Captive at Christmas by Danielle Taylor

have done and gone through in the name of your country and freedom. And I want you to know that it’s okay to feel deserving of friendship, even love.”
    This woman kept shocking him and Mac severely detested the feeling. Like she could possibly know what he had done. And if she truly knew, Hannah most certainly would not be standing there with so much compassion in her eyes. She would be running from him faster than she ever ran before.
    “John,” she captured his attention once more, forcing him to meet her gaze. “It’s okay.”
    A low growl sounded in his chest and Mac shook her hand from his face, immediately missing the feel of her skin on his. “You don’t have a fucking clue what is and isn’t okay when it comes to me, Hannah, so stop trying to understand me! Jesus Christ! Just…stop trying to fix me!”
    Wide eyed, she stuttered, “B-but I–”
    “Keep walking,” Mac instructed.
    With a defeated frown and a heavy sigh, she replaced the glove and continued on in front of him, pushing through the snow as if she had a destination in mind. He should apologize to her for his abrupt behaviour but they both knew this thing they felt could never amount to anything. Regardless of the difference in their backgrounds, they lived in different countries.
    And he might have a daughter.
    After wandering for over two hours, stopping for some coffee and heading back to the cabin, Mac took up the task of chopping more firewood while Hannah slipped inside to begin supper. The heavy thud of the axe echoed around him, breaking the peaceful stillness every few minutes. Pine trees scented the cool mountain air, giving him a sense of security.
    When his phone buzzed again, Mac rested the axe against his leg to retrieve the device from his pocket. His friend had some more information for him about Hannah. He asked Aaron to check out the house she owned and find out if there were any more bank accounts in her name, what the sums were.
    He did not disappoint.
    The house, a large mansion to be precise, belonged to her family and she used it to run the foundation. She also gave people a place to stay for free there, as a kind of shelter-cum-free hotel when they came to visit for foundation events or services not covered by the government. The sentiment warmed his heart.
    No other bank accounts, except for one in the name of her foundation and all monies going in and out were accessible by those who worked with her. It seemed like he had no choice but to admit that Hannah Magnus was simply a good, kind woman who went out of her way to improve the lives of others.
    That much he became aware of on his own.
    Regarding her knowledge of the psyche of veterans of war, Aaron came up blank. She had never been married, no mention of family in the military that the man could find. However she came to know so much about it, nothing could be uncovered as of yet. Mac would have to ask her himself.
    Getting back to the task of chopping wood, he picked up the axe and started swinging again.
    One.
    Thwack .
    Two.
    Thwack .
    Three.
    Thwack .
    Four.
    Thwack .
    Five.
    Thwack .
    He stopped to look through the small kitchen window. Hannah blushed and turned away. That woman was trouble, pure and simple.
    Trouble for him. Already, she lodged herself into his heart and he longed to keep her but Hannah belonged to the world and it was selfish to want her all to himself.
    In a steady rhythm, Mac split each log into two, cleared the pieces off of the stump and put a new log on. It was so peaceful, doing the same things that he would usually do at home and comforting too. Although at home, he didn’t have someone like Hannah walking around, making a gourmet meal for them to share.
    Too engrossed in his task, Mackenzie didn’t hear anything but the steady sound of the axe hitting wood and the thumping of his heart at the light physical activity. Though he did experience an odd stillness around him and raised his head for a quick glance around. He regretted