Dad Bod Secret Santa (Dad Bod Christmas)

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

MAGGIE

M om, let’s watch a movie!”

Wendy’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts as I finish up the last of the dishes after dinner. The smell of cinnamon candles and pine fills the house, thanks to the tree we decorated last weekend, its twinkling lights casting a warm glow over the living room. It’s cozy, even though the wind is howling outside, rattling the windows as the storm kicks up. I lean toward the kitchen window, watching the neighbor’s tall tree sway in the wind, and say a quick prayer that it doesn’t fall on my house tonight.

I glance at my daughter, curled up on the couch with a blanket over her legs, phone in hand. “What movie?” I ask cautiously. She’s twelve going on twenty.

She looks up with a grin. “A Christmas movie, obviously!”

I sigh, knowing exactly where this is going. “Let me guess. Another Hallmark one?”

Her grin widens. “Of course! They’re so cheesy and cute. C’mon, Mom, I know you liked the one we watched last week.”

I laugh softly. When did my daughter get so observant? I thought teens were supposed to be fixated on their own lives.

I sit beside her, the couch dipping under my weight. She snuggles closer, the way she used to when she was little, and hands me the remote.

“Fine,” I say with mock reluctance and hand her the remote. “You pick.”

At least she wants Hallmark and not something too racy or adult. Kids are already growing up too fast.

Wendy doesn’t hesitate. She quickly scrolls through the list of Christmas movies, a grin spreading across her face. In seconds, she lands on one with a pretty woman in a red dress standing in front of a snow-covered town square. Next to her is the perfect guy—handsome, strong-jawed, with that trademark Hallmark gaze that promises everything will turn out perfectly.

As the movie begins, I settle back, anticipating how this will play out. There will be the classic meet-cute, a minor conflict, and then, of course, the inevitable kiss while standing in the most Christmas-y of Christmas settings at the end. The kind of kiss that makes you believe, just for a moment, that love is as easy as it is in these movies.

Wendy’s voice interrupts my thoughts. “I want a romance just like this.”

I look at her, and for a second, my heart tugs. She’s staring at the screen with big, hopeful eyes that haven’t yet been weighed down by reality. She’s only twelve. To her, love still looks like this—a perfect, effortless story with a happily ever after.

“You’re a little young for that,” I sigh. “Love isn’t this easy.”

“I bet it could be,” Wendy challenges.

I stay silent. She has plenty of years to have that bubble burst. I wish love was as simple as in these movies. But it’s not.

As much as I love these movies—these predictable, magical stories where everyone falls in love under twinkling lights and snow-dusted trees—they also make me sad. It’s the women. The way they’re almost always young, thin, and effortlessly beautiful. They wear fitted coats that cinch perfectly at the waist. Their hair is glossy, their makeup flawless, even in a snowstorm.

As if I can relate to any of that.

Wendy shifts beside me, pulling the blanket tighter around her. “When are you going to date again, Mom?”

I freeze. My stomach tightens, and my smile falters.

“I mean... Dad’s been gone a while now. Don’t you think it’s time?” Her voice is soft, almost hesitant, as if she knows this is a sensitive subject for me. I’ve specifically not talked to her about dating or why I haven’t been, despite her father not wasting any time on that front.

“I don’t know, sweetie,” I say slowly, my eyes still on the screen but not seeing it anymore. This is a big conversation that I don’t want to have tonight.

Wendy huffs. “Why isn’t it easy? You’re awesome. You’re a total babe. Guys would line up to date you.”

I laugh, warmed by her na?ve view of what dating as a single mom is like. “You’re sweet, but it’s not that simple. Real life isn’t like one of these Hallmark movies.”

The truth is, the last year has been a whirlwind of adjustments. The divorce, moving into this house, getting back into a routine with just the two of us. I’m still figuring out who I am outside of being a wife, outside of the expectations I carried for years.

And then there’s my body.

The body that changed after I had Wendy. The weight I gained during my pregnancy never went away, despite me spending years on and off different diets. And my ex-husband made sure to remind me of that every chance he got.

You’ve let yourself go . That’s what he said. Over and over. His words still echo, even now, long after the papers are signed, and he’s moved on with a younger woman who has a body like the women in these movies.

“Mom?”

Wendy’s voice pulls me back. I blink, realizing I’ve been staring blankly at the screen while the couple in the movie shares their first kiss in the snow.

“I’m...not ready,” I finally say. “I’ve got you to focus on. And work. I’m happy with that. Honestly, I am.”

She frowns but wisely doesn’t push it. “Okay, but...you deserve to be happy, too.”

Before I can respond, the lights flicker. Once. Twice. And then everything goes dark.

“Mom?” Wendy’s voice is suddenly small, a little nervous.

“I’m right here.” I reach out, instinctively finding her arm in the dark. “It’s just the storm. The lights will probably come back on in a minute. You know how it is when these storms hit.”

But as the minutes stretch on, the darkness feels heavier. I reach for my phone and fumble with the flashlight.

“Let me check the power company’s website,” I mutter, pulling up the app.

“Well?” Wendy asks, leaning closer.

“It says...Oh great.” I shake my head. “A major power line went down. It could be out for days .”

“Days?” Wendy sounds horrified. “But it’s almost Christmas!”

“I know, I know.” I bite my lip, the weight of the situation settling on my shoulders. No power means no heat. No lights. No hot water. The house will be freezing soon. We can’t stay here.

Wendy grabs her phone. “I’ll text Vivian.”

“What?”

“Maybe we can stay with them until it’s back on. They have a guest room.”

I hesitate. Hank. Her dad. Mr. Sexy and Silent.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him. He’s...very nice. Friendly, though reserved. He’s also the kind of man I’ve avoided thinking about since the divorce. Big, rugged, and far too easy on the eyes for someone like me. He’s a man I wouldn’t say no to, but he’s my daughter’s best friend’s dad, and no way am I doing anything to jeopardize that friendship.

“I don’t know, Wendy...”

“Please? I don’t want to freeze in the dark, Mom.”

I sigh. She’s right. We can’t stay here without power, especially if the storm gets worse. “Okay. Fine. Call Vivian and ask her to put her father on the phone so I can talk to him.”

I can’t believe Hank agreed to let us stay with him and Vivian without hesitation.

Wendy carries the conversation as we drive through the storm, heading up to King Mountain and Silver Pine Ridge, where Hank and his daughter live. The wipers work furiously to keep the windshield clear. I nod along to her words, but my mind is focused on the road and second-guessing this arrangement. We could go to a hotel, but that’d be expensive, and it’s certainly not how I want Christmas to be for Wendy.

When we arrive, I park alongside the truck I recognize as Hank’s. I see movement inside the cabin, which is much larger than I expected anything called a cabin to be. Vivian comes bounding out of the house, squealing with delight as she sees Wendy.

“Oh my God! I’m so happy you’re here!” Vivian gushes, giving Wendy an enormous hug. “Hi, Ms. Anderson.”

“Thanks, Vivian,” I say. “Please. I’ve told you to call me Maggie.”

Then, behind her, I see him.

Hank steps out onto the porch, his tall frame filling the doorway. He’s dressed in a flannel shirt and jeans, his face shadowed by the dim porch light, but I can see the shadow of his dark beard.

“Come on in,” he says, his voice deep. He comes out to meet us and grabs our bags, carrying them easily inside. “You must be freezing.”

For a second, our eyes meet, and desire explodes in my body with an intensity I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before. My body burns until I’m half-convinced I’ll melt all the snow on this mountain.

This is going to be interesting.