“Your thunder. You know, like in Friends? We didn’t even get to discuss the fact you’re here, as his date.”
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. Finally, I stutter, “This isn’t…it’s not…like that.”
Mallory rolls her eyes. “Whatever. In the months I’ve known Jasper, he’s never once brought a woman to a gathering. That means you’re special.”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes. “We’re just old friends who went to school together a long time ago.”
She laughs in my face. “Sure. Keep telling yourself that,” she says, nodding to my left.
I glance over, only to find Jasper’s gaze locked on me as he chats with Isaac. There’s something raw, something primal in his eyes that makes me squirm a little in anticipation. I don’t know what it is about him, but I find myself completely under his spell whenever he’s near.
Like now.
I’m drawn to him, this pull is too much to fight.
So I don’t.
I won’t.
I can’t.
He smiles, as if he knows I’ve conceded. As if he knows I’m his. At least for now. I’m too weak to fight it.
“Dinner’s ready. Let’s eat.”
***
“She’s out,” Walker whispers, rocking a sleeping Lizzie in the recliner.
“You ready to head home?” Mallory asks, glancing outside. “It’s starting to really come down out there again.”
“Sure,” he replies, kissing the crown on the little girl’s head before slowly and carefully standing up. Lizzie squirms, but gets comfortable on his shoulder, the new doll Jameson got her tucked under her arm.
“How are we going to get all of that home?” Mallory asks, pointing to the mountain of opened gifts scattered around the living room.
“We can get them tomorrow,” Walker replies, glancing to Jasper for confirmation.
“They’re fine here until you’re ready,” he states, running his finger along the back of my neck. We’re seated on the couch with my brother, Isaac and Savannah are on the loveseat, and Jameson on the floor. “Though I can’t guarantee I’m not putting that kitchen set together and whipping up some plastic meat and carrots in the microwave.”
I smile. I’m not sure who was more excited when Lizzie opened that massive gift. The little girl or the man who gave it to her.
“Lou’s going to be pissed when she wakes up in the morning and all this stuff isn’t there,” Walker adds as Mallory retrieves their coats from the closet.
“Here, I’ll put together a bag so she has some of her new toys when she wakes up,” Jameson says, reaching for one of the large gift bags and filling it with some of the smaller gifts. Even then, it barely makes a dent in the number of gifts the three guys gave her.
I glance over as Savannah pats Isaac on the leg and taps at her watch. She’s been fairly quiet all evening, spending a big part of her time on the phone. It also seems like Jameson has been avoiding her. He’s been cordial, but I can practically feel the animosity rolling off him in waves.
“Yeah, we’re gonna head out too,” Isaac announces as he stands up and offers Savannah his hand.
Each friend retrieves their coats and offers their appreciation to Jasper. The meal he prepared was downright amazing. I forgot how great of a chef he was. The man is a magician in the kitchen.
Jameson’s the first one to pull me into a hug. “Those mini cherry cheesecake pies were to die for,” he whispers, kissing my forehead.
I snicker. “There’s a baggie of leftovers on the counter. If you hurry you can get them before Walker finds them.”
Jameson lets go and practically sprints to the kitchen. “Where’s he going? Jasper asks.
“To get the pies.”
His grin is mischievous. “Good luck finding them,” he mumbles, looking awfully proud of himself.
I gape at the handsome man before me. “You hid them? That’s mean,” I state with a giggle.
“Where’d you put them, Kohlmann?” Jameson demands as he reenters the room.
Jasper just shrugs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Fine,” he argues, holding up a Tupperware container. “I’ll just take all of these,” he adds, referring to the leftover appetizers, as he walks past us and heads straight out the door.
Isaac is next, pulling me into a hug. “I’ll see you in the morning. I can’t wait to try one of those new scones you were talking about earlier.”
“I’ll save one just for you,” I tell him with a wink.
He takes Savannah’s hand as they head for the exit. I can tell how much he really cares for her. As everyone steps out the front door, I feel my cell phone vibrate in my pocket. Usually, I’d ignore it while with friends, but I can’t imagine who would be calling me at ten at night. I’m concerned the moment I see Mr. James, my landlord’s name, on the screen.
“Hello?”
“Good evening, Lyndee. I’m so sorry for calling you this late. I just knocked on your door, but it doesn’t appear you’re home.”
“No, Dustin and I are visiting friends but will be heading that way shortly. What’s up?”
“There’s a slight problem with the condo next door.”
“What kind of problem?”
“A pipe burst in her bathroom. We’re praying for minimal damage, but some of the water did seep through the wall into your bathroom. We’re going to need a few days to get it all fixed.”
“Oh no,” I whisper, closing my eyes and placing my forehead against my palm. “So we need to stay somewhere else?”
“Yes, unfortunately. We can help cover the cost of a hotel room, but I have to be honest, Lyndee, with only a couple of days until Christmas, I’m not sure we’ll get the job complete before the holiday.”
I sigh, hating the thought of living in a hotel, especially over Christmas, but what choice do I have? “Okay, thank you for letting us know. Can we get in there and grab some of our personal items?”
“Yes, of course. I’m here now getting things sopped up.”
“Okay, we’ll be there in a few minutes. Thank you.” I sign off, trying to wrap my head around what Mr. James just said.
“Everything all right?” Jasper asks, drawing my attention to where he stands with my brother. Everyone else is gone.
“Oh, uh, no, not really. A pipe burst in the condo beside ours, and we have water. Dustin and I have to head to a hotel for a few days.”
“Well, that sucks,” Dustin mumbles, using his walker to head to the closet to retrieve his coat. He hands me mine, my brain running a million miles a second as I try to make a plan. A list of all the things I need to grab, especially if we won’t be back home for a handful of days. Plus, there’s a bit more of a commute with staying at a hotel. There are two in town, but both are on the opposite end, closer to the highway.
I turn to Jasper, ready to thank him for a lovely evening, when he stops me in my tracks with his offer. “Stay here.”
I gasp, clearly hearing things. “What?”
“Yeah, why don’t you stay here? I have plenty of room. There’s the guest room upstairs and a foldout couch in my office. Hell, I’d even give you my bed and take the pull-out,” Jasper insists. “You’ll have plenty of space here, and your own bathrooms. You won’t even know I’m here.”