Chasing Christmas Eve Read online

  locked on Jackson’s.

  Jackson looked away first and finally Spence let her pull him away.

  Once outside, the man she’d left in her bed that morning turned to her.

  “Not here,” she said. “Anywhere but here.”

  Chapter 22

  #SomeDitch

  Spence could feel Colbie shaking as they got back to the courtyard of his building. He turned her to face him. “You didn’t answer me before, so I’m going to ask you again. Are you okay?”

  She nodded. And then slowly shook her head no.

  Shit. He took her hand and led her across the courtyard to the elevator. He bypassed the third floor. And then the fifth floor.

  “The roof?” she asked quietly.

  “The roof.” He brought her over to his stargazing lounger.

  “It’s daylight,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “It might rain.”

  “I know that too.” He nudged her down and checked his phone. “Ten seconds,” he said.

  In half that, the roof door opened and Caleb appeared, holding a big brown bag.

  “I got everything that even remotely resembled comfort food,” Caleb said. “It wasn’t hard—Trudy had just loaded your fridge.”

  “The mac and cheese?” Spence asked, taking a peek.

  “Yeah. And you don’t know how bad I wanted to pretend I didn’t find that one. I know it’s morning and all that but . . . homemade, man. Crispy golden brown cheesy crust, and she added bacon. Bacon! That makes it breakfast.”

  “Thanks,” Spence said, noting that he’d even included utensils.

  “Sure.” Caleb glanced at Colbie, who was unnaturally still, staring out at the city. “She okay?”

  He had no idea. “She will be.”

  Caleb nodded and Spence took in the guy’s ridiculously ugly Christmas sweater. “What is that?”

  “Trying to get into an acceptable festive spirit,” Caleb said.

  Spence shook his head. “Christmas sweaters are only acceptable as a cry for help.”

  “Says the guy who wore a pink Princess sweatshirt to poker last night. Oh yeah,” he said at Spence’s surprise. “There are pics. Don’t worry—none of us tagged you, but they’re good too.”

  When he was gone, Spence sat next to Colbie. He opened the bag and started pulling out the food. She watched, silent, until he had everything opened.

  Her nose wriggled, like she smelled something enticing. “Is that mac and cheese?” she asked.

  “With bacon. I hope you don’t have anything against eating nonbreakfast food for breakfast.”

  “No. And I smell bacon. Bacon is breakfast food. Bacon is every-meal food.”

  They were in perfect accord there. He handed the container to her and watched while she ate it in silence, her expression going from way too beaten down for his comfort to . . . less beaten down.

  “Are you trying to bribe me into a good mood with food?” she finally asked.

  “Is it working?”

  “Yes.” She sighed and leaned back. “But only because I’m easy that way.”

  “Only that way, huh?” he asked in a teasing tone, picking up her hand, bringing it to his mouth, smiling when she choked out a rough laugh.

  “Well, with you,” she said, “I might just be easy in all ways.”

  He smiled. “Who was the guy?”

  “My agent.”

  “And . . . your ex,” he guessed.

  “Yes,” she said. “And since I ran away with nothing more than a few notes, on some level I can’t even blame him for being pissed off and tracking me down.”

  “You’re not a minor, Colbie. You’re a grown woman who’s got the right to come and go as you please.”

  “I’m the head of my family, and they depend on me.”

  “Financially, I get it,” he said. “I do. But emotionally? That’s going over and above with their expectations.”

  She met his gaze. “Says the man who bought his mom a house and keeps his grandpa in sight and takes care of him. So tell me how exactly we’re different?”

  “My mom was always there for me,” he said. “Always. I had to practically drag her out of her run-down dump into the house I bought for her because she didn’t want me to spend my money on her. She never does. Two years ago for Christmas, I gave her something she never had, something she always wanted—a retirement fund. What did she do? She changed it into my name.” He shook his head. “So last year I tried to outsmart her. I bought her something I knew she’d always secretly dreamed of—an all-expenses-paid vacation cruise to a bunch of Greek islands.”

  “I take it she didn’t go.”

  “Nope. She cashed it in and donated the money to my favorite charity.”

  She stared at him and then laughed a little. “I think I’d like her.”

  “And she’d like you,” he said. “But my point is that she spent most of her life dirt poor. She’s never had it easy, but at no point in our lives has she ever dumped her entire life on me and made me responsible for her. I don’t have siblings, but knowing what I know about her, she’d never let me take on responsibility for them either.”

  She closed her eyes. “I wasn’t going to let you in,” she whispered.

  “I’ve had my mouth on every inch of your gorgeous body,” he said. “And vice versa.” At just the memory, his glasses fogged up and his voice fell an octave. “So it’s a little late for that.”

  She blushed and bit her lower lip. “You know I didn’t mean physically. I meant . . .” She tapped her temple.

  Yeah. He knew. And he’d been sure of the exact same thing. But when it came right down to it, his brain wasn’t always in charge. His heart was.

  And no matter what, watching her walk away was going to suck.

  “Your mom sounds like she’s a really strong woman,” she said.

  “She is.”

  She shook her head. “My mom isn’t like that. For as long as I can remember, she’s been the victim, and she enjoys the role. I stepped in early because she needed me and . . . well, she’s never stopped needing me. Emotionally, financially, mentally.”

  Her mom, who should’ve known better, had early on handed over her reins to Colbie, who’d been far too young to take it all on. But take it on she had, giving up her own childhood in the process. Spence was starting to understand the depth of her sense of responsibility, as a woman, a daughter, a sister, a writer. “Not your job,” he said.

  “I know. And I never meant to create a codependent relationship, believe me,” she said. “I just wanted to help.”

  “And you have. And more than with just your family.”

  “You mean Jackson.”

  “He cheated on you?” Spence asked, trying to get a bead on what she might still feel for this guy.

  She blew out a breath. “I made more of what we had than it was. I had a very longtime crush on him and mistook friendship and business for love. It wasn’t.”

  “And now he’s using that friendship and business to manipulate you into returning before you’re ready.”

  She shrugged.

  “Colbie . . .” He took her hand. “Don’t let it do a number on you.”

  She laughed softly. “Baby steps.”

  “Baby steps,” he agreed and kept ahold of her hand.

  They ate, and when they were done, Spence pulled Colbie up.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “Your list.”

  “We did everything on my list,” she said and finally gave him a real smile.

  He returned it. “There’s something you forgot to put on the list. Trust me?” he asked, not sure she would or why he wanted her to so badly.

  But when she looked at his outstretched hand, nodded, and put hers in his, he felt like he’d won the lotto.

  “What are we doing?” Colbie asked as Spence pulled the ’57 Chevy truck into traffic.

  “You’ll see,” he said enigmatically.

  Okaaay. Her