Read Online A Merry Little Christmas by Catherine Palmer - Free Book Online

had amazed and intrigued him all day.
    “No, you can’t come in,” she told him. “But thanks for the dinner. And I appreciate what you’re doing for Miss Ethel.”
    “Why not? Ask me inside, I mean. I’m not the big bad wolf.”
    She smiled. “I think the gatekeeper at Oz said it best—nobody gets in to see the wizard. ‘Not nobody, not nohow.’ You may not be the big bad wolf, Jeremiah, but you’re no Cowardly Lion, either.”
    “Well, I have the courage of my convictions. And if I want something, I’ll try to get it.”
    “Is that so?” she asked. “I’m always looking for what God wants.”
    “Of course you are.” He caught her hand as she reached for the doorknob. “Lara, I want to see you again. Today has been great, and—”
    “Jeremiah, I already told you I’m not doing the whole dating thing. I made a lot of wrong choices in the past. I didn’t like who I was or how I was behaving. But I’m on a new track now, and I plan to stay right here. You’re not going to come into my house…or into my life. Ever. I don’t need you, and I don’t want you. Could I make myself any more clear?”
    He lifted her hand to his mouth, blew a warm breath over it, and rubbed her fingers. “You’re a cold woman. Cold hands. Cold heart.”
    “That’s not true, and you know it.”
    “Shouldn’t you ask what God wants you to do about me? I mean, let’s be consistent here.” He could read that his question had hit home. “Lara, have I asked for a serious commitment? I just want us to…well, to be friends.”
    “Friends?”
    “Maybe more.”
    “No! I have a full, busy life, and I don’t need that.”
    “I disagree.” He took a step closer and saw the truth written plainly in her eyes. “You think you’re fine all by yourself—just like I do. I’ve got my sons, my work, plenty to keep me occupied. I date on the fringes. Nothing serious.”
    “And what’s wrong with that?” She tugged her hand from his and slipped it into the pocket of her coat. “I’m not lonely, if that’s what you think. I’m comfortable being single. You and I had a pleasant evening, okay? Now would you just go away?”
    He blew out a breath. “As I recall, the Wizard of Oz wasn’t as fearsome as he wanted people to think. Even the Cowardly Lion got behind that curtain he used to protect himself. You may be able to do a few things that look a little like wizardly magic—wave your wand and find a home for the Muraya family or rehab Miss Ethel’s old house. But inside, you’re just a regular person.”
    Lowering her head, Lara was silent for a moment. “Good night, Jeremiah,” she said. “I’ll leave you a note the next time I check on the Murayas.”
    He watched her insert a key into the lock, turn the knob, open the door and step into the house. As she turned to shut him out, her eyes searched his face. Her voice was soft when she spoke. “Jeremiah, you’re right. And I’m afraid.”
    The door closed, and he heard the dead bolt click into place. Standing on the porch, he wondered what he had hoped to accomplish by getting into her house…warming her heart…making her his friend, or more?
    She was right to feel content in her role as a single person with an active life. For ten years, he had adopted exactly the same persona for himself. He had found great blessing in focusing on his sons and his career. Why should he expect Lara Crane to change? More important, why on earth would he want to bring any changes to his own carefully constructed world?
    He didn’t. Turning his back on her door, he walked to his car. He didn’t want Lara any more than she wanted him. What had he been thinking?
     
    Thanksgiving dinner at the International House on the campus of Reynolds University unfurled with all the flourish of a royal feast. Through her International Friends program, Lara had managed to connect every student with a local family for fellowship and cultural exchange. Some of the young people had been invited