Read Online Holiday Wishes by Nora Roberts - Free Book Online Page B

man was being offered a second chance, it wasn’t wise to waste time. “Can I get an invitation for tonight?”
    Faith smiled but simply pushed the food around on her plate. “You’ve never needed one.”
    “Don’t cook, I’ll bring something.”
    “It’s okay, I—”
    “Don’t cook,” he repeated, rising. He bent to kiss her, then lingered over it. “I’ll be back.”
    He took his coat from the hook where it had hung beside Clara’s. When he was gone, Faith looked down at the toast she’d crumbled in her hand. Hong Kong. At least this time she knew where he was going.
    The snow people in the side yard grinned at him as he struggled past. Boxes balanced, Jason knocked on the back door with the toe of his boot. The snow hadn’t let up a whit.
    “Jason.” Speechless, Faith stepped back as he teetered inside.
    “Where’s Clara?”
    “Clara?” Still staring, she pushed back her hair. “She’s upstairs getting ready for the hayride.”
    “Good. Take the top box.”
    “Jason, what in the world have you got here?”
    “Just take the top box unless you want pizza all over the floor.”
    “All right, but . . .” As the enormous box in his arms shifted, she laughed. “Jason, what have you done?”
    “Wait a minute.”
    Holding the pizza, she watched him drag the box into the living room. “Jason, what is that thing?”
    “It’s a present.” He started to set it under the tree, then discovered there wasn’t enough room. With a bit of rearranging, he managed to lean the box against the wall beside the tree. He was grinning when he turned to her. If he’d ever felt better in his life, he couldn’t remember it. “Merry Christmas.”
    “Same to you. Jason, what is that box?”
    “Damn, it’s cold out there.” Though he rubbed his hands together now, he hadn’t even noticed the biting wind. “Got any coffee?”
    “Jason.”
    “It’s for Clara.” He discovered that feeling a bit foolish didn’t dim the warmth.
    “You didn’t have to get her a present,” Faith began, but her curiosity got the better of her. “What is it?”
    “This?” Jason patted the six-foot box. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
    “If you don’t tell me, you don’t get any coffee.” She smiled. “And I keep the pizza.”
    “Spoilsport. It’s a toboggan.” He took Faith’s arm to lead her out of the room. “She happened to mention when we were building the snowman that some kid had this toboggan and it went down Red Hill like a spitfire.”
    “Spitfire,” Faith murmured.
    “And snow like this is just made for going down Red Hill like a spitfire, so . . .”
    “Sucker,” Faith accused and kissed him hard.
    “Put that pizza down and call me that again.”
    She laughed and kept it between them.
    “Wow!”
    Faith raised a brow at the noise from the living room. “I think she saw the box.”
    At full speed, Clara barreled into the kitchen. “Did you see? I knew there’d be one more, I just knew. It’s as tall as you are,” she told Jason. “Did you see?” She grabbed his hand to drag him back. “It has my name on it.”
    “Imagine that.” Jason picked her up and kissed both cheeks. “Merry Christmas.”
    “I can’t wait.” She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. “I just can’t wait.”
    Watching them, Faith felt her emotions tangle and knot until her bones ached with it. What should she do? What could she do? When Jason turned with Clara, the lights from the tree fell like wishes over their faces.
    “Faith?” He didn’t need words to recognize distress, pain, turmoil. “What is it?”
    Her hands were digging into the cardboard of the box. “Nothing. I’m going to dish out this pizza before it’s cold.”
    “Pizza?” Delighted, Clara bounced down. “Can I have two pieces? It’s Christmas.”
    “Monkey,” Faith scolded gently, tousling her hair. “Set the table.”
    “What is it, Faith?” Jason took her arm before she could follow her daughter into the kitchen.