Santa Soldier Bear - Meg Ripley Page 0,8

platter, rolled it around a deviled egg, and downed it.

“No way. I love the feeling of Christmas, how it makes you think about home and love and even just being lucky to have a roof over your head and people to be with during the holidays. It’s so cozy and warm, and I love the contrast of winter darkness with the twinkling lights. I find it incredibly…” She stalled, realizing the word she was about to say was ‘romantic.’ That wouldn’t work in this situation, not when she was so close to a man like Roman.

“Idyllic?” he filled in for her.

“Yes, you could say that.” Melody picked up the remote and turned on the TV, skipping all the available streaming services and opting for plain old antenna television. It was part of the nostalgia for her, remembering when she was a kid and had to catch her favorite movies while they were on. “Oh, It’s a Wonderful Life just started. Does that work for you?”

“To be honest, I’ve seen it about a hundred times. In one of the places where I was stationed, a lot of our personal belongings got stalled in transit. Someone had a scratched DVD of this, and it was all we watched, even while we were out in the middle of the desert.”

Melody held her finger over the button as she turned to him. Her snow leopard was swirling like an arctic wind inside her, blasting her from the inside out as she admired him. It wasn’t just his looks, though she certainly appreciated those. It was the rumble of his voice. It was the way he moved with such ease and confidence. It was the strength and patience he exuded and the fact that he didn’t seem to be aware of any of that. “Want me to find something else?”

“No, actually. It’d be nice to see it without a bunch of lines across the screen from a bad DVD.” He put his hand over hers to push the remote down.

Her throat tightened completely as a shiver ran up her spine, making goosebumps explode over the back of her neck. This man had an effect on her unlike anything she’d ever felt before. She folded one foot under her knee, trying to anchor herself in reality instead of the fantasies that wouldn’t leave her head. “I just have to warn you, I always cry when he finds Zuzu’s petals in his pocket.”

Roman laughed and scooted a little closer to her, his eyes shining. “You can lean on my shoulder if you need to.”

“I just might.” Melody smiled as she reached for the ham. This was proving to be the best midnight snack she’d ever had.

3

The movie was good, but Roman was hardly paying any attention to it. His polar bear had been on a rampage when he arrived at Force HQ, but sitting there with Melody had soothed it. If he listened to his inner animal at all, then that meant… No. He had to stop himself from shaking his head to rattle the thought from his brain; he didn’t want to distract Melody from the movie. But he knew it couldn’t be. He would just enjoy the time he had left there—with her—and make the most of it before he headed back to Wyoming.

Melody sniffled as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “I’m sorry. I told you I would cry. It’s always the kids that get to me. Even though George Bailey takes up most of the movie, there’s something about seeing him hug his kids with such love and joy at the end that I just can’t get past, no matter how many times I see it.” She reached forward to get the remote off the table.

Roman admired the long lines of her body as she did so. It was as though his eyes were addicted to her already, lingering on the wild red curls of her hair, the smattering of freckles on her cheeks, and even the way her fingers rested against the soft fabric of her pants. “What about you? Have any kids of your own?”

She rolled her shoulder. “No, and at this point, I kind of figured I wouldn’t have any. But I am the chief caretaker for Lucas when I’m not doing the bookkeeping for the Force. That little nugget is an absolute dream.”

He could see the warmth in her smile when she spoke of the boy. It ignited something inside him, but Roman knew better.