Flirting hadn’t worked.

Mackenzie pored over their lunch, trying to figure out exactly where she’d gone wrong. From the way Jake had been looking at her, it wasn’t the dress—or the conversation. They’d been chatting, having a good time, tension crackling between them so sharp her heart was beating faster even before their appetizers arrived.

OK, maybe she’d laid it on a little thick, sighing and moaning like that. But in her defense, it was worth the praise. Declan was the best chef around.

And then Jake had bolted, leaving her with a table of delicious food and no company.

Mackenzie didn’t know what to do next. Should she admit defeat already? Just when she thought Jake was off limits for good, he did something to make her head spin all over again. Like kissing her. Or showing up on her doorstep bright and early on Friday morning with a rental truck, a bag of muffins, and an unreadable expression on his face that could still take her breath away.

“Ready to hit the road?” he asked, as if there was nothing weird about embarking on a road trip with the woman he’d been seducing there just a few nights before.

Hell, if he could play it cool, then Mackenzie would just have to call his bluff.

“Sure thing,” she beamed. “Just let me get my coat.”

It was a cool, crisp day, with snow clouds lurking on the horizon, so she grabbed some gloves and a scarf too, bundling up before she left the house. “I hope it snows soon,” she said as she followed him out to the van. “It usually comes these first weeks in December. But I guess it’s been a while since you had a white Christmas,” she added with a smile.

Jake gave her a blank look. “I spend the holidays in Aspen most years. We get plenty of snow out there.”

Mackenzie blinked. Jake’s tone was as cool as the wind slipping under her collar, but she didn’t have time to think; he was already back in the driver’s seat, starting the engine.

“Don’t leave without me!” Mackenzie climbed inside. “For a start, I’m the one with directions.”

“Great.” Jake’s voice stayed even. “Just program them into the GPS.”

Mackenzie did as instructed, shooting him a sideways look as they drove out of town and hit the highway down the coast. He was looking at the road straight ahead, but she could have sworn there was a tense expression on his face.

Had something happened? Bad news from the physio, maybe, or his teammates back home? Mackenzie knew he hated to talk about that stuff, so she changed the subject. “Mmm, chocolate chip,” she said, digging into the muffin bag. “My favorite. Thanks for picking them up.”

“Don’t get so excited, they’re a day old,” Jake replied shortly.

Mackenzie paused. Okaaay.

“I’m surprised they’re still around, then,” she said, trying to be upbeat. “Since when do you leave a pastry unattended?”

“I was going to drop them off yesterday,” he said, still staring straight ahead. “But you weren’t at the gallery. Did you have big plans after our lunch?”

She frowned. After Jake had made his quick exit, she’d hung out at the restaurant for a while, then Declan had given her a ride home—

She stopped. Declan. Was that the reason Jake was in such a mood? But it made no sense at all. Declan was just a friend, and even if he wasn’t, did Jake just expect her to sit around waiting for him to swing by with apology muffins after running out on their lunch?

She felt a flash of annoyance. She was the one trying to lay her cards on the table, and he was just running hot and cold.

“Let me see,” she replied at last, matching his cool tone. “I’m always so busy, it’s hard to keep track. Hmm, I spent some time with Declan, I think—tasting his new recipes. He’s very talented,” she couldn’t help but add.

Jake scowled. “Yeah, he seems like a real charmer.”

“It’s the accent,” Mackenzie continued, musing. “There’s just something about British guys.”

“The women, too,” Jake replied, and her good mood slipped. “They can’t get enough of a real American man. Trust me on that.” He gave her a smug wink, and Mackenzie’s muffin turned dry in her mouth.

She didn’t want to trust him. Hell, she didn’t want to think about what he’d been doing with all his many women these past ten years, so she turned on the radio instead. It was programmed to a classic rock station, and Foo Fighters were playing, and just like that, she was seventeen again, feet up on the dashboard of Jake’s car, driving back from practice down those dark country roads.

Mackenzie smiled and started singing along.

“Remember?” she asked, looking over at him. “You kept getting the lyrics wrong.”

