Sometimes the right gift can be life-changing ...<br><br>On the solstice, Rory’s grandfather gives him a pocket watch he claims will have Rory’s life sorted and his problems solved by Christmas. Rory starts out skeptical, but when he reconnects with an ex he never thought he’d see again, he has to admit there might be some holiday magic at work after all.<br><br>Deacon’s life is in shambles, and he’s returned to Syracuse for a fresh start. Running into Rory again feels like much more than a coincidence, and neither of them can deny the passion between them is still smoldering. With the watch behaving oddly at just the right moments, Rory and Deacon might receive the gift of a lifetime ... if they’re willing to accept it.

A Timely Gift

The lid of the watch chose that moment to snap open, startling us both. I tentatively reached out and pushed it closed, half expecting it to pop right open again. But it didn’t, and I mentally breathed a sigh of relief. I picked up the watch and slid it back into my pocket as I stood


“Give me a sec to put the casserole away. It’s movie time.”


“I can help,” Deacon offered as he stood.


“Nope. Go sit in the living room. Pick out the first movie. I’m just gonna leave the dishes in the sink. I’ll be there in a moment with Bailey’s-laced hot chocolate.”


Deacon studied me, but eventually he nodded and walked toward the door. I watched him leave and took a moment to sort out my thoughts. I felt bad for him, for everything he’d gone through, but I was glad to see he was handling it well. It might have been more than a decade since we’d seen each other, but I still knew him well enough to know when he was hiding things. He was never very good at it. The truth was in his eyes.


Chapter 9