The Snuggle is Real (Christmas Falls: Season 2)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

Ford

Dottie moved alongside me, her cane clomping in the snow, and I kept a hand hovering just over her shoulder.

She wouldn’t tolerate me actually helping her across the park. Charlie clung to my left hand, oblivious to everything but Santa.

The line for photos twisted like a snake, angling around the edge of Sugar Plum Park and all the way to the towering wooden gnome that marked its entrance, a gift to the city from local artisan Murphy Clark.

“Oh goodness,” Dottie said. “I sure am glad I don’t have to wait in that line.”

Over the heads of restless children and frazzled parents, I could just make out the little table where Mason had set up the Holiday Hope Foundation toy drive.

Dottie had volunteered to help, despite hating the cold.

“You couldn’t have set up in the crafts fair?” she grumbled as she made her way around the table.

Mason pulled out a chair and made the terrible mistake of trying to help her sit. She smacked his hand away. “I’m fine. I’m a grown woman!”

“Sorry!” His blush made his freckles stand out. “This snow can be slippery. That’s all. Right, Ford?”

I smirked. “Yep. You can’t be too careful.”

Dottie flapped her hand. “Then go help Ford get in line.”

Mason hesitated a beat, but he was committed to his story now. “Uh, okay.”

“Just hurry,” Charlie urged. “There’s more people headed that way.”

“You run ahead,” Dottie said. “The boys will catch up.”

Charlie took off like a shot, and I groaned. “I am not looking forward to freezing my balls off for hours.”

Mason fell into step with me as we crossed the frosted grass. “It’s a busy event.”

“Hopefully you’re getting a lot of donations out of it.”

“More requests for help, honestly. It’s a tough year for a lot of folks.”

I sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that. Can the foundation help everyone who needs it?”

He paused a beat. “Not everyone, no. We have finite resources, but we’ve expanded a lot from last year. We’re helping more people.”

I glanced over the crowd. It was a mixed bag, some folks dressed in nice warm wool coats and others in jackets that had seen better days.

The event itself was free—and many parents took their own photos. The ticket Mason gave me ensured I’d get a glossy 8x10 print shot by the professional photographer set up near the sleigh where Santa was ensconced and probably a lot warmer than those of us in line.

Though to be fair, he’d be out here all day. I didn’t envy the guy.

“I hate to turn anyone away,” Mason said regretfully. “But it’s part of the job.”

“You offered me help. Without me even asking first. Why?”

“You were asking,” he said. “Just not with words.”

Our eyes met, and it was as if he could see inside to everything I tried to hide. Was that how he’d known to push? To refuse to take no for an answer?

“I should get back to helping Dottie,” he said. “If you give up on the line, there’s some fun selfie stations set up around the park too.”

Charlie grabbed my sleeve to pull me into my place in line. “Pretty sure this one is set on talking to Santa.”

“Yep! I met him once already. Do you think he’ll remember me?”

“How could he not?” Mason tousled her hair. “You’re the cutest kid here.”

Charlie watched him walk away with stars in her eyes. “Mason is so nice, isn’t he?”

“The nicest guy I’ve ever met.”

She sighed wistfully. “I wish Mama could meet someone like him. If she did, maybe I could stay in Christmas Falls.”

I bit my cheek to hide my smile at the thought of LuAnne and Mason ever going on a date. The man was gay as fuck, and LuAnne went more for the bad boy type. That had been me once, but once we’d settled down and I’d decided to raise Charlie as my own, I got a job and took responsibility…and LuAnne got bored.

Oh, she tried for a while and so did I, but in the end, my grief over my sister was the last straw for what was already a bad match.

“Ford Donnelly! Hey! Over here! Helloooo!”

Speaking of bad matches…

“Who’s that?” Charlie asked with a cute little wrinkle of her nose.

Sasha Cunningham picked her way through the snow, wobbling a little. And no wonder. She wore red boots with heels so high they should hire her as a performer on stilts. Her hair was dyed bottle red and clashed with her complexion—nothing like Mason’s natural strawberry blond.

“She’s just an old friend,” I said.

“You have a lot of old friends.”

Whoops. I forgot I’d introduced Nick the same way.

I chuckled awkwardly. “Well, I grew up here. I know half the town.”

“That must be nice,” Charlie said, sounding wistful. “I don’t know anyone else.”

I squeezed her hand. “Not true. You know Mason.”

“But he’s your friend.”

“He’s your friend too. I think?—”

“Ford!” Sasha called again, too close to ignore. “Hi. I just wanted to meet your darling little girl.” She clucked. “I heard about her mama, poor thing.”

“What about my mama?” Charlie said sharply.

Sasha glanced from me to Charlie. “Oh, I just heard what happened, is all, sweetie. It’s too bad that she got herself in trouble like that. Family should be together at Christmas.”

“Sasha,” I said in a warning tone.

“What?” She blinked at me, trying to look innocent. “It’s true. LuAnne has sure gotten herself in a mess this time.”

“You don’t know anything,” Charlie said angrily.

Sasha crouched to put herself at Charlie’s level. “Well, I know she’s not here for you, honey. If I were your mama, I’d never?—”

“Shut up!” Charlie shoved her. “You’re not my mama and your shoes are stupid!”

