Read Online Feels Like Love by Jeanette Lewis - Free Book Online Page A

an
actual gingerbread fireplace complete with flames using broken candy. And the entry
next door had billowing snow drifts of spun sugar and curtains at the windows
of homemade taffy.
    They
were so out of their league.
    “Wow,
I feel stupid,” she said quietly to Scott as they moved on to a gingerbread
mansion with working Christmas lights. “Our house is pathetic ; Em’s
going to be crushed.”
    “It’s
not that bad,” Scott said in a low tone. “There are plenty of others like
yours, or worse.”
    He
was right. Interspersed among the creepy Santas and the masterpieces were many amateur
attempts with the same crooked walls, haphazard roofs, and globs of icing as
theirs.
    “She
liked making it and that’s the important thing,” April sighed. She edged around
the wheelchair and put her hand under Ben’s chin. “Lift your head, Benny,” she nudged
him gently and he brought his head up with a jerk.
    April
helped position him more securely against the padded headrest. “Do you like the
houses?”
    Ben’s
smile lit up his whole face.
    “Only
a participation ribbon?” Emily moaned when she saw the white ribbon next to
their entry.
    “Don’t
worry about it,” Scott said. “The prizes are one person’s opinion. Yours is very
clever. No one else thought to make a woodpile with candy canes.”
    The
woodpile was Emily’s idea. She looked at it and a small smile crept back onto
her face.
    “We
can try again next year,” April said, but only in an attempt to be supportive.
She had no intention of ever building another gingerbread house. Ever.
    Emily
was getting bored, but April didn’t want to pull Ben away from the houses when
he enjoyed them so much. “Could you take Emily to decorate cookies?” she turned
to Scott. “I’ll stay here a bit longer with Ben.”
    “Should
I make some for Trevor?” Emily asked.
    “ One .
If he stays home to play video games instead of coming to the party, he misses
out.”
    They
left and April pushed Ben around the room, stopping frequently at anything that
caught his eye. Some of the entries were truly amazing – who knew there
was such talent in Snow Valley? She examined the tiny gingerbread cemetery in
front of a gingerbread church and wondered how long it had taken. The baker had
even carved names into the tombstones.
    “That
one’s mine,” Wade sauntered over. He was wearing the denim jacket he’d had in
high school, the one she loved to borrow because it smelled like him. She’d
even slept in it a few times.
    Her
heart leapt and she couldn’t keep from smiling. “Yeah, sure.”
    “I’m
serious. When I’m not mucking out stables, I like to frost gingerbread.” He crouched
so he was eye level with Ben and reached out to help him raise his drooping head
again. “Hey Benny, how you doing?” he said gently.
    Ben
gave him a huge grin.
    “That
good, huh? You like the houses?” Wade smiled as Ben became even more excited. “Are
you managing him okay?” he asked April as he stood up.
    “Mostly.
His nurse has been a big help. She’s over every day all day; she even
does his physical therapy. I haven’t had the nerve to ask how much my parents
are paying her, but it’s got to be expensive, don’t you think?”
    “Maybe,”
Wade replied. “There are programs to help families pay for disabled care. They
could have signed up with one of those.”
    April
nodded. She hadn’t thought of that.
    He
looked around the room. “Where’s everyone else?”
    “Trevor
stayed home; Emily and Scott are in the gym,” April replied, and did not miss
his slight frown at the mention of Scott. “Are you here with anyone?” she
couldn’t keep from asking.
    Wade
scratched the back of his neck. “Tracie’s in the ladies room. After this we’re
gonna ride up into the mountains and make out.”
    For
one horrible second she thought he meant it; then she caught the gleam in his
eye. “Stop it, Ego ,” she slugged him lightly on the shoulder. “I never
should have told