Chapter 1
MARA
I let out a frustrated groan, shut my laptop and folded myself over the desk. My laptop was still warm under my cheek as I lamented this deadline to myself.
Why had I agreed to write a Christmas romance? And why had I agreed to get it to my editor on January second?
My publisher was going to be releasing it the following year, but he needed it soon so there was time for editing, cover design, and marketing. Which I understood; I had written and released dozens of books at this point, but somehow this story was coming as more of a challenge than others.
Probably because I had never written a Christmas romance before.
I’d done hockey romance, love at first sight, enemies to lovers, and even a monster romance for fun one Halloween.
But something about a fluffy holiday love story did not work with my muse, which annoyed me to no end.
I didn't like feeling out of control, especially when an entire publishing house was waiting on me to deliver.
Footsteps sounded behind me, and then Jonas's warm hands found my shoulders, rubbing gently.
“That feels amazing,” I said.
“You're pushing yourself too hard,” he replied softly.
I sat up to face him, making my office chair squeak. “I have to get this done in eight days, and I still have a quarter of the book left.” My heart sped up with my panic.
He took my hand, pulling me to the cushy white chair in the corner of my office. Then he sat down and tugged me onto his lap.
I let myself be held by him as he stroked my arm and said, “Do you remember when you wrote that hockey romance?”
I nodded. That book had practically flown from my fingertips.
Jonas said, “We went to an entire season's worth of NHL games.
You were in the locker room, talking to players, interviewing the coaches, schmoozing reporters who interviewed players.
You were listening to podcasts all the time.
But as far as I can tell, you haven't gotten into it with this book like you have with others.”
I wrapped my arms around him and leaned my head on his shoulder. “You're right.” He was usually right, even if I didn’t like to admit it all the time.
He squeezed me back. “You've had problems with Christmas for as long as we've been together. I feel like you tolerate the season, but you don't enjoy it.”
My eyes started to sting with tears, and I nodded.
I didn't know how I'd gotten to be in my forties and still was affected this much by my upbringing.
I hadn't seen my mom since I was sixteen years old. At least my dad and I had made amends before he passed away the year before. I cherished the relationship I’d gotten with him, but now that was over.
“Maybe I just didn’t get the Christmas gene,” I sniffed.
Jonas tilted his head to the side. “Well, I've had decades of Christmases to practice enjoying the season. So what if we do a crash course on Christmas?”
I gave him a skeptical look. “I’m not sure I have time. You know I have to write ten thousand words by the first, right?”
He shrugged, seeming unconcerned. “So you could stay here and bang your head against the keyboard–literally–or you could come get inspiration with me… Or, you know, you could tell your editor you didn’t get it done in time.”
“Yeah, because she'll be totally happy with that,” I replied.
He chuckled. “You're the talent, darling.”
I shook my head, sitting up in his lap. “What did you have in mind?”
Now he was smiling excitedly. “Go put on your ugliest Christmas sweater, that one Birdie gave you a few years back. I'll be waiting in the car.”
My editor would kill me if she knew how behind I was and now going on a crazy adventure. But how could I turn down a chance to go on an adventure with the love of my life? “I guess a day couldn’t hurt.”
He grinned. “A day is all we need.”
I gave him a kiss before getting out of his lap and going to the bedroom.
I changed out of my pajamas and went to my closet, tugging out the sweater that made me look like a Christmas tree when I put my arms above my head.
I had barely managed to wear it for the night that Birdie gave it to me because it was just so ridiculous.
But I was also relieved to be spending time with Jonas and getting away from the computer and the story that simply refused to fall into place.
So I finished getting dressed and went out to the driveway.
California winters were mild, so Jonas was sitting there with his window rolled down, and “Here Comes Santa Claus” was blaring over the speakers.
“You're lucky you’re cute,” I said over the music.
He waggled his eyebrows. “That’s why you agreed to come along, right?”
“Partially?” I teased.
He smiled at me as I went to the passenger side and got in. “So where to first?” I asked.
“We’ll start with the age-old holiday tradition,” he said, backing out of the driveway. “We're going to the mall.”
I gave Jonas a horror-stricken look. “The mall? You know I avoid that place from November to January.”
“Exactly,” he replied, “but most people don't, so let's check it out.”
Jonas drove the twenty minutes or so from our home to the closest mall, and just as I expected, the parking lot was completely packed with people. We finally found a spot that felt like it was a mile away. As I got out of the car I said to him, “Good thing these Uggs are comfortable.”
“All part of the Christmas charm,” he replied. “Come on.” He laced his fingers through mine, and I leaned my head on his shoulder for a moment. He had on the sweater his mom had knitted for him a couple of years before.
She had taken up audio books, and knitting was the perfect way to busy her hands while she listened to stories, especially because her house was far too full of paperback novels to ever store any more.
“How does it feel to be in the daylight?” he asked me as we wound through cars in the parking lot.
I hissed. “You know I'm a vampire when I'm on a deadline.”
“Wrong holiday,” he replied.
I chuckled. “Maybe I'm just like those mean reindeer, then. You know they only come out at night.”
“Olive,” he corrected.
I drew my eyebrows together. “Who’s Olive?”
He sang, “Olive the other reindeer.”
I rolled my eyes at him, laughing despite myself. The dad jokes were one part ridiculous and one part endearing, and his nieces and nephews loved them.
We hadn’t had children of our own, but we also had so much fun keeping Tessa's children for a week at a time over summer break and as many weekends as we could. It was so fun to watch them but also get a break when we were done.
We finally made it into the mall and Jonas led me to a long line.
I froze in place. “Oh, hell no.”
Jonas said, “What’s a Christmas romance without sitting on a sexy Santa's lap?”