Mountain Man Santa (Naughty and Spice)

Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

STACEY

“ T hat weather doesn’t look too good,” Roxy says, staring out the windshield of my red Touareg at the dark horizon.

“I know.” I frown. “It doesn’t seem like anything can go right for Jerry anymore. I feel sorry for the guy, but then he also brings misery on himself...” I turn up the heat in my car, feeling silly for making Roxy come out here, but I haven’t seen her in forever, and I need someone to talk to badly.

“It’s fun being back here with everybody,” the sunshiny Wa-She-Shu beauty says, making her thick black braids shake as she talks. “I never thought I’d say I miss working at the diner, but I enjoyed chatting with everyone daily. As much as I love dogs and cats, they’re a little less talkative.”

She refers to her new line of work, the animal shelter she runs on Three Nations Reservation. I clear my throat, teasing, “So, you’re telling me you’re no Dr. Doolittle?”

“Not exactly, although the shelter recently got an African grey parrot named Mr. Moody who talks up a storm. He also does a ton of cursing, so we had to put up a warning sign for families coming through to listen to him at their own discretion.”

Chuckling, I ask, “Seriously? I’ve got to stop by soon to see this dirty-mouthed parrot.”

“You do,” she nods. “And there are so many adorable animals in need of homes. “That’s why I can’t be more thankful to Jerry for offering to hold our first fundraising event at the Silver Fork in February.”

“He’s a really amazing guy. So caring and generous with his time. So hardworking and dedicated to what he does. He may only serve diner food, but he doesn’t spare any expense or overlook any detail. And he’s so darn good-looking…like this big towering wall of muscle I can’t keep my eyes off.”

Roxy’s jaw drops, and her eyes round.

“What?” I ask, side-eyeing her.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you have the hots for Jerry Lee!”

“Absolutely not!” I exclaim, shaking my head. “Why would you say that anyway?”

“Because of the way you’re talking about him.”

I shake my head again. “I’m stating facts, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Generous, hardworking, dedicated, so darn good-looking, can’t keep my eyes off… What else could that possibly mean?”

I look down, fingering my apron. Time to quit playing stupid already. After all, the whole point of coming out here was to talk to Roxy about what happened and get her advice.

I take a deep breath, saying, “So, three weeks ago, Jerry and I were wrapping up the restaurant. You know, the usual. I finished cleaning tables and putting everything away, and I went into his office to ask if he needed anything else. Only I didn’t realize he had this sprig of mistletoe hanging over his door. I know, it’s a stupid, old-fashioned tradition. But I couldn’t really say ‘no’ to kissing him because, you know, it would be a lot more awkward if I refused. So, yeah, I let him kiss me…or maybe I kissed him. I don’t know for sure because everything kind of happened all at once, but I haven’t been able to get it off my mind ever since.”

Her eyebrows shoot into her hairline. “Okay, you should’ve called me immediately. You are seriously keeping me out of the loop.”

“I know. I’m sorry. But the whole thing caught me off guard, and it was a lot to process. I almost called you several times, but I wasn’t even sure how to explain it. I’d never allowed myself to think of Jerry that way before, being my boss and all. But when I say he’s a good kisser, it’s an understatement. I can still feel it in my toes.”

Roxy’s large cinnamon-colored eyes round some more. “Wait a second. Was this like a little innocent peck or a full-on makeout session?”

“Well,” I say, looking up to my right as I search for the right answer. “I stopped him before he took off my bra.”

She covers her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God.”

My cheeks flush. “Yeah.”

“Wow.”

“And the worst of it is, I loved every minute of it, and I can’t stop thinking about it. But then the most horrible thing happened today.” My voice cracks at the end.

“What?”

“My brothers were in town, and they decided to show up at the restaurant for breakfast and to meet the boss I can’t stop talking about.”

“Okay,” Roxy says, knitting her brows.

“And they took one look at him and asked how much prison time he’d done and where.”

Roxy frowns. “Really?”

“Yeah, and to my horror, Jerry said seventy months—that’s nearly six years—in Eastern Penitentiary. Even worse, Jerry Lee’s not his real name, and he has ties to the Polish mafia in New York City…at least his family does.”

“Wow,” Roxy says. “How long ago did he get out?”

“Four years ago,” I answer.

“And what was he convicted of?”

“Second-degree manslaughter. Apparently, he beat an opponent to death during an unsanctioned fight.”

“Yikes… And here, all this time, I had my money on the fact he was a famous football player in hiding.”

“That’s all you can say?” I ask, my heart breaking all over again as I retell the story.

