Dad Bod Secret Santa (Dad Bod Christmas)

Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

HANK

M aggie got her power back yet?” Jax leans against the back of his truck, wiping his hands on a bandana. His eyes narrow as he watches me.

I throw the rope over the trees in his truck bed to secure them before he takes them down for sale, then I grab my thermos and pour myself a cup of coffee.

“Yeah, they’re still at the cabin,” I say, taking a long drink of coffee. “No word on when the power will be back. More than one major transformer was damaged in the storm.”

“Sounds like things could be worse,” Jax says, grinning. “Have you done anything about your feelings for Maggie? Now would be a perfect time…”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like that,” I mutter, ignoring his teasing.

The truth is, Maggie is all I can think about, and when we’re all at home? I feel like I’m going to self-combust from longing. Problem is, I have no idea if Maggie feels remotely the same way—despite the kiss—and for the first time in a long time, I’m scared to talk to Maggie and find out. You’d think years in the Army and more than a decade as a single dad would make me fearless, but…Maggie brings me to my knees with longing. She always has.

Jax chuckles, clearly unconvinced. “Right. Sure it’s not. Just you, Maggie, and the girls playing house.”

“Not helping,” I say, draining the last bit of my coffee and stowing my thermos. “Besides, I have to think about the girls. You’re not a dad, but when you are and single? You have to think about everything through the lens of your kid. She’s already had one woman in her life up and leave, and I don’t want her to get attached to a new woman only to have the same thing happen. It’s why I don’t date.”

“Or,” Jax says, leaning closer, “you could stop overthinking it, Hank. Maybe you both need a little push. And for the record, you don’t date because you’ve been holding a torch for Maggie for years. You’re a one-woman man, and she’s been the woman even if she hasn’t been your woman.”

Jax gets in his truck and takes off, leaving me speechless. I’ve never thought about it like that, but he’s right. I’ve known for a long time that Maggie was a special woman, but I didn’t realize I’d stayed single because there wasn’t room in my heart or life for anyone who wasn’t her.

For a dedicated and confirmed bachelor, Jax has more insight into people and relationships than I ever imagined.

The question now is: what am I going to do about Maggie?

I hear Maggie’s car pull into the driveway and glance at my watch. It’s nearly seven—she wasn’t kidding about working late. Through the kitchen window, I watch her trudge through the snow and up to the porch.

“Something smells amazing,” she says, unwinding her scarf, kicking off her shoes by the front door, and sliding into her slippers.

“The girls and I made chicken pot pie. There’s a plate warming in the oven for you.” I move to help her with her coat, breathing in the cold winter air clinging to her hair.

“Thank you so much.” She sighs and smiles. “You have no idea how much I didn’t want to cook tonight. You’re a godsend.”

I nod. “I figured that might be the case. The girls have done their homework. But I, uh... I need to go out for a bit.”

Her brow furrows slightly. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, of course.” I hate the uncertainty flickering across her face, but I force myself not to explain. This project will be worth it. “Just something I need to take care of. I won’t be too late.”

She nods, but I see the questions in her eyes. Before I can change my mind and tell her everything, I grab my coat and the tool bag I stashed by the door earlier. The pieces of black walnut I’ve been saving are wrapped carefully in an old T-shirt.

“Hank?” she calls as I reach for the door. When I turn, she’s biting her lower lip. “Drive safe, okay?”

“Thanks.”

In my truck, I pull out my phone and dial Leo’s number. He picks up on the second ring. “Hey, buddy. Can I ask a favor? I need some space to work on a project.”

“Hey, man. Good to hear from you.” Leo’s voice crackles through the speaker. “Come on by the house. You can use my workshop in the backyard. I’ll go out and get the heater going so you don’t freeze your balls off.”

“Thanks, Leo. You have no idea how much I appreciate this. I can’t work on it at home like I usually would.” I put the truck into gear, carefully navigating my way down the mountain and into town.

“What are you working on?” Leo asks. I can hear the spirited voices of his wife Karla and their kids in the background, and I curse myself for not calling earlier. I should know better than to try to roll up to his house, when he has a full family of his own.

“I’m working on a jewelry box. Hopefully get it done before Christmas.” I know it’s a tight timeline to do a project like this, but if I keep the carving to the lid, I should be able to squeeze it in.

“Really now?” Leo chuckles. “Who’s the lucky lady?”

“A lucky lady.” I laugh, not wanting to reveal too much.

Before long, I pull into Leo’s driveway.

He comes out when he sees my truck. “Brought coffee.” He holds up a thermos and two mugs as I climb out of the truck. “Figured we might need it.”

“We?”

“You think I’m missing this? You’re making something for a woman? This is unprecedented.”

I roll my eyes but accept the coffee. “You gonna help or just provide commentary?”

He grins. “Both.” Helping me carry in the wood and my tools, he leads me to his workshop behind his house, a large finished shed and the kind of workshop I dream about. “So, what’s the plan?”

Spreading out the black walnut on his workbench, I explain the design I’ve been sketching for days. “Nothing too fancy. Clean lines, dovetail joints. But I want to inlay maple leaves here and here.” I point to my rough drawings. “She mentioned her grandmother had a maple tree she loved playing under as a kid.”

“This is nice stock. Been saving it?”

“Yeah.” I’ve been saving it for something special. I didn’t know when I’d use it but now is the right time.

We spend the next hour cutting and measuring. Leo helps me set up his table saw for the precise cuts I need before working quietly at his bench while I focus on the initial pieces. The familiar rhythm of woodworking is soothing.

“You’ve got that look again,” Leo says, not looking up from where he’s helping me mark the dovetail joints.

“What look?”

“Buddy, I’ve known you twenty years. I’ve never seen you like this. Not even with Karen.”

The mention of my ex-wife doesn’t sting like it used to. “This is different,” I say quietly. “It’s like...experiencing a perfection in life that I didn’t know existed. Does that make any sense?”

“It does, yeah.” Leo smiles and looks toward his house. “That’s how it felt with Karla. She and the kids are the best thing in my life. You think this woman is the one for you?”

“I do,” I say immediately and with conviction. I run my fingers over the grain of the black walnut. “I want to give her a gift that shows her how much she matters to me.”

Leo claps me on the shoulder. “Then let’s make sure this is perfect.”

The hours pass quickly, and Karla comes out to check on us.

“Damn,” I say, looking at my watch. “I didn’t realize the time. Sorry, Karla. I didn’t mean to keep Leo so long.”

“Don’t worry, Hank. I know he wouldn’t be out here if it weren’t important,” she says, sliding her arms around Leo’s waist and hugging him.

Leo helps me wrap the partially completed box and hands it to me. “Same time tomorrow?”

“If you don’t mind?”

“Mind? Hank, I haven’t seen you this happy in years. You can come over as much as you need.” Leo laughs and comes over to slap me on the shoulder and see me out.

I know Maggie’s the one. Now, I need to convince her to give me a chance and let me show her I’m the man for her.