If he still had this much of an effect on her, then she hadn’t washed him from her system like she’d thought.
She glanced at Foster, hoping he didn’t see the blush on her cheeks as she recalled the smell of Jacob’s cologne.
CHAPTER6
“I’m going to hurry and save us a spot.” Mom took off at her power-walking speed.
Jacob let her go ahead. He didn’t want to look like he was running away from Lauren–even if the urge to do just that was strong. “I’ll catch up.”
What were the odds that they’d step out of the house at the same time as the Halls? Was this the second chance moment Nick promised him? Highly unlikely, considering Lauren was holding hands with her boyfriend. He’d only caught a couple of glimpses of the guy, but there was something slimy about him Jacob didn’t like. The feeling didn’t come from the fact that he would hate any man Lauren brought home. Yeah, and Santa stuffed a Ferrari down his chimney last night.
“Collin, my man.” Jacob offered the boy a fist bump as he fell into step with Ethan. He did his best to ignore Lauren and her stuffy boyfriend walking behind them, but he was keenly aware of the couple. Or, more accurately, he was tuned into Lauren, and because the guy was all over her, he was aware of him, too.
“Ethan,” Jacob greeted him. “Merry Christmas.”
Collin leaned over and bumped mittens. “What did you get for Christmas?” he asked.
Jacob smiled easily. “I got this new coat.” He turned right and then left, showing off the ski jacket. It was bright blue and would keep him warm on the slopes. Collin made a face that said he disapproved, and Jacob laughed. “It’s what I asked for, so I’m happy.”
“I asked for a zero gravity laser racer,” Collin said proudly.
Jacob respectfully lifted both his eyebrows in awe. “Did you get it?” he asked in a hushed voice.
Collin nodded. “It drives on the walls and everything.”
“It’s so cool,” added Ethan.
“Santa brought one for Dad, too,” Collin announced.
Jacob laughed and slapped Ethan on the back. “Good thing you were a good boy this year.”
“The best. How’s the cabinet business?” Ethan leaned to the side to avoid a low-hanging branch full of snow. Collin reached out and hit it for fun.
“Holding steady. Which is just fine with me. I have a two-month wait list.” Working in the shop wasn’t like work at all. Those who lived in the canyon, or had second homes up there, could afford custom cabinetry. There were challenges every day–ones that kept his job interesting. He liked to mull things over and come up with a solution.
They rounded the corner, and the sidewalk became congested. The police had blocked off the street around the square. Barrels full of wood fires glowed warmly and their contents crackled and popped. The light scent of smoke tinted the air.
With the street lamps turned off, the fairy lights did all the work. Thanks to an anonymous donation and the local youth group volunteering their time, there were twice as many this year. Hopefully, they were as excited to take them down as they had been to put them up.
“Remember when we used to have ice sculptures?” asked Ethan.
Jacob brightened. “I loved those! It’s too bad they don’t do them anymore.” He missed the carvings so much that he’d tried his hand at carving a couple of times. He wasn’t too shabby, if he did say so himself. His sister loved the heart he’d done for her wedding. There was something about chipping away at the ice that soothed his soul. Therapy with the threat of frostbite made it dangerous and, therefore, manly.
They found his mom up front. The entire crew joined her, and Jacob ensured he stood as far away from Lauren and her boyfriend as possible. She didn’t look his way–no matter how often he looked at her from the corner of his eye. She was gorgeous in the cream-colored scarf and hat. Her brown eyes popped, and her hair framed her face.
She was pretty without trying. He hoped the boyfriend had told her as much. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and grabbed the hand warmers, rubbing them between his fingers and thumbs. He didn’t fidget because he was cold, but because he needed to move. If they didn’t start singing soon, he was going for a walk.
Santa seemed to come out of nowhere. He was suddenly in the middle of the stage. “Ho Ho Ho!” He jingled the bells attached to a leather strap over his head. The crowd gathered closer to the small stage, eager to start singing.
“Here, pass these around.” Mom shoved a stack of songbooks into his hands. They usually had these passed out already. He took one and passed the rest on to the couple behind him. They looked vaguely familiar, and he realized it was the woman from the morning news. She was the good news portion of the show, going around town and interviewing locals. She was blonde–a total knockout–and completely captivated by her husband.
A spike of jealousy over their happiness raced through him, and he decided to keep his eyes on his book. He didn’t want Jennifer Buckner Diamonte. He wanted what she and her husband seemed to have.
The books were worn and weathered, with cracked covers and dog-eared corners. People would use them tonight and return them to the crates lining the stage before going home.
Someone bumped him from behind, and he stumbled into the stage, making a noise as loud as kicking an empty metal garbage can. His cheeks burned as every head swiveled in his direction.
“Excuse us,” griped a man.