Jake started to smile. “And you made me look it up on my parents’ computer, just to prove you were right.”

“Which I was.”

“Not that you’d let me forget it.”

Mackenzie laughed. “I’ll take my wins wherever I can get them. And speaking of which, don’t you owe me a Mighty Monster hot dog for that pool game?”

“You don’t forget a thing, do you?”

“Mind like a steel trap, baby,” Mackenzie laughed. “And a stomach to match. Although I ate so much yesterday, I might give that foot-long dog a miss. Pro-tip, never become friends with chefs if you want to keep to a healthy diet. Especially when they think butter is a basic food group.”

“Right. Your friend Declan.” Jake’s smile disappeared. He stared out at the road, stony-faced again.

Mackenzie stifled a sigh. Two hours to Boston? It was going to be a long ride.

---

By the time they arrived at the destination on the GPS, Mackenzie had given up trying to decipher Jake’s mood. He could feel free to spend the day scowling, but she didn’t have to let him spoil her fun too. They were spending the day in the happiest place on earth—or damn near close to it, anyway—and she was going to enjoy herself, down to the very last reindeer ornament.

“Are you sure we’re in the right place?” Jake got out of the car and looked dubiously around. They were in front of a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, with the freeway overpass thundering nearby, and nothing but gray, run-down buildings all around.

“Freeman’s Costume and Supplies,” Mackenzie read the name off her order receipt. “Look, it says it on the door, right there.”

She knocked, but there was no answer, so she pushed the door open on her own. Immediately, she stepped inside a grotto that could have put Santa’s workshop to shame.

It was a massive warehouse, with aisles stretching all the way out of sight. Fake Christmas trees loomed thickly in the lobby, with displays of every decoration under the sun: from plastic cartoon characters and superheroes all the way through to delicate glass ornaments, glittered and spinning on their strings. Upbeat holiday music pumped through the speakers, boxes of toys were stacked sky-high on every shelf, and there was even fake snow falling in one corner, a constant stream from a line of machines all whirring away—on special discount, this week only.

“Elf costumes!” Mackenzie exclaimed in glee, spinning around. “We should get them for the Santa photo booth. Ooh, and look at those holiday lights! You can program them to spell out words!”

“Easy there,” Jake said, finally cracking a smile. “Debra’s already placed our order. We’re just here to pick it up.”

Mackenzie fixed him with a look. “Are you seriously telling me you want to grab our boxes and leave, without even looking around?”

“Well—”

She didn’t wait for an answer. Mackenzie grabbed a cart and took off down the first aisle. To hell with the budget. She wanted to see everything they had in stock. Like those inflatable snowmen. And red-and-white feather boas. Mackenzie pulled one down and wrapped it around her neck, adding a floppy Santa hat as she happily browsed. There was a whole aisle of stocking stuffers—small gifts like toy cars and marbles that would be perfect donations to the toy drive—and soon, her cart was full to the brim.

Jake caught up to her while she was picking out train sets. Mackenzie braced herself for more stony displeasure, until she caught sight of his fluffy Santa beard and red jacket. She burst out laughing.

“What do you think?” Jake grinned from behind the massive beard. “Do I get the gig?”

“You need to put on a few pounds,” Mackenzie teased, poking his stomach with a candy cane. “Santa doesn’t have a six-pack!”

“Sure he does!” Jake protested. “Hauling that sack of toys around the world? That’s a prime core workout, right there.”

“Sexy Santa . . .” Mackenzie mused. “You know, I’m sure there’s a club in Vegas that would kill for your routines. Do you have a dance?”

“Do I have a dance?” Jake scoffed. “Baby, I was born dancing.”

He began to thrust and gyrate with cheesy disco moves as Mariah Carey sang overhead.

“Stop!” Mackenzie cried. “My eyes!”

Jake kept dancing down the line, and she couldn’t help but laugh. They turned a corner, almost bumping into a pair of bored-looking clerks, but Jake didn’t skip a beat, he just slid to the side and kept on jiving.

