“Karoline, this isn’t Twenty Questions,” Harper muttered.

“My brother lives here,” Tobias volunteered. “And there was a job I thought I might enjoy.”

Undaunted, Karoline continued, “Harper told me you work at New Horizons.”

“I do.”

“What do you do there?”

“Karoline, that’s enough,” Harper complained but, again, Tobias felt it would be rude not to answer.

“I maintain the grounds and the equipment,” he said, feeling a bit self-conscious. His job was steady and paid fairly, but it couldn’t compete with the fame and fortune of being a successful rock star.

“Who’s your brother?” Karoline wanted to know.

Clearly exasperated, Harper made an impatient sound and rolled her eyes.

“I’m just thinking that if his brother’s been in town longer than he has, I might know him,” Karoline explained to her.

“His name is Maddox,” Tobias said.

“He’s the principal of the girls’ side of New Horizons,” Harper added. “You don’t know him, do you?”

“No,” Karoline admitted.

“Well, there you go.” Harper motioned toward the drive. “Now, we’d better keep moving. It’s only going to get darker and colder.”

Tobias wondered if it had been rude of him not to invite them in. He’d never had carolers, so he didn’t know the protocol. In case it wasn’t too late, he said, “It is getting cold. Would you like to come in and warm up before you go somewhere else? I could make some hot chocolate.”

Thanks to Harper he had some in the cupboard. But he wished he’d cleaned his house today. If he’d known that Harper and her family would be stopping by, he would’ve washed the dishes he had stacked in the sink.

“No, thank you.” Harper spoke quickly, trying to get ahead of her sister. “We just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas.”

When their eyes met, he felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach. Was this goodbye? Her way of saying, It was fun while it lasted. Here’re some cookies.

He hated how that made him feel. In prison, he’d gotten damn good at defending himself against any and every threat. As rough an environment as that was, he could navigate it. But nothing there had prepared him for how easily he could be hurt when it came to love—or whatever it was that made him want a real chance with Harper. Every time he saw her, he felt like he was standing there with his heart in his hand. “Thank you,” he said. “Merry Christmas.”

Harper grabbed her girls’ hands and started to march off, but the younger daughter pulled away just before they could round the corner. “My mommy told us in the car that you taught her how to ice-skate,” she said with a shy smile.

“I did,” he said. “Would you like me to teach you?”