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

would have been cause for punishment.” She curled her fingers against her lower lip. “It’s all my fault. I should have seen what was happening. I should never have gone back there.”
    “I don’t understand.”
    Tori peeked in the room, interrupting their discussion. “Dessert is on the table.”
    Linc took Gemma’s elbow and guided her back to the dining room. Evan was seated next to Francie munching down on a large piece of chocolate cake. He smiled up at them as they entered.
    “Mom, I helped Miss Francie cut the cake and I carried all the plates to the table and didn’t drop one.”
    Linc heard Gemma inhale sharply. “That’s wonderful, Evan. I’m proud of you.”
    Settled beside Gemma at the table, Linc passed her a plate of cake, still trying to sort out Gemma’s and Evan’s odd behavior. She appeared calmer, but his curiosity was piqued. What kind of household had she grown up in? Twice now Gemma had made negative remarks about family. He’d grown up in a strong loving home. He knew not everyone was so blessed, that there were many dysfunctional families.
    When the cake had been eaten, Gemma and Evan quickly headed back to the cottage. He shut the door behind his departing guests, puzzling over their strange behavior. His mother’s expression mirrored his thoughts.
    “I wonder what that young woman has been through to make her so tense. Did she say anything to you?”
    Linc shook his head. “Nothing that made sense. Something about how she should have seen what was happening.”
    Francie pursed her lips. “Something’s not right there. I think the Lord has placed her here with us for a reason. We need to keep a close eye on them and see what we can do to help. I have a feeling they are both in serious need of love and attention.”
    Linc sensed the same thing, but he had no intention of acting upon them. Love and attention were his mother’s area of expertise. Not his. And he had another, stronger feeling. That he’d be smart to steer clear of the lovely but confusing Gemma Butler.
    * * *
    Later that day, Gemma made her way out to the front porch and curled up in one of the wooden rockers. The best part of living in the cottage was the peace and solitude that surrounded the little house. And she craved both right now. The spilled milk incident at the mansion earlier still made her stomach quiver when she thought about it. Though it hadn’t ended at all the way she’d expected.
    Dining with the Montgomerys had made her tense and on edge. In her experience, family dinners usually ended in a verbal shouting match. So when Evan had knocked over his glass she’d been as stunned and frightened as her son. His heart-wrenching apology had twisted her stomach. She’d wanted to grab him and run back to the safety of their cottage. But Francie had responded with love and kindness. As she’d proceeded to tell Evan how Linc always spilled things as a child, Gemma had watched her son relax, leaning in against Francie as if drawing comfort from her grandmotherly hug. She’d even managed to restore Evan’s confidence and good mood.
    The love and understanding displayed before her had brought her to tears, and she’d taken refuge in another room. Though she still smarted from Linc’s insinuation that she was the cause of her son’s insecurity. She was beginning to see that his family was nothing like she’d experienced before. They met every situation with restraint and tolerance. There was no way they could understand her family’s dysfunction.
    Gemma glanced up as Francie came across the lawn in the fading light.
    The woman smiled as she came up onto the porch. “Mind if I join you?”
    “Please. I was just thinking about you. I never thanked you properly for what you did for Evan today.”
    “No need for that. The boy was upset over nothing. I’ve raised three boys, so I have a little more experience in dealing with them. Which is one of the reasons I’m here. Evan told me that you’re