Mackenzie shook her head, smiling. Jake turned to face her, moonwalking in time with her stride. “We’re going to need a bigger van,” he said, eying her cart. “What have you even got here, glitter pens?” he asked, picking the box out. “Since when does hot pink say holidays?”

“When you have a grade-school mural going up at the library,” Mackenzie told him. “You can never have too much glitter.”

“I agree.” Jake nodded solemnly. “That was our unofficial team motto, in case you didn’t know.”

She laughed, silently giving thanks that even Jake couldn’t resist the feel-good spirit of the holidays. “It looks like we’ve got everything,” she said, looking around.

“Did you find those snowflake ornaments you were looking for?” Jake asked.

Mackenzie sighed. “Nope. I emailed them some photos, but they didn’t recognize them. The town must have got them someplace else.”

“Then we better get you out of here before that cart gets any fuller.”

Mackenzie paused, looking around. “Unless you think the mayor will bump our budget so we can get a twenty-foot inflatable reindeer to sit in the town square?”

“It says a lot about Sweetbriar that my first answer isn’t no,” Jake laughed. “Come on. Let’s leave some sparkle for the rest of them.”

They headed for the check-out to get everything boxed up, and collect the order Debra had phoned in, too. Mackenzie was bracing herself for the final total, but when she emerged from the stock room after signing their delivery papers, she found that Jake had already taken care of the bill.

“Think of it as my donation to the good cause,” he insisted. “All this stuff is making sure everyone gets to enjoy the holidays, even kids who don’t have much at home.”

Mackenzie was touched. “Then I’m treating you to dinner,” she said as they stepped outside. “Your choice.”

“Does that include my Mighty Monster dog?” Jake asked with a grin.

“Absolutely!”

But by the time they’d loaded up the van, it wasn’t exactly food-truck weather. The gray snow clouds had turned a threatening shade of purple, hovering low on the horizon, with a few stray flakes already spiraling to earth. “We should probably head back to Sweetbriar if we want to beat the blizzard,” Jake said, warily checking the skies.

Mackenzie’s heart sank. She was in no hurry to get back home—not when it meant Jake might flip the switch again and turn as moody as the winter weather. “Come on,” she said lightly. “Since when has a little snow ever stopped you from getting fed?”

“True enough.” Jake flashed her a grin. “I’m game if you are.”

Mackenzie checked online for that old food truck, and found they’d upgraded to a permanent location. She directed Jake across the river and into the heart of Boston, navigating the narrow city streets until they found it crammed down a non-descript alleyway, sandwiched between a liquor store and an all-night launderette.

“Not exactly the five-star dining you’re used to,” she joked as they ducked into the neon-lit joint. Clearly, the legend of the foot-longs lived on, because it was packed and bustling with people escaping the cold, jostling for space at the narrow counter.

“Five stars are overrated,” Jake said, shrugging off his damp coat. “Give me a classic with all the toppings and a beer any day.”

“Amen.” Mackenzie spied a couple of people leaving, and zipped through the crowd to steal their places. She victoriously hopped up on a stool as Jake arrived behind her, laughing.

“I haven’t seen you move so fast since the market almost sold out of donuts.” He nudged her good-naturedly.

“Hey!” Mackenzie laughed, nudging right back. “Not all of us are crazy enough to run five miles for fun every morning.”

Jake made a face. “Don’t remind me. I’ve been slacking off these past weeks.”

“Only running three?” she teased, and he smiled again.

“Walking. Fast.”

“That’s more than me,” she said, reaching over to grab them a pair of laminated menus. “Dad got me one of those step-counters for Christmas a couple of years ago. He thought we could do it together, you know. Bonding.” Mackenzie grinned. “My count was so low, he called me up after the first week to check I turned the thing on.”

Jake laughed. “You don’t need to worry. You’re in great shape.”

His eyes drifted lower, skimming over her body, and even in a sweater and jeans, Mackenzie felt every inch of his stare.

She checked the menu, her blood humming again. It didn’t matter that she had a couple of frat bros shoved up behind her, and the smell of French fries clinging in her hair. Jake was close enough to touch, right there beside her, stubble on his gorgeous jaw and his blue eyes crinkled happily at the edges. It made her pulse skip, too good to be true, all her old feelings roaring back to life in an instant.