Balanced on those heels, Sasha didn’t stand a chance. She fell on her butt with a shriek.

Charlie darted out of the line, dashing tears from her face.

“Charlie!” I called, but she broke into a run.

Sasha grabbed my leg. “Help me up! I’m getting all wet.”

I shook her off. “Charlie’s right. You don’t know anything, and this is none of your damn business.”

“But Ford?—”

“I’m her family! Me!”

I charged after Charlie, my throat tight with pain for my little girl.

She’d been so happy the past few days I’d convinced myself that she was over her mom’s absence. Stupid. She was just a kid, and her mom had been her whole world. Sasha’s words weren’t just stupid; they were cruel.

Charlie ran straight to Mason, dashing around the table and burying her face in his chest with a sob. Dottie was there too, clucking and stroking Charlie’s hair.

He spoke softly with her while I made my way over. Now that I knew she was safe, I gave her a few minutes to get the comfort she needed.

My heart ached that she’d run from me, but I was glad she had someone she could trust.

Dottie rounded on me when I arrived. “What on earth happened back there? Charlie’s very upset.”

Her scolding tone was like salt to the wound.

“I know.” I tugged at my beard in frustration. “She ran off before I could stop her.” My gaze went to Mason. “Thank you for being here for her.”

“Of course,” he murmured.

“I want my mommy,” Charlie said in a sad little voice. “Why doesn’t she call? I want to talk to her.”

I stood by helplessly as Mason squeezed her close and rocked her, his eyes on mine. “I’m sure she misses you too.”

Charlie sniffled. “If she missed me, she’d call.”

“Charlie, she’s trying to get better.” My voice came out too thick and I cleared my throat. “If she could call, I’m sure she would.”

Charlie tipped her face toward me, looking wary. “You think so?”

I nodded. “I know it. Your mom is sick, but she loves you. You know that, right?”

Charlie gave a shuddering sigh. “I guess.”

“You know who else loves you?” Mason said.

“Who?” Charlie asked.

“Ford. Your dad. Look at how worried he is about you. That’s because he loves you to pieces.”

“He’s not mad?”

“I’m not,” I rasped. “I’m sorry Sasha upset you.”

“Sasha?” Dottie said. “Please tell me you’re not taking up with her again.”

“I’m not.”

“Who’s Sasha?” Mason asked.

“No one,” I insisted before Dottie could fill him in on my dating history. I wasn’t sure why, but I didn’t want Mason to know. It was embarrassing, really, to have dated a woman like her, even if she had been a rebound after my divorce.

Charlie came around the table, stopping a few feet from me. “I lost our place in line.”

“Go ahead of us,” a woman called from the front of the line. “We’ve got a diaper emergency and you look like you could use a break.”

“You don’t have to?—”

“Please? You’d be doing me a favor.”

I turned a wry look Mason’s way. That wasn’t the first time that reverse psychology had been used on me.

This time, though, I wouldn’t fight it.

“Thank you,” I said. “Let me know if I can repay the favor sometime.”

She smiled. “Of course. Us parents have to stick together.”

“I’m not—” I stopped short and wrapped an arm around Charlie. “I’m not very practiced at this yet, so thank you.”

I walked Charlie up to Santa’s sleigh. I picked her up to set her in the sleigh but held her close for a minute.

“Charlie, I know this is new with me and you. That we’re still getting used to each other, but you are my family, and if you let me, I want to be yours too.”

She nodded and leaned in to kiss my cheek.

It was all the answer I needed. I lifted her into the sleigh and she posed with Santa. Her cheeks were still a little pink, but whether it was from the cold or her tears, I couldn’t say. The smile she beamed at Santa looked genuine.

The photographer stepped up and took a shot.

“So, I sort of promised Charlie she could visit Peppermint Bark when she finished here.”

I turned, startled. “You did?”

Mason toed at the snow. “She was crying, and I wanted to make her feel better.”

“But the toy drive…”

“Mrs. Lil is taking the next shift, and she’s an old hand at this. She won’t need me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. As long as you don’t have other plans? That woman?—”

“No! No plans with her. Definitely not. She made Charlie feel awful.”

Mason cringed. “Okay, I wasn’t sure…”

“I’m not exactly the best boyfriend material,” I said with an eye roll.

“Don’t sell yourself short. You’re a single dad now. That’s catnip to women.”

“Just women?” I joked.

The smile melted from Mason’s lips. He gave me a confused, searching look, and no wonder. Why was I fishing for compliments from him?

“Got it!” the photographer called.

Charlie climbed out of the sleigh and I went forward to help her down.

“Can you go help Dottie?” I asked her. “She gets mad when I try.”

“Okay!” Charlie grinned and ran over, looking as if her meltdown had never happened.

“Kids are resilient, huh?” Mason said.

“She looks okay now. I just hope she doesn’t end up telling her therapist all the ways I traumatized her during her visit here.”

Mason snorted. “Please. She adores you.”

“I think she might adore you,” I said. “Maybe even has a little crush.”

“What? No…”

“She ran straight to you for comfort. I’m glad you were here.”

“Me too.” He squeezed my arm, and unlike when Sasha touched me, my chest warmed and I couldn’t fight back a smile.

Mason was becoming a good friend—and it’d been too long since I had one of those.