Read Online Christmas at Candlebark Farm by Michelle Douglas - Free Book Online

flashlight stretching to the furthest reaches. He snorted. ‘Who is this joker trying to kid?’
    Keira knelt down beside him. ‘What?’
    Luke crouched down on her other side. She was too aware of him—of his heat, of the strength that rippled beneath the denim of his jeans, informing her of the powerful thigh muscles concealed beneath. Jeans that looked worn…thin…as if they might rip at any moment and give her a tantalising glimpse of flesh. She watched, holding her breath, mesmerised by his latent power, by—
    â€˜He claims that the whole house needs to be re-piered.’
    She snapped to at John’s words. She glanced up to find Luke watching her. His eyes darkened. Heat flooded her face, her neck. His gaze dropped to her lips. She started to sway towards him…
    She snatched herself back. Yikes!
    Luke shot to his feet.
    Piers! They were talking about piers. ‘So…um…they don’t need replacing?’
    â€˜These four here—’ John pointed to them with his flashlight ‘—could do with jacking up, but it’s not urgent.’
    â€˜Well, that’s good news,’ she said, rising and risking another glance at Luke. His face had shuttered closed.
    â€˜Okay, let’s head on inside.’
    She handed John the key, and tried not to mind if Luke followed them or not.
    Her great-aunt’s house was an old colonial-style weather-board. It had three generous bedrooms, high ceilings and moulded cornices, picture rails and an eat-in kitchen. Keira loved its lack of pretension and its sense of calm.
    She didn’t say anything, just followed John as he made his way through the house. He spent a long time surveying the kitchen.
    â€˜Okay,’ he said finally, ‘the kitchen and bathroom coulddo with modernising, but again that’s not urgent. Currently they’re both serviceable.’
    She digested the news silently.
    Beside her, Luke stiffened. He hadn’t said much of anything since John had started his inspection. After that moment outside he’d kept an ocean of distance between himself and Keira—always a room behind or a room in front. Now he opened the back door and stalked out into the yard, pacing its length. She watched him from the window above the kitchen sink and tried to pinpoint exactly what it was about the man that sang such a siren’s song to her.
    She snorted. Well, how about that magnificent physique for a start?
    Deep down, though, she sensed it was something more than that. There was something about the way he held his head—a certain look sometimes in those dark eyes of his. And something about the way he’d mopped her face after she’d been sick, in the way he’d thrust that packet of biscuits at her before he’d stormed off to bed. He might be a tad cantankerous—or a lot, she admitted—but beneath all that gruffness he hid a kind heart.
    â€˜I don’t know what you did,’ John said, joining her at the window, ‘but I want to thank you. It’s good to see Luke out and about again.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’ She forced her gaze from the man pacing the backyard. ‘I haven’t done anything. Except be a nuisance.’
    â€˜You’ve taken his mind off his own misery—for a bit at least. These last few years he’s buried himself away at Candlebark and hardly ever emerges.’
    Really? Luke was a hermit? She frowned. ‘That’s…um…taking the workaholic thing a bit far.’
    John nodded out of the window. ‘He’s been through a rough time, whatever anyone says. Don’t you go paying attention to small town gossip, you hear? People can be vicious. Luke—he’s a good guy.’
    â€˜Yeah, I know.’
    She frowned again. What small-town gossip? What were people saying about Luke? And why?
    Â 
    She turned from locking the front door to her great-aunt’s house, and the three of moved