He wasn’t so sure he was excited to be here. Way out of his league. But he’d been told it was a tradition that the Fierces took turns hosting a Christmas Eve open house.
People could come and go as they pleased. Jocelyn didn’t always come but said now that she was taking a more active part in the business, she had to show her face more.
“Chance Drummond,” she said. “This is Carolyn Fierce. Behind her, speed-stepping closer, is Diane Fierce.”
He reached his hand around and shook with Diane. “Nice to meet you too.”
“I have to say this one was boring,” Diane said. “No hand in it from us, but aren’t you such a cute couple?”
“Thanks,” he said. He didn’t know what Diane was talking about but saw Jocelyn frowning and moving him toward another group of people.
“Let’s go by Royce and Elise. You know Royce and can meet my sister-in-law. Have you ever met Royce’s wife, Chloe?”
“No,” he said. But he knew Chloe worked at Fierce Engineering. He found it funny that most of the people Jocelyn knew or talked about were couples and had ties to Fierce.
He supposed it made sense since she knew them so well and they were all business partners, or their parents were.
“Hey, Chance,” Royce said. “Didn’t know if you’d get roped into this.”
“Stop,” Jocelyn said. “I had to twist his arm as it was.”
She didn’t really, but he was uncomfortable. Not that he didn’t get along with those he knew here. Or that he wasn’t seeing more of Gabe, Jim, and Stacy McCarthy. They even made him feel as if he was part of the family.
But there was more wealth than he was used to. Added to the mess in his life with Maverick and Baylee.
After the first of the year, she’d be out on bond and he only hoped she kept her end of the bargain. It wouldn’t help her case if she didn’t and he had to put a restraining order on her.
Not something he wanted to do to have things get even messier.
Somehow Jocelyn was holding strong through this all.
Even after she asked if he was a jealous person.
Did she expect him to be possessive of her? Especially with the weasel that was her ex.
He felt no threat there.
The bigger threat was his mind. His actions.
His thoughts.
He doubted everything he did around her and Maverick.
He didn’t know how to be a father.
He didn’t know how to be a good partner, but he could bluff his way through it.
Slipping and acting like he used to and wanting to throw Jocelyn over his shoulder and carry her into her bedroom in front of his son made him feel like a cad.
She laughed it off. Told him it was normal.
Maybe it was, but it wasn’t anything he’d seen before.
“We all needed our arms twisted a time or two,” Elise McCarthy said. He’d met her once before when she was at a house he was inspecting with the homeowners going over a change.
“Not me,” Royce said. “And here comes my wife. This is Chloe. Now talk about twisting arms to show up places even though it was her employer.”
“You know why I kept my distance. You all do,” Chloe said.
