It's Not Christmas Without You (The Holloway Series) by HelenKay Dimon

sight. Hated everything. The shoes, the key ring he kept spinning on his finger. Everything.
    “Shawn.” A smile replaced the shock on Carrie’s face. “What are you doing here?”
    “My sister lives nearby and was raving about this lot.” He took her hand and didn’t seem all that inclined to let go.
    Austin’s fingers inched toward his pocket knife.
    “I bet.” She waved her arm. “Apparently all the women love this lot.”
    “And you?” the guy asked.
    “I live right there.” Carrie finally broke off the touching with the guy and pointed at her building.
    Little did he know how close he came to getting that hair messed up, along with a few other body parts.
    Austin stopped plotting his attack and held out his hand. “And I’m her boyfriend.”
    She rolled her eyes. “Ex.”
    “That’s up for debate.”
    “Austin is a friend from my hometown.”
    Carrie rushed in with that explanation a little too quickly for Austin’s liking. “Really? That’s what you’re calling me?”
    This Shawn guy ignored the conversation and pretended Austin wasn’t even there. “It’s nice to see you outside of work. I didn’t know you even owned blue jeans. I’ve only ever seen you in a skirt.”
    Austin decided right then there was something wrong with the men in this town. That line? Jesus.
    He folded his arms over his chest and leaned against Carrie. “That is some amazing flirting right there.”
    “Austin, stop.”
    Shawn finally focused on the other man in the conversation. “Excuse me?”
    Carrie put her hand on Austin’s arm…and pinched. “He’s being difficult.”
    “For any specific reason?” Shawn asked.
    “It’s his personality.”
    When she almost drew blood, Austin pulled his arm out of her grasp. “Some women find me charming.”
    She frowned at him. “Not at the moment.”
    Shawn’s gaze traveled between them before settling on Carrie. “Want to help me look for a tree?”
    “I don’t think that’s good idea.”
    “Go ahead. Don’t let me stop you.” This could work. Good ole Shawn might be just the person Austin needed to shake up Carrie.
    She wanted to live a little. Fine. She could do it with Austin right there beside her. Let her look at the guy with the curly blond hair and the all-over Art Garfunkel look and do an up-close-and-personal comparison.
    Her eyes narrowed to you-are-so-dead territory. “What are you up to?”
    Shawn’s mouth fell open. It moved a few times before any words came out. “Is there a problem here?”
    “Depends.” Austin shifted his weight until most of his body was in front of hers. “Are you looking for a date?”
    Poor Shawn blinked about fifty times. “With you?”
    Now there was a misfire. “With Carrie here.”
    She tugged on Austin’s arm until he faced her. “What are you doing?”
    “I’ll be there, too.”
    “When?”
    “With you two.” It was as if she didn’t know him at all. As if he’d actually set her up with some other dude. No fucking way.
    She started tapping her foot and that was never a good sign. “Then how is that a date?”
    “Consider it a get-to-know-you thing.”
    “I know you just fine already.” She leaned in, putting her mouth right next to his ear. “And, for the record, you’re hovering on that stalker line.”
    He viewed this as a practical way to prove a point. “Really?”
    “If I say yes, will you stop?”
    Shawn stuck his head between them. “Do you two need to talk alone for a second?”
    “Friday, tomorrow, at that Italian place around the corner.” Austin almost choked on the words, but in his brain he knew this was right. “You and Carrie.”
    Shawn’s smile grew until his face resembled a perfect target. “That sounds great.”
    “I didn’t say yes,” she reminded them.
    “Technically, he didn’t ask anything. I did it for him.” Austin cuffed Shawn on the shoulder, not as hard as he wanted to but harder than he needed to. “You have to step up there, man.”
    “I’m, ah,