CHAPTER 5
Abigail
*
DECEMBER 21
FOUR DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS
Abigail woke up happy, and it took her a moment to remember why. After all, it was only a few days until Christmas. Her alarm was blaring, which meant she had less than an hour to plaster on a happy face and deal with the holiday crowds at work. She should be edgy and miserable, tension twanging in her muscles before she even ventured out of bed.
Instead, her whole body was suffused with the warm glow of complete satisfaction. She smiled, her cheeks heating up as she remembered why.
Jasper.
God, he was amazing. Sexy, and funny, and sweet, and— Really, really sexy. He’d made good on his promise to enjoy every inch of her body the night before. They had made love over and over until they both fell asleep in each other’s arms. Abigail had never been so thoroughly satisfied in her life.
She stretched out one arm. Her bed wasn’t that big; he must be…
Not here.
Her eyes snapped open, proving what her questing hand had already discovered. She was alone. Just her, the tangled bedsheets, and the cold lump growing in her chest.
She sat up and wrapped her arms around herself. The happiness that had enfolded her as she woke up fell away in tatters. She felt cold, and weak, and above all, stupid.
What did you expect? Of course he hadn’t stuck around. Why would he?
A heavy feeling settled on her limbs. For a moment, the desire to fall back into bed, cocoon herself in blankets and hide from the world was almost too strong to resist. But she had to resist it. She couldn’t let herself marinate in unhappiness, not now, not this close to Christmas. She had to move.
She jumped up and hurried to the bathroom. There’s no point feeling sorry for yourself, she told herself firmly as she turned on the shower. You just got laid more in one night than you have in five years. You should be happy, not moping around just because…
She sighed and hung her head under the pounding spray. Anyway, he was a great distraction, if nothing else. And late nights start tonight, so it’s not like you’d have time for anything else, even if he didn’t have better things to do.
By the time she got out of the shower, Abigail had almost convinced herself that she was fine. Not happy, maybe, but… fine. She wrapped a towel around herself and automatically trudged over to her clothes horse. She was working a double shift today so there was no point her getting dressed in normal clothes when she’d be in uniform all day—
She stopped, and swore. Her work costume wasn’t hanging on the clothes rack. Because she hadn’t washed it last night. Abigail pinched her nose and groaned. No, she’d left it bundled into a wet, smelly lump at the bottom of her bag, while she was busy with her great distraction.
Abigail glanced at the clock. Forty-five minutes before she had to be at work. Shit.
She yanked her wardrobe door open. Nothing that would pass muster as an elf costume, of course. But maybe there would be a spare tunic at work she could borrow. Or— she shuddered— maybe if she just wore a normal skirt and leggings, and Carol’s jumper, that would be Christmassy enough for Mr. Bell…
Someone knocked at the front door. Abigail frowned. She wasn’t expecting a delivery. Maybe they had the wrong place. She shook her head and sorted through her clothes. Is blue or purple more Christmas-appropriate? she wondered, and then grabbed a plain black skirt and a pair of thermal tights.
Whoever it was knocked again. Abigail pulled on the skirt, frowning. Had she ordered something? No. There was no way. She was always careful to cancel all her deliveries around Christmas, because she didn’t want to wait around expecting packages that might run late, or never come.
Rat-tatta-tat!
Abigail groaned and grabbed a top. Whoever it was, they weren’t giving up. And she had forty minutes to get to work. Enough time to grab a bite on the way— not at Gustaaf’s, she really couldn’t handle that right now— and get there in time to try to sweet-talk the boss into letting her get away with being out of costume…
She yanked the door open, and her mouth fell open. “Jasper?”
Jasper was standing with one hand up to knock. He was wearing the same clothes he’d had on last night, but slightly rumpled. The moment he saw her, a smile lit up his face.
Abigail stared at him. “You… you came back?”
Jasper laughed self-deprecatingly. “And got myself locked out. Here,” he said, raising both hands. “Breakfast. Coffee. And your elf costume, freshly laundered. I woke up early, so I thought I might as well make myself useful.”
“I— you—” Abigail swallowed hard. “Uh, you better come in. You brought food? Definitely come in.”
