Free Edge of the Season by Trish Loye Page A

dropped his hand. “I’m going to grab a shower.” He went into the bathroom. It wasn’t long before she heard the water running.
    She’d thought she lost him last night. She shivered and pulled her robe closer, but it didn’t help the coldness inside. Why did she feel so alone when Jake had just shown her such comfort, such love?
    And that was it. He’d shown her his love and she’d withheld hers. And he hadn’t said a single word about it being unfair. He’d just understood.
    She bit her lip. When was she going to finally trust him with all of herself?
----
    D ani walked into the Harrison family home that evening and received hugs from each family member and Zach too, who’d managed to come down for the evening to spend time with Alyssa. But the best hug came from Cassie.
    Dani stood in the living room, surrounded by Jake’s family, when the little girl shoved her way through the adults and launched herself at Dani. She couldn’t do anything but catch her and pick her up, even if it made her arm throb.
    “Aunt Alyssa said that you fought a bad man last night.”
    Dani nodded and smiled. That about summed it up. “Yes,” she said. “And your Christmas gift saved my life.”
    Cassie’s eyes widened. “It did?”
    Dani nodded, thinking that the kid probably didn’t need to know that she’d bludgeoned the asshole with it. “I wanted to thank you for it.”
    “You’re welcome,” she said very solemnly. Then she wiggled in Dani’s arms, and she took that as a cue to put the girl down.
    “Grannie’s making pie and she said I could help.” Cassie raced back to the kitchen.
    “Well, I’d better go follow the imp,” Mrs. Harrison said.
    The evening went by fast, with a large dinner. The family had already been to church before she and Jake had shown up. Cassie had been in the pageant and Dani had oohed and aahed over the pictures Jessie showed her after dessert.
    Finally, Jake interrupted. “We’d better go,” he told Jessie. “Dani needs rest.”
    Everyone protested and Dani laughed. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”
    They drove back in silence. Dani’s eyes drifted shut after the big meal and with the lingering warmth of Jake’s family enveloping her. She was so tired she ached with it. At the Bed and Breakfast, Jake stopped the car and turned to her before she could get out.
    “I’m sorry,” he said.
    She frowned. “Sorry for what?”
    He shook his head. “I’m sorry for dragging you down here. We should have spent Christmas together in Montréal, without my family.”
    She sat back. “Your family’s fine. I like them.”
    “You do?”
    “Of course I do.” She sighed. “It’s not that I hate families. It’s that I just don’t understand them.”
    His head tilted. “Explain.”
    She frowned. “I’m not opposed to families, Jake. Yours seems great.”
    Now he frowned. “So you’re not opposed to other people’s families, just to creating your own? Or is it me you’re opposed to creating one with?”
    “Now that’s unfair.”
    “Why, Dani? Why is it unfair if I ask you that? Why is it unfair if I ask you why you won’t say you love me?” He ran a hand over his face. “Unless it’s because you don’t love me?”
    He shook his head. “Shit. I promised myself I wouldn’t bring this up yet, but apparently I can’t wait. I need to know where we’re going.” He opened the car door. “Think about it, because I can’t stay with a woman who doesn’t love me.”
    He left her sitting in the rapidly cooling car.
----
    J ake cracked a beer from the mini-fridge in their room. He usually frowned upon drinking when his stress was high, but this kind of stress deserved a beer. Dani was driving him insane. He loved her and she loved him. What the fuck was the problem?
    The beer’s cold maltiness soothed his throat. He chugged another swallow. He needed space. Dani would be walking in that door and he didn’t think he could handle any more silence on her part.
    He opened his