So he knew what it was like to lose someone close—just like she’d lost her father. Even though her parental relationship had been complicated, it didn’t mean that she hadn’t loved him.
“My...my wife,” Jackson said, drawing Serena from her thoughts, “she was always busy with one charity group or another. I don’t attend the fund-raising events now—not without her.”
The way his voice cracked with emotion didn’t get past Serena. She recalled how he and his wife had appeared inseparable. It seemed like every Monday morning there were photos of them on Hello America. Serena recalled how they always looked so happy—so in love. It was obvious that he was still in love with her.
Serena’s gaze immediately sought out his left hand. No ring. And then realizing what she was doing, she glanced away. There may no longer be a physical link to his wife, but in his heart, he would always love her. The proof was in the pain reflected in his eyes and the catch in his voice when he spoke of her.
“I’m sorry for your loss.” And now she understood why he wasn’t anxious to decorate the Christmas tree. It probably reminded him of his wife and their holidays together. “If you don’t want to help me, that’s okay. I’m sure celebrating Christmas alone isn’t easy.”
He continued putting hooks on the ornaments. “I lost her a couple of years ago.” He paused as though that was all he was going to say. “At first, after she died, I didn’t know how I was going to go on. We did everything together. She even traveled with me when I did travel segments for the morning show.”
“Did you two make it to Austria? Is that why you’re here?”
He shook his head. “She didn’t like snow. I had the option of picking the places for the Christmas segment. And I wanted something different—a place without memories.”
Serena was surprised that he was opening up to her. It made her feel guilty for keeping so much of herself a secret. But a part of her liked having him treat her like a normal human being and not like a superstar or a part of Hollywood royalty.
Her parents had had the most notorious, glamorous love story on- and offscreen. There was even a movie about their stormy, passionate relationship. Serena had never watched it and never planned to. She’d been there for the real thing and that had been enough for her. Real life was never like the lives portrayed on the big screen. In fact, in her case, reality was as far from glamorous as you could get.
Serena was lost in the past when Jackson spoke.
“What about you? Why aren’t you with your family?”
This was her moment to solidify whatever this was growing between them. Dare she call it a friendship? She glanced at him. At that moment, he looked up and their gaze caught and held. Her heart beat wildly. Friendship wasn’t exactly the only thing she was feeling where he was concerned.
No other man had ever made her feel this way. Sure there were gorgeous on-screen heroes. But she never let herself get caught in those romances. Growing up in a Hollywood family, she knew that love was fleeting at best. And then she’d met Shawn. It’d been after her father’s death and perhaps her defenses had been down. Whatever the reason, she’d let him into her life. And what a mistake that had been.
But she wasn’t going to repeat that mistake by making another one with a world-renowned television journalist. With all her effort, she glanced away. She turned to climb the ladder to place the ornament high up on the tree.
“Aren’t you going to share?” he asked.
She did owe him an answer. It wasn’t fair to expect him to open up when she wasn’t prepared to do the same. “My father died last year. I don’t have a reason to be home.”
“I’m sorry.” There was a pause as though he was considering what to say next. “What about your mother?”
“She’s off on a Caribbean cruise with her latest boyfriend.” She didn’t bother to add that the aforementioned boyfriend was Serena’s age. “My mother was never very maternal or traditional.”
Jackson didn’t say anything. He probably didn’t know what to say because he’d had the idyllic childhood and the picture-perfect family. She was happy for him, but sad for herself. Some would say that it made her a stronger person, but she just thought it made her more cynical about life.
Jackson moved to the ladder to hand her another ornament. “Mae, I’m sorry.”
She turned to tell him that he didn’t have to be sorry. But before she could tell him, she dropped the Christmas ball. It fell to the floor and Gizmo let out an excited bark. He’d been waiting all this time for something to play with.
“No, Gizmo.”
But it was too late. The dog chased the ball under the ladder. She moved too quickly. She’d never know if it was her sudden shift in weight or Gizmo running into the ladder, but the old wooden ladder swayed. Serena reached out, but there was nothing to grab onto. The ladder tilted to one side.
Serena started to fall. A shriek tore from her lungs.
And then her body crashed into Jackson’s.
His strong arms wrapped around her. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”
“Gizmo?”
“Is fine.”
She turned her head to thank Jackson and that was when she realized just how close they were. She breathed in his scent—a mix of soap and pure masculinity. It was quite a heady combo.