His Christmas Baby Bonus by Donna Alward

Author:Donna Alward
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-09-15T20:53:58+00:00

Chapter 1

Seven weeks later...

Bah, humbug...

Finn Lockwood didn’t care if the saying was cliché. It was how he felt. Even though this was the first week after Thanksgiving, the holiday festivities were in full swing. He wanted no part of having a holly jolly Christmas. Even though he’d turned off the speakers in his office, the music still crept down the hallway, taunting him with its joyous melody.

He did his utmost to block out the mocking words. Instead, he focused on the stack of papers awaiting his signature. He was so close to being out of here—out of the office—out of New York City.

“I just love this.” His longtime assistant, Clara, strode into his office with a hefty stack of papers.

“Love what? The endless phone calls and this mess of paperwork?”

“Um, no.” Color filled her cheeks as she placed the papers on his desk. “I meant this song, ‘Home for the Holidays.’ It puts me in a warm fuzzy mood.”

His pen hovered over the document as he paused to listen. The sentimental words about home and family stabbed at his scarred heart. “To each his own.”

She swept her dark bobbed hair behind her ear. “Although it never feels like the holiday season until that first snowflake falls. Don’t you think so?”

He frowned at her. “How long have you known me?”

“Almost eight years.”

“And by now I’d have thought you’d realize I don’t do holidays.”

“I... I just keep hoping—”

“Don’t. It’s not going to happen.” An awkward silence ensued as he glanced over a disbursement and then signed it.

“Oh. I almost forgot. These came for you.” She handed over two tickets for the Mistletoe Ball.

He accepted the tickets. Without bothering to look at them, he slipped them in a side desk drawer with other tickets from years gone by. When he glanced back at his assistant, unspoken questions reflected in her eyes. “What?”

Clara hesitated, fidgeting with the pen in her hand. “Why do you order tickets every year but then never use them?”

“Don’t you think it’s a worthy cause?” When Clara nodded, he continued. “I want to do my part.” His voice grew husky with emotion. “If everyone does their part, maybe they’ll find a cure for leukemia. The damn disease steals lives far too soon.” His hand tightened around the pen. “It leaves nothing but devastation in its wake.”

Clara’s eyes widened. “I... I agree. I, um, just can’t afford the tickets.”

Finn realized he’d said too much. No one knew he was the sole sponsor of the ball and that was the way he intended for it to remain. But he just couldn’t attend—couldn’t face the guilt. If it wasn’t for him and his actions, his mother and father would still be alive. They’d be attending the ball each year just like they’d always done in years past.

Finn pulled open the desk drawer and removed the tickets. “Here. Take them. It’d be better if they were used rather than sitting around gathering dust.”

Her gaze moved from the tickets to him. “But I couldn’t. You should give them to someone else.

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