For a solid five years, Jasper Madden has done nothing but look the other way when it comes to Calliope Hodges. At first, she was way too young for him, barely eighteen the first time he laid eyes on her. It also didn’t help that he’d witnessed her at the lowest of lows, practically making peace with rock bottom.
But as time goes by, he realizes that Calliope is different. She’s a brave, stunning young woman that has slowly captured his heart while he was watching from the shadows.
He knows that it’ll take time for her to realize that he’s not the enemy, but instead her saving grace. So he decides to play the long game.
For years, he’s waited in the periphery for her to be ready. He stands right there, knowing that one day she’ll look up and finally see him as the man that is desperately in love with her.
But that chip on her shoulder keeps her from looking everywhere but his direction.
Luck finally leans his way when she moves in next door, and a battle of the neighbors ensues.
Where she sees war in the form of a friendly holiday decorating competition, he sees the opportunity of a lifetime.
All it takes is one bed, a freak snowstorm, and a Christmas miracle for her to realize that he’s been there all along. A silent knight in shining armor willing to take on the world just to make sure she never has to feel unworthy ever again.
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Callie comes across as abrasive and sarcastic but there is so much more to her than that. Due to her past she doesn’t’ allow many people close but when it comes to those she cares about there is nothing she wouldn’t do for them with no consideration for what it means for her. She knows how she is viewed by others which ensures that she has her walls up and that includes Jasper, her neighbor.
Jasper was attracted to Callie from their first meeting but between the emotional and physical scars of his past as well as the age gap the best thing he can do for her is deny them. That becomes more difficult when she becomes his neighbor and goes out of her way to pull pranks that are sure to get a reaction and brings out the protective instincts that she inspires in him.
The battle between Jasper and Callie was humorous but it was the emotional connection between them that made their relationship special. They have both been through so much and they know exactly what the other needs when it comes to love and life.
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