Page 17 of Soldier’s Christmas Crush (Trinity Falls: Home for Christmas #4)

Jensen gave her a funny smile.

“What?” she asked. “You don’t want him having soda?”

She knew a lot of parents were a whole lot stricter about that kind of stuff than anyone had been back when they were kids.

“No, no,” he said. “Not that at all.”

She tried and failed to read his expression.

“If you want to know the truth,” he said, leaning in. “This is the first voluntary date I’ve been on since I lost Henry’s mother. I guess I didn’t expect to start the evening talking about him, even though I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I already miss him.”

“You’ve been on involuntary dates?” Willow asked.

“Well, my mom tells me she got inundated with requests as soon as an appropriate amount of time had passed,” he said. “Whatever that means. I kind of doubt there were requests. She probably just worries that I’m lonely.”

“Are you?” Willow heard herself ask. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

But he smiled at her with twinkly eyes, just like the last time she asked too many questions.

“I’m definitely not feeling lonely right now,” he told her.

She felt her cheeks heat and looked down at her hands, wondering why she was feeling so shy all of a sudden.

“And I think I kind of liked being lonely before,” he said quietly.

“At first, it didn’t even feel right for me to smile or laugh.

But Henry made short work of that feeling.

It was unfair what happened to Lara. She didn’t ask for a risky pregnancy, but once she was in it, she was ready to do whatever she could to give Henry the best possible chance.

And now it’s my turn to do the same for him. ”

“That must have been so hard,” Willow said, her heart aching.

“By the end, she was on bed rest in the hospital,” he said. “I know she was uncomfortable and scared. But she kept a lid on her temper, and every word out of her mouth was so positive. If it were possible to control blood pressure by force of will, she would still be here.”

“She sounds heroic,” Willow said, nodding. “I wish I had met her.”

“Me too,” Jensen said, nodding slowly. “She would have liked you a lot.”

“Why?” Willow asked .

“You say what you mean,” Jensen said immediately. “You’re energetic and curious.”

“Thank you,” Willow said.

She had gotten plenty of compliments from guys over the years that all added up to you’re pretty . Being praised for qualities she actually cared about and would be proud to have meant so much more to her.

“I worry sometimes about Henry growing up with just me,” Jensen admitted. “I do my best, but he’s still behind on so many things. He was born early, and they said it would take time to catch up.”

“He’s just going at his own pace,” Willow said firmly, surprised to hear a defensive note in her voice. “And he seems like he’s having fun doing it.”

Jensen smiled at that.

“I want him to enjoy life,” he said, nodding. “He’s got to enjoy it for her too.”

Willow swallowed over the lump in her throat and was grateful when Nana and Charles slipped onto the porch with their drinks.

“We brought you two glasses to start, love,” Nana said, setting two root beers in front of Willow.

“Thank you so much,” Willow said, laughing. “I guess you really do remember how much I love this stuff.”

She was joking, of course, but not completely. Condensation slid down the icy glasses, taking her back to her childhood, and it was all she could do to politely wait for her first sip.

“And here’s that vanilla cream soda,” Charles said, placing a glass in front of Jensen. “I hope you enjoy it. It’s great to see you both again. ”

They all exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes, and when Nana and Charles headed out, Willow took a sip of her root beer.

The sweet flavor burst on her tongue as the bubbles rushed to her head.

“As good as you remembered?” Jensen asked, his deep voice amused.

“Better,” Willow declared. “Would you like some?”

“Can you spare any?” Jensen teased.

“I think I’ll be okay,” Willow laughed.

“You know my dad would make me pay for my own glass if he were here,” Jensen said. “That’s only supposed to be bottomless for you .”

“Your dad is a true gentleman,” Willow said approvingly, pushing her glass toward him. “But I think we can make a one-sip exception.”

He obligingly took a taste, and she watched him close his eyes.

“Oh wow,” he said. “That takes me back.”

“Now give it back,” she teased. “I can’t spare any more.”

“I like watching you drink it anyway,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he pushed it back to her.

A few minutes later, Nana and Charles appeared with steaming bowls of chicken soup with rice and the two of them dug in, enjoying the delicious food and the cozy atmosphere without having to say a word.

As nervous as she had been about this night, Willow felt so comfortable now that it was happening.

She was excited to be here and share a meal with Jensen, but she didn’t feel any need to try to be more sophisticated than usual, and she didn’t worry too much about whether her lip gloss had survived the soup.

After Charles came to clear their bowls, Nana returned with her famous pumpkin ravioli accompanied by a crisp salad and a basket of fragrant, fresh-baked bread and honey butter.

They enjoyed their feast while reminiscing about the past and trying to imagine what activities Captain Anderson would dream up next for the vets at the center.

“Really though, I think he’s going to take it easy until after the wedding,” Willow guessed. “He’s been talking about his fiancée so much that I can’t imagine him throwing himself into any other big projects until they come back from their honeymoon.”

“That could be,” Jensen agreed thoughtfully. “I just can’t picture the man slowing down for any reason. He’s so excited about how things are going.”

When their meal was finished, Jensen paid and pulled out Willow’s chair for her.

“You’re so old-fashioned,” she teased him lightly.

“I am,” he said, his deep voice dead serious. “Does that bother you?”

She shook her head.

He took her hand, and they headed through the dining room and toward the entrance.

But before they reached it, the front door opened, and in walked Chris Bell, his wife, Grace, and their little girl, Izzy, along with Chris’s service dog, Molly.

For a split second, Willow panicked. Chris and her brother had always been close.

If he spotted them here, there was no way Ransom wouldn’t hear about it.

Before she had a chance to react, Jensen tugged her hand, pulling them both down the hallway that led to the bathrooms, and behind the bookcase with the plants.

Jensen pressed her against the wall, practically covering her with his big body.

With her cheek pinned to his chest, Willow could hear his heart pounding.

A wave of shame washed over her, and it was all she could do not to burst into tears.

“I don’t think they saw us,” Jensen murmured in her ear.

She hated her heart for the silly little shiver that went through her at the feeling of being in his arms with him whispering to her, no matter the reason.

He doesn’t want to be seen with me. And if I had any shame, I wouldn’t be out with him either.