Read Online A Family for Christmas by Noelle Adams - Free Book Online Page B

filling a mug with coffee. “You didn’t have to do
that.”
    “I’m
happy to.” She smiled at him and smiled at Ellie, even though she was already
exhausted for the day.
    This
marriage-of-convenience thing wasn’t as easy as she would have expected. They’d
worked all kinds of stuff out beforehand, but there were so many little things
she never would have thought to plan for.
    Gabe
prayed before they started eating, and then she and Gabe talked about what they
were going to do today.
    Lydia
had some more boxes to unpack, and Gabe had some things come up with his
company that needed addressing.
    “What
did you want to do today?” Lydia asked, since Ellie was just frowning down at
her plate, pushing her food around.
    Ellie
gave a half-hearted shrug.
    “Answer
with words,” Gabe murmured, that same edge of sternness in his tone.
    “I
don’t know.” The girl shot Lydia a look that proved she wasn’t happy with her.
“Read, I guess.”
    Lydia
started to ask what she was reading, but then she just gave up. No use in
torturing the poor girl with a conversation she clearly didn’t want to have.
    She
was spreading jelly on her toast when she noticed Gabe giving Ellie a focused,
intentional look.
    She
wasn’t sure what it meant until Ellie turned her fork the right way and started
to eat her food instead of pushing it around.
    Suddenly,
Lydia felt so uncomfortable that she had to fight the urge to just leave the
room.
    She’d
never wanted this—this kind of domestic scene, breakfast with a man and child.
    It
wasn’t her, and it wasn’t like she was any good at it anyway.
    No
one looked particularly happy this morning.
    Instead
of brooding, she let out a breath and told herself it was just temporary.
    She
could deal with anything, as long as there was light at the end of the tunnel.
    ***
    Later that day, Lydia was
organizing books on a big bookcase in the family room.
    Gabe
had already put some of his books there, but there were plenty of shelves left
for hers. She had a fairly large collection, and there was no way she could
take them all to India with her, so she might as well get them organized here.
    Gabe
had taken Ellie out to lunch earlier, and Lydia had used the excuse of being on
a roll with unpacking and not wanting to stop, so at least she’d been saved
from that uncomfortableness.
    Now
both Gabe and Ellie were in his office, so Lydia was able to work in peace.
    She
was, at least, until she heard a knock on the door.
    She
went to answer it and discovered Jessica—Daniel’s wife—on the doorstep with a
casserole dish.
    “Hey,”
Lydia said, returning Jessica’s smile. “Come on in.”
    “Sorry
to just barge in,” Jessica explained, carrying the dish into the kitchen and
putting it on a counter as she talked. “But I was so focused on making this
without messing it up that I didn’t even think about calling first until I
pulled into the driveway.”
    Lydia
laughed. “It’s no problem at all. Did you manage it without messing up?”
    “I
think so.” Jessica pulled away the cover and peered down at what looked like a
poppyseed chicken casserole. “It looks okay, doesn’t it?”
    “It
looks great. You didn’t have to make it.”
    “I
wanted to. I’m sure you have enough to do, trying to settle in and then all the
preparations for going to India.” Jessica had dark blond hair, blue eyes, and a
tall, slim figure. Right now, however, she was visibly pregnant. She had been
in Lydia’s grade all through school, but they’d never been really close—since
Jessica was quiet and bookish and Lydia had always been involved in sports and
student council.
    But
Lydia liked her. And she knew her. It was nice to be with someone comfortable.
    “There’s
actually not that much for me to be doing yet,” Lydia said. She gestured toward
the family room, which connected with the kitchen. “I’m finishing up some
books, but then the house will be in order. I might do some yard work—there’s a
bunch