Page 27

Her breath came out in a big, choppy exhale. “Sorry, you’re right. Violence is never acceptable.”

“Yeah, because look at you,” he murmured. “Christmas jumpers and fluffy socks always say violent.”

“I don’t know how to take that.”

He sighed. “You’re a nurturer, Anna. A carer. Take it as a compliment.”

“I’m also a good listener,” she said quietly.

“I know.” He gave her a half smile. “Believe me, I’ve talked to you more in the last week than I’ve talked to anyone, except your brother.”

“And now he’s not here. But I am.”

He nodded and looked away. Just when she thought he wasn’t going to say anything, he spoke, his voice low, soft. “It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you about this, about anything. It’s that I find it hard.” Another swallow. “I volunteer for the BBBS so I can maybe help kids who are going through what I went through with Mum.”

“Oh.” A giant lump of emotion jumped into her throat. “You get matched with a kid whose mom has cancer?”

“Yes.” He dug out his phone, eyes still on her. “And I guess as Colin wanted this, I should message Mateo, my Little, and see if he’s around to meet us after school.”

Unable to help herself, she raised onto her tiptoes and kissed his freshly shaved cheek. “Thank you.”

“For?”

“Fulfilling Colin’s wish, even though I know it’s difficult. And trusting me to meet Mateo.”

* * *

Luke figured he’d been right. His mate had put the advent calendar together to torture him.

Today felt like a special kind of torture. First, make him open up a bit more about his mum. Then make him sit next to Anna for over an hour in his truck. Inhaling her scent, feeling her arm brush against his now and again.

His cheek still tingled faintly from where her lips had pressed.

His body still hummed from the way her eyes had eaten him alive when she’d spotted him in his towel.

Telling her to keep looking was inviting trouble, but he wanted those greedy blue eyes on him again. Wanted to experience that feeling of being desired by a woman he was fast becoming obsessed with. Even though he could never act on it, because that would be letting Colin down in the biggest possible way.

He would not, under any circumstances, risk hurting Anna.

“Why didn’t we take your truck to get the Christmas tree?” She asked as they headed out of town.

“You said you knew where to get one and jumped into your car. I didn’t realize you wanted a seven-foot monster.”

“You love it though, admit it.” He gave her a side glance and her mouth curved in a wide smile. “Big, over the top, warm and inviting. It’s like Colin is still with us.”

He hadn’t thought of the tree beyond it being a pain in the arse to put up and a chore to water every day. But he was glad Anna felt as she did. Made it worth pine needles pricking at the soles of his feet every time he walked past it.

Anna found a music station she liked on the radio and sang along, badly, to Christmas songs as the truck ate up the miles towards the community center where he’d often met Mateo after work.

He winced and tried to focus on the road.

Finally, and a blessing for his ear drums, he pulled into a space in the community center parking lot and cut the engine, letting out a deep sigh of relief as the radio fell silent.

She arched a brow at him. “What was that noise you made?”

“What noise?” He asked innocently.

“Did you really just sigh?”