“Well, we are talking second-degree manslaughter, not murder. What’s the deal with the name Jerry Lee?”

I shake my head. “His other name is Polish, and I can’t begin to pronounce it. That’s why he says he goes by Jerry Lee because no one can say or spell the real version in Hollister.”

Roxy nods. “That doesn’t shock me one bit. Roxy’s my English name, but you couldn’t begin to pronounce my real one.”

Her words surprise me. So does her calm demeanor. “You have another name, Roxy?”

“Of course,” she says with a laugh.

We sit in silence for a long moment. Finally, I observe, “You don’t really seem freaked out by any of this.”

She shrugs. “Stacey, I grew up on a reservation. Do you have any idea what the crime rate’s like there? Besides, Jerry’s one of the nicest, sweetest guys I know. You can’t hold his past over him, especially when he’s worked so hard to turn over a new leaf. Unless you think he’s still involved in the mafia or illegal activities?”

“No, he made it clear to my brothers that his family, not him, had the mafia connections. But I don’t know what to think. I mean, here I was really, really digging the guy. Now, though, everything I know about him is in question.”

“So what happened after you found out? Did you work the rest of your shift? Did you and Jerry talk about it or anything?”

I nod. “There wasn’t time to talk, and honestly, I was too mad. But he did send me home with a ton of tiramisu and an apology note.”

“Jerry’s tiramisu is the best. Do you think you can forgive him and move on?”

I frown.

Roxy adds, “I know you’re from a hardcore law enforcement family and all, but this really doesn’t feel like that big a deal to me. He messed up. He did his time. He reestablished himself and has forged a very successful second career despite everything. I mean, everyone has a past, Stacey. His just happens to be among the more interesting ones.”

“I know. It’s just a lot to take in.”

“What did your brothers say about it?” Roxy asks.

“Not much, honestly, although I’m certain a very thorough background check will follow.”

“Good,” the lovely Wa-She-Shu woman says, nodding and making her inky black braids dance in the air. “Better to be safe than sorry. But it’s not like Jerry raped or murdered somebody. Domestic violence would be another dealbreaker. But yeah, if you like him as much as you claim to, you need to talk it out and see what happens. Besides, you and I both know what Jerry’s like as a person, and he’s a good guy. He deserves a second chance.”

“I just wish he’d told me about this before.”

“Agreed, but it’s not like you’ve been together that long. I mean, have you even gone out on a date?”

“No, we haven’t. Although I know he would like to. I’ve been the one holding him back,” I admit, staring down at the small heart with a tail on my left wrist.

We sit in silence for a moment before Roxy says, “By the way, I’m pissed at you. Three weeks? You’ve seriously waited three weeks to tell me about you and Jerry?”

My cheeks burn. “I’m sorry. I’ve been busy.”

“It sounds like it,” she says caustically.

After a long pause, I ask, “Do you think I’m rushing with Jerry? Elliott and I only broke up a month ago…”

“It should’ve been six years ago…”

“What does that mean, Roxy? That’s how long we dated.”

She smiles ruefully. “Well, that’s how long you fought, made up, broke up, and then did it all over again. No offense, but you two kind of brought out the worst in each other.”

She isn’t wrong.

“And I mean, you’ve known Jerry for two years. So, no, you’re not rushing. But what I’m trying to wrap my head around is how different Jerry and Elliott are. Elliott always wore suits, and I never heard a curse word come out of his mouth. He was well-educated and refined and worked for whatever that winemaker is in Napa-Sonoma. Jerry’s crude and rude, bossy and gruff. Now add to that an ex-con and ex-MMA fighter. Definitely not what I would consider your type… He must be an amazing kisser.”

I haven’t let myself think about this all day, but now a smile captures my mouth. “All of this scares the heck out of me because I don’t want to get my heart broken or risk my job,” I confess breathlessly. “And I don’t honestly know if my family would ever truly accept him under the circumstances.”

“Your family doesn’t have to truly accept him…only you do.”

“You have a point,” I say quietly.

Roxy shrugs. “No matter what, please promise me you’ll be careful, too. He’s got to be a good five years older than you…”

Even though we’re the only two people in her car, I still find myself whispering, “He’s actually ten years older than me.”

“Wait, he’s thirty-four? He looks really young for his age.”

I nod. “What do you expect from somebody who stays in tiptop physical shape?”

Roxy glances at her watch. Leaning forward and opening her arms, she hugs me. “Hun, all I know for sure is you deserve all the happiness in the world and a guy who treats you like the queen you are.”