Page 15 of Beards and Holly
My mind reels with the realization I have fallen in love with this woman. This carefree sweet and thoughtful woman, who looks at me with interest. She doesn’t just want to take me to bed, but she wants to learn my ticks. She wants to know my burdens and worries then stay to kiss me, instead of feeling sorry for me.
For the first time in a long time, I feel as if something special is starting between us, but I’ve never navigated these waters. I’ve always been on my own and liked it that way. Will I mess this up and hurt her, even though I have the best intentions?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Holly
The next day, I still feel his kiss on my lips, and those vulnerable words echoes through my mind. It’s Christmas Eve, so Mall Santa is over and I don’t have an excuse to see Jenson, but every part of me wants to. I want to ask why he not-fake kissed me, why he shared his tragic past with me of all people.
The memory stays with me while I sip my coffee. It’s nearing noon, but I didn’t get much sleep last night. Jenson has me all tangled up in my thoughts, and I have to admit I’m falling for the guy.
The grumpy neighbor I can easily forget, but the man who opened up to me last night has me melting at his feet. Usually, I’m not a woman who so easily gets caught up on the man, who clearly set no-string boundaries, but here I am, pining for a man I can’t have. Can I? Is there something real growing between us or is it all in my head? It wouldn’t be the first time I gave my heart away to someone who didn’t really want it. The ghosts ofexes past rear their ugly heads, ruining my mood. Thoughts of Jenson’s lips are more fun to think about.
Suddenly, a beast barrels through my doggie dog, startling me from my thoughts.
I grab my chest in fright as Gizmo jumps onto my lap.
“Oh my gosh, you scared me. Who’s a good boy coming to see me? Does your daddy know you’re here?”
A knock at my front door answers my question.
Butterflies spring to life, and nerves wreck me. Suddenly, I don’t know how to act. Last night, we spent another hour chatting with Rita, and after he drove me and my car home, we shyly said goodnight and went to our respective houses. A lot had happened, and I think we both needed to process it.
Opening the door, I’m greeting by a sexy smirk from Jenson, who’s dressed in his usually dirty blue jeans and a torn flannel covered in sawdust. He must have been working in his garage this morning.
“Howdy, neighbor,” he practically growls. Sex appeal drips from this bearded man, and I’m embarrassingly turned on.
“Hey, you,” I say with a flirt in my tone.
“Did I see my dog run over here?”
At the question, Gizmo barks from the kitchen, making me laugh. Jenson rolls his eyes, but his smile doesn’t fade.
His confession last night gets me thinking about his hatred for Christmas, and I get an idea.
“Do you have plans today?” I ask, the spontaneous plan forming in my head.
“Nope. What do you have in mind, Jolly Holly?” This time, the way he says the nickname doesn’t make me angry at all. It makes me steps lighter as I walk over to grab my purse.
“Something I think you’ll appreciate. We’re going to the only place that’s probably open on Christmas Eve.”
My parents aren’t coming into town until tomorrow for dinner at my sister and her boyfriend Layton’s house, where I’m sure Daphne has already prepared a feast. That leaves today wide open, and instead of lying around, I’m going to show my fake boyfriend a good time.
We take Gizmo back to Jenson’s, and he goes to lie down on his bed. Then we hop into Jenson’s truck, where I give him directions to an unmarked building. Rummaging around in my purse, I find the key and let us inside.
“What is this place? Have you lured me here to kill me and chop me up to discard my body?” Jenson says, taking in all the old radios and TVs discarded around us.
I laugh at his discomfort but quickly explain as I turn on more lights in the old warehouse.
“To most people, this place looks like a junkyard, but in fact, it’s so much more. Someday, I hope to own my own photography studio. For now, I rent this space and make do.”
“No more Santa and his little elf?” he asks.
“Nope. I’m saving up, so I can move on to bigger and better things.”
I pick up a baseball bat and hand it to him. Then I find two pairs of goggles hanging on the wall. I nod for him to follow me over to where I had my last family photo shoot. Everything is still decorated for Christmas. A big tree with tinsel and adorned with broken ornaments sits waiting, and I grind with evil intention.
Putting on the glasses, I pick up large hammer and rest it on my shoulder.