” she said as his lips met hers. It was a kiss of promise, something that said that there was much more to this than normal. That they were something more together, and after a few chaste kisses, Brice pulled back.

“Can you get a babysitter?”

“When?”

“This weekend?”

“I don’t know, Brice. This is all new, and…” Megan stopped, and really looked into his eyes. “Yes.”

Brice smiled. “Two more days…can you get someone to watch him overnight?”

“Overnight?”

“Yeah, Megs, overnight.”

Megan coughed, nearly choking. She nodded quickly.

“We’ll take it slow.”

“This is anything but slow, Brice.”

“To me it is interminable.”

Megan laughed softly, as her skin blushed a pretty red.

“I have a double tomorrow, so I may not get to see you. Are you going to go to work?” Brice asked.

For Megan, that was the million dollar question. “I think so.”

“You are going to be great. I talked to security. Just be careful.”

“I will.”

Brice leaned in once more and they kissed softly, little wisps of his breath joined with hers until he was out the door, and on his way home.

Chapter 6

A
fter working a full shift, Megan couldn’t wait to get home to hang out with Jacob. When she worked, Jake hung out with the next door neighbor and her boys. Megan was lucky as they all got along quite well.

When Megan finally got home, she picked up Jacob and then started a late dinner for herself. “You hungry, baby?”

“Nope. I ate already. We had Mac & Cheese.”

Megan smiled. Her son’s love for Mac & Cheese was ridiculous, next to his love for hot dogs.

“You sure you don’t want anything?”

“Yep.” Jacob patted his tummy and then scrunched his nose. “Well, maybe some dessert.”

“What kind of dessert?” Megan queried. She knew as soon as she sat down to eat Jacob would be wanting a snack of some kind.

“How about some Cocoa Puffs?”

“Sure. How was school today,” Megan asked as she went over to the cabinet to grab the box of cereal. She pulled down a bowl also, and went to the fridge for the milk. Jacob went to the table.

“It was great! We had indoor recess though.”

“Well, it is getting closer to that time of year when that’s all you’ll have, Jake.”

“I hate it inside. I wanted to go outside and play on the playground so badly!”

“I know. I wanted to be outside today, too.” It was true, anything would have been better than staying indoors and thinking of what ifs all day.

“Mrs. Ferguson said there are only 60 days until Christmas!”

Megan shook her head, leave it to Mrs. Ferguson to give the kids a countdown already. “Yep. It is getting closer.”

“She said it is still fall, though.”

“Yes, it is…I think it is fall nearly all of December.”

“Yeah, she said that, too.” Jacob grinned as Megan poured his cereal and handed him a spoon. She went back into the kitchen and grabbed her own ready-made meal from the microwave.

“Anything else happen today?”

“Nope…. Well, in Art class I made my Christmas wish list.”

Megan smiled. Each year the list got more and more ridiculous. Last year, she had to help with the handwriting, but this year her baby seemed to be growing up at the speed of light. “Can I see it?”

Jacob nodded enthusiastically, putting the spoon down, and then running into the hall to get his book bag. When he came back, he handed over a thin sheet of paper. When she opened it, her heart nearly stopped.

“What’s this?”

“That’s me, and Brice!”

“Oh, Jake…” Megan sighed, and put the drawing up to her chest. She felt like her heart gave a squeeze. “This is very sweet, but you know you can’t really ask Santa for people, right?”

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. “It’s the only thing I really want. Besides, Brice is cool, isn’t he, Mom?”

“Yeah, Honey, he sure is.”

The rest of the night went by fast. Megan and Jacob played two games of
Chutes –N-Ladders
, and then there was the always-fun bubble bath. It was an adventure every night with him. After the bath, they read a book, and she tucked him in.

It was nearly nine when the phone rang.

“Hey.”

Brice.
Megan took a deep breath and sat back on the couch, leaning against the fluffy cushions. “Hey yourself.”

“How was your day?” Brice asked.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that question? You’re the one that had a double.”

“Nah, I’m okay. Tonight was mostly boring. I only had two traffic stops, and then the rest of the night filling out the lousy paperwork. The paperwork is the worst part of it.”

“My day was okay. I just tucked Jacob in.”

“I’m proud of you, you know?”

Megan laughed softly. “Now why is that?”

“You know why? Going back to work after what you’ve been through. That was a very brave thing.”

Megan didn’t want to think about the hospital. She didn’t feel brave. She felt like a coward, all shaky and nervous. “Yeah, okay.”

“I’m serious. It’s a big deal, and if you ever want to talk about it with me, I’m here.”

“That’s okay, I don’t.”

Brice sighed. “Okay. I just wanted you to know that.”

“It’s okay.”

“I know it is,” Brice said, even though he didn’t believe it himself. She was frightened. “So, how’s my little buddy?”

Megan smiled. “He’s good. He had Mac & Cheese at Jenny’s house, my next door neighbor, and we played a few games.”

“I thought of him today. One of the guys at work brought in pictures of his kids at the air show. It is going on again next weekend. I was thinking we could all go together?”

Megan had wanted to go to the air show, but didn’t want to go alone. It was a long drive up the shore, and she’d have Jacob. “Oh, Brice, he would love that!”

“Good. I’ll get some tickets. Can you see if you’re off next Saturday? I think that’s when the good show is, but if not, Sunday will work, too.”

“I’m not working Saturday. I have a two week rotation. So, I already have my schedule.”

“Great.”

The line was quiet for a few minutes, making the silence a bit awkward. It was much easier to talk in person than over the phone.

“I hate talking on the phone,” Brice mumbled.

“Well you don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to,” Megan replied sassily. She knew it was ridiculous since she was just thinking it.

