“Are you headed to theFind a DaddyChristmas party?”
Jamie hesitated, seeming unsure, then nodded, pulling the blanket tighter around himself. “Yeah,” he said, voice rough. “I need to find a new daddy.”
Spencer tried to focus on the man before him without sounding stunned. “A new daddy?”
“Yeah.” Jamie’s eyes still fixed on the windshield like he couldn’t bear to look at him. “The old one didn’t work out.”
Spencer didn’t say anything right away. Just let the silence stretch, the snow tapping softly against the glass. He didn’t know what this was yet, but something in him had already shifted. Something quiet and warm and dangerous.
He kept driving.
Chapter Three
Jamie
Jamie sat stiffly in the passenger seat of the truck, his fingers curled tight around the seat belt like it might anchor him to something solid. The heat blasting from the vents was a godsend, thawing out his numb hands and face, but the man behind the wheel, Spencer, was still a stranger. A friendly one, sure. Cowboy hat, warm smile, eyes that didn’t leer or judge. But Jamie had learned not to trust too easily.
“Where are you from?” Spencer asked.
“Brentwood.”
Spencer glanced over, one hand steady on the wheel. “So… how’d you get all the way down here to Big Bear?”
Jamie hesitated, heart thudding. He couldn’t say, “My boyfriend dumped me in a store and drove off with all my stuff.” That would sound pathetic. So he went with the lie. “Took a bus,” he said, voice casual. “Was supposed to meet some friends at a cabin, but plans changed.”
Spencer nodded slowly, like he didn’t quite buy it but didn’t press. “You travel light?”
Jamie looked down at his empty lap, his red hoodie wet from the snow. “Got jumped,” he said, forcing a shrug. “Couple of guys took my backpack and wallet. Didn’t even see it coming.”
Spencer’s jaw tightened. “Damn. That’s rough. You okay?”
“Yeah,” Jamie lied again. “Just cold. And kinda over it.”
They drove in silence for a few minutes, the road winding through snow-dusted trees. Spencer kept sneaking glances at him, as if he was trying to figure out the puzzle Jamie had become.
Jamie shook his head. “Are you from Big Bear?”
“No, Missoula.”
“Where’s that?”
“Montana. I live on a horse ranch.”
Jamie looked out the window. Snowflakes drifted lazily past the glass. That cowboy hat was so damn sexy. “Wow! I love horses.”
“Are you in college, or do you work?”
“I had to drop out after two years. But I’m a senior caregiver for an agency.”
“What were you studying?”
“Nursing.”
“I’m sure you’ll get back to it. How long are you off work?”
“Two weeks.”
Spencer smiled. “You can crash at my cabin tonight. No strings.”
