“A hot chocolate would be great.”
Ivan frowns. “Can’t make it like you do. Haven’t got cream or marshmallows.”
He looks genuinely concerned that he can’t make my hot chocolate the way I like it.
Ugh, how is this man so perfect?
“That’s okay,” I tell him. “All hot chocolate is good hot chocolate in my book.”
Ivan nods and disappears into the kitchen. I hear cupboards opening, the whistle of an old-school kettle slowly getting louder. I reach down to pet North while I wait. He’s sprawled on his belly at my feet, backlit by the fire, his white fur looking almost gold. As I run a hand over his head, scratching his ears, my gaze roams from the blazing flames up to the mantel.
There are two framed photos—one of North and one of an elderly couple smiling at the camera. Ivan’s mom and dad, I assume. I stand up to get a better look just as Ivan walks back into the room, carrying two steaming mugs.
“Thanks,” I say when he hands one to me, before nodding at the photo. “Are they your parents?”
His eyes flit to the photo as we sit back down on the couch. “Yeah, that’s them.”
“Do they live around here?”
“They did.” Ivan frowns, looking away from the picture. “Gone now. They both passed away a couple of years back.”
My heart sinks. “Oh, Ivan, I’m so sorry. That must have been so hard.”
“Yeah. They were the only family I had.” He swallows, Adam’s apple bobbing like he’s trying to compose himself. “Had me pretty late in life, so they were both in their eighties when cancer took ‘em. Passed within two days of each other. Glad they weren’t apart for long.”
I smile sadly. “It sounds like they had something really special.”
“They did. Pretty rare, that kind of love.” He seems lost in thought for a moment, before he snaps back to life with a glance in my direction. “Anyway. What about you, Candy Cane? Got family waiting for you in Miami?”
I fight the urge to wince. “Nope. My brother Maddox is my only relative. Well, technically he’s my stepbrother, but I never call him that.”
Ivan’s brows draw in. “Your parents not in the picture?”
“No.” I bite my lip, trying to find the right words to explain the mess that is my family’s past. “My biological mom walked out. Then my dad remarried, and I got a stepmom and a stepbrother. But things with my dad were always…complicated. He died in an accident when I was nine, and my stepmom raised me after that. Then she passed away in her sleep a few years ago. It was really sudden.”
There’s a lot of stuff I’m leaving out. Like how my dad was a corrupt small-town cop, a violent drunk who made our lives miserable. How the accident that killed him was my brother finally snapping, punching him in the face and causing my fatherto fatally hit his head. How my brother has been hiding on Cherry Mountain ever since, and I only just tracked him down after fifteen long years.
But Maddox’s secrets aren’t mine to tell.
“Fuck,” Ivan mutters. “I’m sorry, Ruby. You’ve been through so much loss already.”
He’s right. My childhood was turbulent, marked by abandonment and tragedy. But I lucked out with Maddox and my stepmom. They were my chosen family, and our bond was stronger than any blood tie. They made it all worth it, especially now that I finally have Maddox back in my life.
“I’ve learned to live with it,” I say, “but it can be tough. Especially around this time of year. But I guess that’s why I’ve always tried to make the holidays feel special. Even the years when it’s just been me alone in my apartment, eating cookies and dancing to Christmas music.”
Ivan nods. “I get it. I’m glad you make it feel special. You deserve a nice Christmas, Candy Cane. A real nice one.” There’s a determined glint in his eye when he looks at me. “Still got some of my parents’ old decorations in the attic. Wanna make this place a little more festive?”
I feel a surge of excitement, beaming at him.
“I would love that!”
Our gazes lock. His face is so close to mine that I feel my heartbeat trip over itself. Not for the first time, I wish I were brave enough to kiss him. To close the gap and taste him, feeling his rough beard against my chin.
I want him so badly.
Ivan might portray himself as a Grinch, but I know better. He’s been so good to me. Heck, he trekked through a snowstorm just to check on me, then carried me back to his cabin. There’s a heart of gold buried beneath his scowling, grumpy exterior, even if he doesn’t want to admit it.
Ivan isn’t just an insanely gorgeous giant.
