Read Online Her Christmas Hero (Home To Dover 6) by Lorraine Beatty - Free Book Online

making a mistake. She’s not thinking clearly.”
    “She seemed rational enough to me.”
    “So you’re on her side?”
    “I’m a stranger. I don’t have a side, but yes, I understand what she’s saying.”
    “Am I the only one who sees the need to band together now? To support Mom and help her get through Dad’s passing. Family meant everything to him. Family
is
everything.”
    Gemma pressed her lips together. Maybe in his world. “Family is an accident of birth. We’re handed a set parents and we have no say in the matter. Then we’re expected to like it. Sometimes the only way to survive is to get out from under your family.”
    She dared a glance at Linc and, as she’d expected, the look of shock on his face said it all. Now he would start asking questions. Ones she wasn’t about to answer. “I think I’ve seen all I need to here. We’d better go. I want to be home when the Fenellis bring Evan back.” She moved quickly to the door and pushed it open, sucking in several deep breaths as she climbed into Linc’s truck.
    She’d been prepared for a shouting match to erupt between him and his sister, but they’d merely expressed differing opinions. Thankfully, because she’d had enough screaming and shouting to last her two lifetimes.
    Linc slid into the driver’s seat, handing her the key to the storage building. “Don’t come over here alone. Bring someone with you.”
    It wasn’t exactly an order, more of a stern warning, but Gemma bristled anyway. “You really like being in control of things. That’s why you’re so upset about my Christmas events isn’t it? Because you have no say in anything I do.”
    He frowned. “No. That’s not it at all. I just don’t agree with your ideas.”
    Gemma smiled inwardly. She’d poked a hole in his “I know best” attitude and he didn’t like it. She glanced at him. His formerly relaxed posture had become rigid and his irritation was evident in the way he rubbed his thumb against his forefinger as he clutched the steering wheel.
    Her conscience reared its head. She shouldn’t be so hard on him. Losing his father had been a shock, the most devastating loss of control a person could experience. “I’m glad you brought me here.”
    He looked over at her and nodded. “No problem.”
    Something in his tone triggered a realization. “You promised your mother you’d come with me, didn’t you?”
    He stopped the truck and looked at her in surprise. “How did you know?”
    She stifled a grin and gave him a superior look. “I’m a mom. We know everything.”
    The scowl on Linc’s face brought his dark brows together. She waited for him to respond, but he only huffed out a breath and drove out of the parking lot. He might be a big macho man on the outside, but inside he wasn’t much different from Evan.
    The realization pleased her a great deal.
    * * *
    The Montgomery dining room table held enough food to feed far more than the six people seated around the table Sunday afternoon. His mom had arrived home last night, and had spent the morning preparing all the family favorites. She’d ordered Linc to invite their new tenants to dinner. Gemma had been reluctant, but he’d finally convinced her that his mother would be very disappointed if she refused. But for some reason, she sat stiff and tense on the other side of Evan, who was equally braced as if waiting for something to happen. Linc passed the mashed potatoes to the boy, holding the heavy dish while he scooped out a helping then offering the dish to his mother.
    Tori leaned forward and smiled at Gemma. “Have you told Seth about those old wreaths you found in storage?”
    Gemma shook her head. “No, I haven’t had a chance.”
    “Are you talking about the ones that used to hang over the street?” Francie passed the rolls to her daughter. “They’re in terrible shape. That’s why I haven’t used them.”
    “What wreaths?” Seth glanced between the two women. Tori made a quick