Read Operation Christmas for Free Online Page A

don’t think it’s a good idea.”
    “Think about it,” he called after her. “I’ll call.”
    He stood in the lobby unable to take his eyes off her as she hurried inside her tiny car. He worried it wasn’t safe on the slippery roads. The windshield wipers mocked him with a capable sweep to remove new fallen snow, revealing her face pinched into a frown. Seeing him wait for her to drive off, she waved, then disappeared down the road.
    Logic spun in his brain. A hand wave wasn’t “yes” but it wasn’t “no” either. He turned to go inside, nearly toppling the tree. When would this stop? His ears heard the rustle and scrape of the stand against tile floor. He caught the tree and uprighted the beast before it crashed to the floor. Would he ever get used to bumping into objects he couldn’t feel? And more important was one arm strong enough to hold and protect a woman for a lifetime?
    Madeleine leapt to the forefront as being the first female who made him want to find out. She had managed to catch his eye in high school. Unfortunately, her sights were firmly set on Danny, and Jess didn’t mess with another man’s woman. Even more distasteful was the idea of wrestling her from a dead man’s arms.
    Jess sat at his desk and stared where her Mini Cooper left small tire tracks. He wondered if unfortunate circumstances were giving him the chance he never had in high school. The intensity he felt toward a woman he didn’t really know baffled him. He longed to hold her close. Tell her he understood her pain. Make love until she only saw his face. He swiveled around to face his desk. “Best work on getting a date, Romeo.”
    He laughed at how far ahead of the game his little brain made his big brain jump. Sex hadn’t been a top priority of late. Keeping his father’s business running smooth after his sudden death took all his energies. He eyed the red light blinking on his phone and acknowledged Nancy, who stuck her head around his doorframe. “Rick from R&J is on the line.”
    He gave her a head nod. “Rick, what can I do for you?”
    ****
    Christmas spirit filled the VFW hall with its twinkling Christmas tree, decorated tables, happy voices, and Christmas music wafting over the gathering crowd. Thanks to a jovial DJ dressed like a hip Santa.
    This was a dress-up affair. The men wore everything from suits, like Jess, to nice slacks, shirt and tie, to the occasional pair of jeans and tee. All the women wore nice dresses or slacks outfits. Madeleine opted for the latter. Her outfit consisted of a glitzy silk multi-colored brocade jacket over black dress slacks. She even wore high heels for the first time in ages in spite of icy sidewalks that made her cling to Jess’s steady arm.
    When Jess took their coats, her gaze darted around the room. She regretted letting Grams and her mom convince her this party would be good for her. Especially since she’d been unable to form a coherent thought since he picked her up, or quell the churn of anxiety in her stomach. She had entered the VFW hall not knowing what to expect or how to loosen up. Thoughts of Danny’s mangled body dominated her fears. A body too damaged to view. Would every injured vet send her deep inside her private hell?
    Her immediate fears were validated. How do you have fun in a room filled with amputees in wheel chairs, leaning on crutches and other obvious injuries without breaking down and crying? Of course, she’d only spotted a couple such severe cases when Jess seemed to notice her rigid posture.
    “You okay?” His hand rested warm at the small of her back, sending reassurance to her very bones. She couldn’t remember the last time someone stood at her side lending male protection and support. Okay, Grams and her parents. Her friends. All female. But it was Jess’s strong presence making her realize how much she missed the zing of attraction with the opposite sex. It anchored her to another human being, a temporary stability she appreciated, so