Six months after his wife leaves him, Bob Jansen finds himself spending the holidays with his parents in the town where he grew up. With him is his seven year old daughter, Jenna, who sometimes seems to be handling her mother's absence better than Bob is himself. But he's worried that, in her letter to Santa, Jenna has asked the jolly old elf for something Bob knows he can't pull off. He's afraid she wants her mother back for the holiday.<br><br>While shopping for his daughter's Christmas presents, Bob runs into Dave Knarr, an old friend. They used to be best buds in high school, before Julia, Bob's soon-to-be ex-wife, came between them. The two men catch up over drinks, and before the evening ends, Dave makes his real feelings for Bob known.<br><br>If Bob is shocked to learn Dave has always been attracted to him, he's more surprised by his own reaction. Even if he's willing to take another shot at romance, what will his daughter think of his old friend?

A Present for Daddy

I nod slowly, warming to the idea of being my own man again. Being single, being with Dave. “Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s do it.”


Dave beams like he’s about to open Christmas presents. “All right!”


Because it’s almost midnight, I don’t bother calling my mother to check on Jenna. I’ll be home soon enough, I promise myself. But I’m glad Dave’s driving, because even though I roll down the passenger side window enough to get a stiff, cold breeze across my face, I’m in no shape to drive. Dave realizes this, and doesn’t even suggest we stop to pick up my car, just drives past the now darkened mall and onto his house.


Chapter 11