Brice laughed. “I want to…Answer the door.”

Megan startled. “What?”

“I’m outside.”

“Oh!”

Brice chuckled, as he heard the phone disconnect. A second or two later the door opened.

“Megs,” Brice breathed, as she came into his arms.

The kisses weren’t chaste this time. They weren’t slow either. They were passionate. Brice pulled his arms around Megan, and closed the door with his foot. Soon Megan’s back was up against the wall. Brice’s hands were moving down her waist to her bottom, pulling up her legs to wrap them around his waist.

Megan moaned. Brice’s hands moved to the buttons on her shirt.

“What are we doing?!”

Brice knew exactly what they were doing. His heart thudded hard. “What?”

“We can’t do this here,” Megan said. She put her legs down and went to back away, but she was already up against the wall. She put her hands up to push Brice, but he didn’t move. His hands covered hers.

“Okay.”

“Okay?” Megan asked.

“I’m… yeah, okay. Sorry.”

“I know this isn’t what you’re used to, Brice.”

Brice didn’t know anything anymore. Her perfume was swirling around in his senses, her body was so close to his that in just one short move he could be inside her. He shook his head.

“I’m sorry, Megs.”

“Don’t apologize, I’m just not ready.”

Brice cocked his head to the side, his eyebrow copied. “Really? It felt like you were.”

Megan blushed. “I know,”she said, biting her bottom lip. Brice groaned.

“You are so hot.”

Megan looked down. “I haven’t done this in a very long time.”

“How long?” Brice whispered huskily.

“Three and a half years. Since Jacob’s father was on leave.”

Brice’s eyes met Megan’s. “Thank you for telling me.”

Megan’s bottom lip trembled. “I want to, Brice.”

“You do?”

“Yes. But if we do this, you can’t stay here. Jacob is upstairs.”

Brice nodded, his jaw clenched. “We’ll wait.”

Megan’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. Anything worth having is worth waiting for,” Brice said, then lowered his head. His lips met hers in a searing kiss. “I just wanted to stop to tell you I missed you today, and that I can’t wait until tomorrow night.”

Megan felt like swooning.
Anything worth having is worth waiting for...
“Me, neither.”

“Lock this door, Megs.”

“You’re leaving?”

“I’m leaving. I’m not a Saint.”

Megan laughed as Brice made his way to the door. “We will have to keep really busy tomorrow, Megs.”

Megan looked confused. “Why is that?”

“You’re worth waiting for,” he said softly, then stepped out into the night.

The next day flew by, and before Megan knew it, Brice was there to pick her up. Brice came up to the door and wrapped his arms around Megan. “Are you ready?”

Megan blushed.

“What’s wrong?” Brice looked down into her eyes. “You’re blushing.”

“My mom is inside,” she said softly, as she looked toward the window.

“Ah!” Brice laughed. He put his hand up, and waved.

“Dear God,” Megan said, embarrassed. “Don’t wave, she’ll just…”

“Hi! I’m Megan’s mom, Janie! You must be Brice!” A woman that looked like an older version of Megan stepped outside. Jacob’s hand was in hers.

“Hi, Brice!” Jacob cheered. “I told Nana all about you.”

Brice grinned, and leaned down to Jacob’s height for a hug. “Come here, I haven’t seen you in a few days.”

Jacob went into his arms as Brice patted his back. Janie looked pointedly from Brice to Megan. Her eyebrow cocked up. Megan coughed.

“You okay?” Brice asked.

Megan’s cheeks flushed. “Yes, I’m fine. Well, shall we go?”

“Megan! Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

“Mom, you already did that, besides we are going to be late.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Janie,” Brice said smoothly, taking her hand in his. “Jacob, you didn’t tell me how young your Nana was!”

Jacob laughed. “Nana, Brice said that Mommy looks old.”

Now it was Brice’s turn to blush. “It wasn’t…I…”

Janie just looked at Brice and grinned. “It takes a while to get used to having kids.”

Having kids…

Brice took a deep breath, then looked at Jake conspiratorially. “She’s a smart one,” he said, pointing to Jacob’s Nana.

“I like him,” Janie said.

In the car, Megan turned to look at Brice. “Well, my Mom likes you,” she said then laughed. “Of course you already knew that Jake is obsessed.”

“Yeah, he’s my buddy. What about you?”

Megan looked down at her lap. She was fidgeting with her purse strap. “I like you.”

“Well that’s not a whole lot to get excited about.”

Megan looked up. “A lot.”

Brice reached over and grabbed her hand, threading his fingers with hers. “That’s better. So, are you ready to relax?”

“Yes,” Megan said, as she blew out the breath that she was holding. “I have so much nervous energy.”

“No need to be nervous. We are just going camping.”

“I know, but…”

“We’ll be all alone in the dark,” Brice said humorously.

“Shut up, I’m serious.”

“Me, too. I hear you’re quite scary.”

“Oh yeah?” Megan laughed. Brice was good at making her feel relaxed.

“Yeah. Besides, you are safe with me. Remember what I called about earlier?”

Megan nodded. Earlier that day, Brice had called to make sure that camping was okay with her, and that carrying his weapon was okay, too. If she were completely honest with herself, the fact that Brice was a cop made her feel 100% better, especially after what happened at the hospital. She took a deep, soothing breath once more and let it out. “You’re right, I am going to be okay. I will definitely relax.”

“I want you to talk to me about what happened at the hospital, Megs. It’ll help.”

“No, I don’t think it will.”

“Listen, even guys like me need someone to talk to when shit goes down. We actually have an onsite psychiatrist…we have to talk.”

Megan didn’t want to. “Okay.”

“Now, what happened?”

“You know what happened.”