The Christmas Angel (The McBride Series Book 1) by Tina Radcliffe

Author:Tina Radcliffe [Radcliffe, Tina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tina Radcliffe
Published: 2013-12-03T00:00:00+00:00

6

Samantha stepped further into the apartment, propelled by hurt. She stared him down as he leaned against the wall. “I want to know what’s going on. One minute you’re hot, the next cold. You practically dropped me on the floor to answer the telephone.”

Judd dragged a hand over the side of his face, avoiding his bruised eye and not meeting her gaze. “Perhaps I should lie down on the couch for this session.”

“You don’t have a couch,” she said flatly.

“I, ah...”

Walking around, she surveyed the room. “Don’t you celebrate Christmas?”He shrugged.

“What does that mean? You don’t believe in God?”

“Not so sure he believes in me.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Samantha waved a hand in the air and peeked in his bedroom. “You still don’t have a bed either.” She stopped and whirled around. “Why haven’t you bought a bed?”

“I haven’t had time. As you may recall, I’m working two jobs these days.”

“I thought you needed the work.”

Judd bristled.

“I’m not one of your charity cases, Samantha.”

Samantha’s head moved back a fraction. Her charity case?

“We’re having our first fight, aren’t we?” he asked. A small smile teased his lips

“This isn’t a joke.” She hadn’t been this mad in a long time. Not since Kevin’s pointless death that the U.S Navy called “unfortunate.” Every joking comment from Judd irritated her more than the next. Was he making a fool of her? Was she making a fool of herself?

Worse, she feared she was going to end up with a broken heart.

“You have to have a relationship to have a fight. We don’t have a relationship. We have a dance,” she said, nodding at her own words. “Yes. That’s what we have. And the steps are driving me nuts. One step forward, two steps back...”

“What do you want from me, Samantha?” His hand went to adjust his glasses, and he stopped apparently realizing they were gone.

“I should be asking you that question.” Her gazed pinned him, and he didn’t look away. “I don’t play games. Surely you’ve figured that much out by now.”

“No, actually, I haven’t figured out much of anything. That seems to be my problem. Every time I try to figure something out—you get in my way.”

She sucked in a breath. “What are you talking about?”

He shoved off the wall. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No, maybe it doesn’t matter. Like you and this apartment and the people who have come to care about you don’t matter.”

His gaze locked with hers once again, and for the first time she saw a flicker of pain in the depth of his eyes.

That was the moment she knew she’d scratch the surface of the real Judd Mason. “You know what,” she said softly. “I think you do realize that you need more than a cot and an empty apartment. You don’t like the fact that you’re starting to care, do you?”

Judd’s jaw tightened. “I don’t think you understand. I don’t need anything. This town is a layover until I get my next assignment. When I said I was between jobs, it was by choice.

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