Her heart caught. Why had she thought this was a good idea?

Because she still held out hope of breaking down that wall he’d put up and finding out once and for all if those blazing kisses could ignite something real. Maybe she was being a fool, but Mackenzie couldn’t forget how it felt in his arms—and how Jake had looked at her, like she was the only one he wanted.

She cleared her throat. “Looks good,” she said vaguely, even though the menu type was a blur to her.

“What looks good?” Jake asked.

Mackenzie bit her lip to keep from answering, You.

“Everything,” she said instead. “Shopping is hungry work.”

Jake chuckled. “I thought you hated it. You always whined whenever we had to get back-to-school supplies.”

“I didn’t whine!”

“Right,” Jake grinned. “You just complained in an annoying voice until it was done.”

Mackenzie stuck her tongue out at him, and he laughed. “Oh, how you’ve grown.”

“You’re one to talk,” Mackenzie replied. “It was like pulling teeth trying to get you a tux for prom.”

She stopped, remembering that night so vividly—and how it ended in humiliation. She flushed and took a gulp of water, but thankfully Jake didn’t seem to notice. He flagged down the guy behind the counter to place their orders, and Mackenzie picked something at random, while Jake declared, “Foot-long with chili-cheese and all the trimmings,” with such a satisfied look on his face that she had to laugh.

“I guess that’s one thing I don’t have to worry about now,” he said, his smile dimming with the reminder of his injury. “Eating healthy, all those supplements and vitamins.”

“For now,” Mackenzie reminded him gently, and he nodded.

“For now.”

---

The food came fast—and kept coming. Jake insisted on making up for lost time by sampling all the newest flavor combinations, and the evening passed in a deep-fried blur as they sat elbow-to-elbow, filling in the blanks of the past ten years. By the time the restaurant staff started wiping down the counters and kicked them out, Mackenzie’s stomach—and heart—were full.

She hadn’t had so much fun in years.

Just a couple of hours in a cheap fast-food dive put every date she’d ever been on to shame. And watching Jake bundle back up in his coat and scarf, a smudge of mustard still on his chin, she hadn’t wanted a man more in her life.

Mackenzie swallowed hard. She turned away and pushed out of the door, trying to pull herself together again. It was snowing now, a steady fall of cold, icy flakes on the dark street. She looked up at the skies and stuck her tongue out, tasting the cool flakes in her time-honored tradition.

“Some things never change.”

She looked back to find Jake watching her, his hands shoved in his coat pockets and a curious smile on his face. “You always loved the snow.”

“And you always said you’d move someplace tropical,” she replied, putting her hands out to feel the flakes. “I guess we both got what we wanted in the end.”

“Not everything,” Jake said, his eyes never leaving hers. Mackenzie’s heart stuttered in her chest. He took a few steps closer, and it took everything she had not to move closer too, not to go to him, no matter what.

But she’d tried that already. Tried and failed, and all the romantic, softly falling snow in the world wouldn’t make a difference if Jake didn’t want her.

He took another step closer.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

The voice came from somewhere inside her, braver than she’d expected.

Jake stopped. “How am I looking at you?”

Mackenzie swallowed, fighting to keep her voice light. “Like you want to kiss me again.”

Jake glanced away, and then back at her with a boyish, charming smile. “Would that really be so bad?”

She tried to remember to breathe. “No,” Mackenzie replied, as if this kind of heart-stopping flirtation happened all the time. “It’s what comes after I don’t want to repeat. The part where you suddenly regret everything and bolt.”

“I don’t regret anything.”

Jake’s voice was rough, suddenly deep with emotion. Mackenzie inhaled in a rush.

“So why do you do it?” she whispered. He was too close now, close enough she could see the snowflakes resting on his eyelashes, and the look in his gaze, so intent and possessive it took her breath away. “Why do you keep pushing me away?”

“Because I never knew what was good for me.”

Jake’s expression changed, a glimpse of something raw slipping through his smile, and then he was kissing her, and Mackenzie stopped thinking at all.