Read Online Coming Home for Christmas by Marie Ferrarella - Free Book Online Page B

penchant for losing things, she was lucky to have kept her clothes on.
    Trying to shake off the feeling, he shoved the ribbon back into his pocket and stripped the jacket off. He threw it into the bottom of his closet and quickly closed the sliding closet door, as if hiding it from view could somehow erase the feeling he was experiencing.
    It didn’t.
    Kenzie chose that moment to come walking in. “It’s done,” she announced.
    His mind still elsewhere, Keith looked at her uncomprehendingly.
    â€œI called all the people in your mother’s book.” To say that it had been a grueling ordeal would have been an understatement. But no one had forced her to do it. She’d volunteered, she reminded herself, so she had no right to complain. “Everyone is profoundly sorry to hear about your mother’s passing. They had some really nice things to say about her. It might have been good for you to hear,” she couldn’t help telling him. “I jotted some of the things down if you want to see for yourself.”
    She held the pad she’d used out to him.
    Keith deliberately ignored the pad. Rather than accept it, he just shrugged. “I’ll take your word for it.” He got back to the only thing that mattered here as far as he was concerned. “So it’s done?”
    â€œThe notification part, yes. It’s done.”
    â€œWhat other part is there?” he asked, then realized what she was probably referring to. “Oh, you mean attending the funeral.”
    â€œActually, I was referring to the arrangements for the reception.”
    The reception. He was hoping she’d forgotten about that. He should have known better.
    â€œYeah, about that. There’re too many details to see to at this late date. I don’t think that I can—”
    â€œBut I can,” she interjected, reminding him of what she’d said earlier. “I’ll handle it for you,” she volunteered.
    She was turning into his own personal valet, and he had to admit, he really did appreciate the help. But he had to draw the line at this. There was such a thing as abusing an offer of help, no matter how willing she seemed to be.
    â€œIt’s too much,” he maintained stubbornly.
    She glossed right over his protest.
    â€œWe can hold it here—after all, this is where all of your mother’s friends were probably accustomed to coming. The house has that kind of warmth to it,” she added when he looked at her quizzically. “And the reception doesn’t have to be anything fancy. All it has to do is
be
,” she stressed.
    And then she tackled the biggest obstacle that he could raise before he had a chance to do it. “I happen to know someone who could cater this for you at a more than reasonable price,” she promised, thinking of Mrs. Manetti.
    Okay, this was getting into the realm of being too good to be true—which meant that it ultimately wasn’t. Somewhere down the line, there had to be a catch.
    â€œSo, aside from selling vintage furnishings, you moonlight as what—a magician, is that it?” Keith asked almost accusingly.
    â€œNo,” she told him, doing her best not to pay attention to his skeptical tone. “I just happen to have a lot of connections.”
    I just bet you do
, Keith couldn’t help thinking. Anyone who looked the way this woman did undoubtedly had
lots
of connections.

Chapter Six
    I n the end, though it was against his better judgment, Keith gave in and told this woman who had popped up out of his past to go ahead with the arrangements for the reception.
    It was proving to be easier to say yes than to argue with Kenzie. To the casual observer, she might appear to be incredibly easygoing, but obviously in this case looks not only could be deceiving but also actually were.
    The enterprising young woman was tenacious.
Extremely
tenacious. Keith quickly discovered that when she thought she was right