Read Online Highlander for the Holidays by Janet Chapman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janet Chapman
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live.”
Jessie remembered he hadn’t had any qualms about telling her how foolish she’d been to go outside in her bathrobe and slippers, either. Or scolding her for putting a sweater on Toby. Or saying that she weighed too much—although she knew he’d been using that as an excuse for nearly dropping her because she’d been struggling. But she would have just died if he’d seen the scar on her collarbone or realized she had a malformed breast. She liked Ian, dammit, and didn’t want to scare him off before . . . well, at least not before he kissed her again. “He is rather bossy, I suppose.”
“They both are,” Merissa agreed from the backseat. “But then, I sort of have a thing for large alpha males.”
“And yet you usually dump them after only two dates,” Jessie drawled. “Right about the time the testosterone hangover hits you between the eyes.”
“Exactly,” Katy said with a laugh. “The very thing that draws us to manly men—namely their strength and confidence—also drives us crazy.”
Merissa gave a heartfelt groan. “The deadly combination of brawn and brain. Maybe we’d be better off going after only the brawn.”
“Nope,” Katy said, braking to a stop. “Trust me, that doesn’t work, either. And neither does going after only brains.” She shut off the engine. “Which has me seriously considering joining a convent. Here we are, Jessie,” she said, leaning forward to gesture out the side window. “There’s your new home.”
Jessie’s heart started thumping so hard it hurt as she stared at the tan-colored, Cape-style house sitting not a hundred feet from the lake, nestled beneath towering trees. There was a porch running across the entire front, the steps lined with pumpkins leading up to a bright red door decorated with a wreath of woven vines. Several mounds of leaves littered the lawn, some of the piles looking as if they’d been jumped in by the owner of the small wagon abandoned on the moss-covered brick walkway.
“It’s perfect,” Jessie whispered, getting out—only to grab the door when a sharp pain shot through her lower back, making her legs nearly buckle. But still, she couldn’t take her eyes off the vision of perfection in front of her.
Oh yeah, in this house on this lake, surrounded by these mountains, was exactly where she needed to be.
“Jessie?” Merissa asked, scrambling out of the truck. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m okay,” she murmured. “Look at it, Mer. It’s perfect. Why are they selling it?” she asked when Katy came around the front of the SUV.
“They built a new home farther up the lake,” Katy explained, “and got moved in not a moment too soon. Megan gave birth to a little girl a couple of months ago, and she and Jack just finished getting this place ready to sell.”
The front door opened, and a woman wearing an infant carrier on her chest stepped onto the porch just as a toddler bolted past her. “Auntie Katy!” the boy shouted, scrambling down the steps. “You come to buy my house!”
“No, Walker,” Katy said, scooping him up in her arms with a laugh. “I’ve come to sell your house to this lady.” She gave him a noisy kiss on his cheek. “So I hope your bedroom is spanking clean.”
“It’s empity , Auntie.” His gaze moved to Jessie. “You got a little boy? He can have my room, ’cause I got a new one now.”
“Nope, no little boy,” Jessie said, shaking her head. “But I have a dog that might like your room.” She signaled for Toby to jump out of the backseat. “His name is Toby.”
Walker’s eyes widened and his grip on Katy’s neck tightened. “He’s awful big,” he whispered. “Does he like little boys?”
“He does,” Jessie assured him, carefully bending to take hold of Toby’s leash and slowly straightening. “In fact, he’ll even shake hands with you.”
Walker immediately started wiggling to get down. “I want to shake his hand.”
“Sit, Toby,” Jessie said, positioning
Jessie remembered he hadn’t had any qualms about telling her how foolish she’d been to go outside in her bathrobe and slippers, either. Or scolding her for putting a sweater on Toby. Or saying that she weighed too much—although she knew he’d been using that as an excuse for nearly dropping her because she’d been struggling. But she would have just died if he’d seen the scar on her collarbone or realized she had a malformed breast. She liked Ian, dammit, and didn’t want to scare him off before . . . well, at least not before he kissed her again. “He is rather bossy, I suppose.”
“They both are,” Merissa agreed from the backseat. “But then, I sort of have a thing for large alpha males.”
“And yet you usually dump them after only two dates,” Jessie drawled. “Right about the time the testosterone hangover hits you between the eyes.”
“Exactly,” Katy said with a laugh. “The very thing that draws us to manly men—namely their strength and confidence—also drives us crazy.”
Merissa gave a heartfelt groan. “The deadly combination of brawn and brain. Maybe we’d be better off going after only the brawn.”
“Nope,” Katy said, braking to a stop. “Trust me, that doesn’t work, either. And neither does going after only brains.” She shut off the engine. “Which has me seriously considering joining a convent. Here we are, Jessie,” she said, leaning forward to gesture out the side window. “There’s your new home.”
Jessie’s heart started thumping so hard it hurt as she stared at the tan-colored, Cape-style house sitting not a hundred feet from the lake, nestled beneath towering trees. There was a porch running across the entire front, the steps lined with pumpkins leading up to a bright red door decorated with a wreath of woven vines. Several mounds of leaves littered the lawn, some of the piles looking as if they’d been jumped in by the owner of the small wagon abandoned on the moss-covered brick walkway.
“It’s perfect,” Jessie whispered, getting out—only to grab the door when a sharp pain shot through her lower back, making her legs nearly buckle. But still, she couldn’t take her eyes off the vision of perfection in front of her.
Oh yeah, in this house on this lake, surrounded by these mountains, was exactly where she needed to be.
“Jessie?” Merissa asked, scrambling out of the truck. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m okay,” she murmured. “Look at it, Mer. It’s perfect. Why are they selling it?” she asked when Katy came around the front of the SUV.
“They built a new home farther up the lake,” Katy explained, “and got moved in not a moment too soon. Megan gave birth to a little girl a couple of months ago, and she and Jack just finished getting this place ready to sell.”
The front door opened, and a woman wearing an infant carrier on her chest stepped onto the porch just as a toddler bolted past her. “Auntie Katy!” the boy shouted, scrambling down the steps. “You come to buy my house!”
“No, Walker,” Katy said, scooping him up in her arms with a laugh. “I’ve come to sell your house to this lady.” She gave him a noisy kiss on his cheek. “So I hope your bedroom is spanking clean.”
“It’s empity , Auntie.” His gaze moved to Jessie. “You got a little boy? He can have my room, ’cause I got a new one now.”
“Nope, no little boy,” Jessie said, shaking her head. “But I have a dog that might like your room.” She signaled for Toby to jump out of the backseat. “His name is Toby.”
Walker’s eyes widened and his grip on Katy’s neck tightened. “He’s awful big,” he whispered. “Does he like little boys?”
“He does,” Jessie assured him, carefully bending to take hold of Toby’s leash and slowly straightening. “In fact, he’ll even shake hands with you.”
Walker immediately started wiggling to get down. “I want to shake his hand.”
“Sit, Toby,” Jessie said, positioning
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