Blue Christmas (The Moody Blue Trilogy | Book One) by Diane Moody Page B

husband’s waist. “She’s a nice girl,
isn’t she?”
    His warm smile
answered her question. “Yes, and apparently we’re not the only ones who think
so.” He nodded toward his son’s sleeping image.
    She suppressed a
laugh, not wanting to wake them. “Not a bad way to start Christmas, is it?” she
whispered in his ear.
    Jason suddenly
snorted out loud. His head moved in perfect rhythm as he mumbled in his sleep
with the slightest hint of a melody. His lips continued to move, but they heard
nothing. He was sound asleep.

 
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    “ T urn left at the light up there. The apartment
complex is on the left. See it?”
    Jason maneuvered
his black Escalade into the turn lane. The overnight storm had left the roads
patchy with ice. The SUV slid around the corner. “Whoa, baby! That was fun.” His
sarcasm penetrated the chilled interior of the vehicle as he regained control.
“Guess it’s been a while since I drove on icy roads.”
    “No, really?”
Hannah feigned innocence. She smiled at his appearance, his wandering hair
tucked under a backward UNC baseball cap. The cold air pinked his cheeks, his
eyes shining and alert as he concentrated on driving.
    “Well, of course,
because I don’t get to—”
    “I was teasing,
Jason. It’s obvious you aren’t used to this kind of driving.” She shook her
head. “Anyone ever tell you you’re gullible?”
    “Me? No way. I
knew you were teasing. I did.” He shot her a serious look. “I did!”
    “Sure you did. But
that reminds me of something I wanted to ask you. What on earth would make a rock
star drive a long trip like you made yesterday? You drove in from Atlanta,
right? Is that where you live now?”
    “No, I live in L.A.
I was in Atlanta for some meetings with one of our producers.”
    “So why didn’t you
just fly?”
    “Simple. I needed
the space. Time alone. Just me, my wheels, my tunes, and the open road. Driving
gives me a chance to air out my brain, y’know?”
    “Makes sense.  Oh,
that’s my apartment there—the last one on the right. Just pull in the last
space there.”
    He navigated into
the space with great care, sliding only slightly to a stop. “Sit tight.” He opened
his door. “I’ll get your door.”
    Another smile
curled Hannah’s lips. Who said chivalry is dead? She looked up just as
he slid past her window and dropped out of sight. She threw open her door,
finding him sprawled flat on his back.
    “Jason! Are you
okay?”
    His eyes tracked slowly
to hers. A second passed before they both burst out laughing. “I’ve fallen and
I can’t get up!” he wailed like a little old lady. “Can you help me, dearie?”
    Hannah fell back
in the seat laughing.
    “It isn’t that funny. A little help, here? I could use a hand, Hannah. That is, if you’re not
too busy?”
    She couldn’t
stop her giggles enough to sit up. Her legs hanging out of the vehicle above
him, she felt him tugging on her shoe.
    “Hannah!”
    Finally gaining
composure, she sat back up and looked at him. “I don’t know. I kind of like
having you helpless.”
    “Come on, woman!
Give me a hand.”
    She realized they
must have looked like a Shriners clown routine at the Ice Capades as they
slipped and slid all the way to her door. Her stomach ached from laughing so
hard. “What I would give to have that on tape. It would get a trillion hits on
YouTube.”
    “Very funny.” Jason
wiped the wet snow off his rear. “Everybody wants a piece of me, and you want—”
    “I want you,
got to have you—” she sang, exaggerating the reprise of the old Blue hit.  “—gonna get you, and what’cha gonna do about it, ba-by!”
    He grabbed her, his
gloved fingers attempting to tickle her through her heavy coat. Hannah shrieked
in protest. “Stop! Jason—no!” she yelled between gasping giggles.
    He pulled her into a bear hug, face to face. “Shhhh! Do you want to wake
the dead around here? Have a little heart for your neighbors, Hannah.