Holiday Husband by McCarthy Erin

Author:McCarthy, Erin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Three

Opening the cab door for Dakota, I wondered what the hell I thought I was doing. My absence at the party might not be noticed immediately, but it would be and there would be questions. I was supposed to be schmoozing the organization, not a random strange woman I’d met on the elevator.

But the last eighteen months had been a giant bag of dicks with my divorce and fighting for custody of my girls. It had been draining and I was fucking emotionally exhausted. There was nothing weighty about going ice skating with a stranger. No expectations, no image to preserve, no judgment of my ex, no worrying about my kids. Just fun.

It was Christmas, after all. The magic of the holidays.

“I wouldn’t have guessed Minnesota,” Dakota said as we got in the cab and the driver took off. “You don’t have the accent.”

“I moved to Texas at fifteen, then went to California for college. Then I spent a few years in Seattle. I had to get rid of all traces of accents or I would sound like who knows what. Using y’all and dontcha in the same sentence would be a mess.”

She laughed. “I guess so. Is that why you don’t seem cold? You should be freezing by now.”

“I run hot.” I did. I wasn’t trying to flirt. I wasn’t even sure I knew how at this point in my life, my game was so rusty.

Dakota raised her eyebrows, but she didn’t otherwise react to my comment.

“I’m excited to see the big tree,” she said. “It’s been a few years since I’ve made it to midtown this time of year. Life is too busy and I spend half my life on the train going between shoots and auditions. Stopping to see a tree seemed like way too much work.”

“Life does that to you. Where do you live?”

“Harlem.”

As far as the city went, that wasn’t all that far away from my apartment. Not that it mattered, I reminded myself. Even if I were interested in a relationship, which I wasn’t, Dakota was way too young. I needed a woman my own age, who had a regular schedule, and who liked kids. Who wasn’t in it just for my bank account. Who didn’t mind that I was out of town just about every other weekend from August to January, and who missed major holidays because of coaching. A woman who didn’t mind an angry ex-wife and my shitty attitude about parties.

Which was why I wasn’t interested in a relationship. I needed a nanny and a housekeeper more than a girlfriend. I wasn’t exactly available. That was an annoying thought. All the more reason to just live in the moment.

“We’re here,” I said. Just roll with it. Enjoy an hour or two with a woman who clearly embraced life fully.

That was confirmed when we stepped out of the cab and saw the giant tree lit up.

Dakota threw her hands up over her head. “Woo hoo! Yes! That is so awesome. It’s fantasy New York City.

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