She stepped back, feeling dazed. He had come back. There he was, knocking snow off his shoes before he came indoors. Hanging up his coat. In her apartment.
Reaching out to tip her head back, and kissing her, in her apartment. Abigail’s whole body flushed with delight and surprise.
“I can’t believe you did my laundry,” she muttered as he handed her the garment bag.
He grinned. “Well, I figured it was my fault you didn’t have a chance to get everything sorted last night. I got them to do the stockings, too, I didn’t know if you’d have spares or not.”
Nope, candy-cane leggings are not a part of my normal wardrobe, Abigail thought. She glanced at the clock. Thirty-five minutes. Shoot. “Thank you so much.”
“Save your thanks for when you see what I bought for breakfast.” He set a paper bag on her kitchen bench and Abigail grabbed plates.
Thirty-three minutes. Oh, why the hell did I sign up for double shifts?
Jasper grinned at her. “Thankfully, Cole wasn’t around to sabotage things this time, but you know, we are related. It might run in the family.” He unfolded the top of the bag and the delicious smell of warm, fresh baking wafted out. “Voila!”
“That smells amazing.” Abigail inhaled deeply. “I’m not getting any traces of orange, or mint… that’s a good sign.”
“Nope. Traditional, long-tested flavor combinations only.” Jasper paused, his eyes flicking to hers. “Er, I got them to do them fresh, without any of the icing decorations…”
He tipped a pile of breakfast muffins onto the plates. Abigail recognized them: the bakery a few streets away sold them. She would have grabbed one on her way to work. But she would have had to choose between muffins decorated with piped-icing snowmen, trees, and Santa hats. These ones were plain.
“Thanks.” She was so surprised, she couldn’t stop the smile that stole over her face. She ducked her head, feeling like an idiot, and grabbed a cheddar and chives muffin. Her favorite. Especially when she didn’t have to bite through a grinning snowman to get at the good stuff. “For the drycleaning, and getting breakfast, and… well, putting up with my stupid Christmas thing…” She stuffed the muffin in her mouth to stop herself from talking.
Jasper’s eyes danced as he grabbed a pumpkin and cream cheese muffin. “Honestly, sugar icing on savory muffins? I don’t know what they were thinking.”
Abigail swallowed. “Well, you know this town. Everyone goes crazy over Christmas.”
“Which does make me wonder what a person who hates Christmas is doing, living here.” Jasper’s eyes went wide. “Er, I mean that in a non-judgmental way…”
Abigail waved his apologies away. “No, it’s all right.” She took another bite of muffin. It really was good. “I moved here a few years ago. Grew up back in the city, but after Mom died, I wanted a change. I’d always loved mountains, so I packed up and moved here one spring… and didn’t realize what I had gotten myself into until the decorations started going up. In August.”
“You didn’t want to move back?”
Abigail shrugged. “Sure, maybe after another few years of double shifts I’ll be able to afford it.” She laughed. “It’s not so bad the rest of the year, though. I still like the mountains. Just have to tunnel-vision my way through the holidays.”
“You work at a gift shop. That must require a bit more than tunnel vision.” Jasper brushed crumbs off his fingers onto the plate. “Creamer in your coffee?”
“Please. And who needs tunnel vision when I have that stupid hat falling over my eyes at work all day? Speaking of…” She glanced at the clock and swore. Surely they hadn’t been talking that long? “I have to get to work. My shift starts in ten minutes, and Mr. Bell is a stickler for punctuality. In fact, according to him, I’m already late…”
She ripped her elf outfit out of the garment bag and hesitated. Yes, Jasper had already seen her naked. But it still felt weird to undress in front of him.
Her lips tingled where he’d kissed her hello.
Yeah, taking your clothes off in front of him when you’re already late to work is a terrible idea, she decided, and darted into the bathroom.
Jasper had tidied up their breakfast by the time she came out again. He handed her a takeaway cup of coffee as she checked the clock. “Three minutes. Think we can make it?”
She stared at him. “You’re not coming to work with me.”
“Aren’t I?” He linked his arm through hers. “When else will be get a chance to plan our next date?”
“Our next— ?” Abigail’s eyes flicked to the clock. No time. “Fine. Let’s go.”