Read Online Midnight Under the Mistletoe by Sara Orwig - Free Book Online
Authors: Sara Orwig
Ads: Link
invitation to spend
Thanksgiving with Will and his family? Instead, he would sit in isolation at
home on the ranch—a sad choice.
She sat by the box to read a letter, finally concentrating on
her work.
When Zach returned, her pulse jumped. He was off-limits, a
danger to her peace of mind because her volatile reactions to him had not
dwindled even a degree.
“I enjoyed meeting your family. They’re great and that’s
fantastic news they shared.”
“My brother amazes me. He’d been as opposed to marriage as any
of us, yet he is so in love with Ava, it’s ridiculous. And he’s great with
Caroline. None of us have ever been around children and to become her guardian
was really tough for him.”
“Well, from what little I saw, Caroline is a very happy little
girl.”
“Ava and Will have been terrific for her. Ava was the one who
suggested Muffy, a little puff of a dog that brought Caroline out of her grief
from losing her father more than anything or anybody else.”
“Did I hear her call him ‘Daddy Two’?”
He nodded. “We’ve gotten used to that. Will is her second dad
since her blood father died and I think she wanted a mom and dad. You noticed
she calls Ava Mom?”
“Yes, I did. They seem incredibly happy. How could you not want
to be with them for Thanksgiving?”
“I’m my own company. I get along fine.”
She shook her head. “Amazing,” she said, reaching for another
letter. “Do all of you get together for Christmas?”
He gave her a lazy smile and she guessed his answer. As shocked
as she was over Thanksgiving, her surprise was greater this time. “You’re
spending Christmas here alone? You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can,” he replied with laughter in his voice.
“I’d think all of you would gather here since this is the
family ranch. Isn’t this where you had Christmas celebrations when you were
growing up?”
“Maybe twice when Granddad lived here. Never, after he was
gone. My mother hated the ranch. Any ranch. If we celebrated together, it was in
Dallas. After Mom walked, we didn’t even come home for Christmas.”
“Zach—”
His jaw firmed and an eyebrow arched. She realized she should
stop talking about his personal life. She shrugged and turned away, going back
to work without saying anything else. He did the same and she fought the urge to
stare at him. How could he spend Christmas all alone? She couldn’t imagine
anyone doing that through choice.
They worked for the next hour and Zach stood, stretching
again.
“Enough of this,” he said. “Let’s break. I’ll go lift weights
and do what I can do without involving my foot. We have treadmills or the track.
Or an exercise bicycle. Nigel will be there because if any of us lift weights,
he appears. He doesn’t want us alone if we’re working out with weights. That’s a
long-standing rule and he walks around the track, which is probably good for
him. If you prefer, you can sit in the family room and have a lemonade or a cup
of hot tea or anything else you want.”
“Enough choices,” she said, putting down a letter. “I’ll change
quickly and get on a treadmill. I’d rather sit on the terrace after work.”
“Good enough. See you in the gym.”
She left him, hurrying upstairs to change.
If only Zach felt about holidays the way Nigel felt about
working out. That one shouldn’t go it alone.
* * *
With Nigel walking on the indoor track, Zach hoisted a
bar, lifting it high and lowering it slowly when he saw Emma enter the gym. He
set the bar in place and wiped his forehead with a towel while watching her. She
wore blue shorts and a blue T-shirt that revealed lush curves, a tiny waist and
heart-stopping long legs.
She smiled and waved, going to a treadmill to start it.
He should have let her go back to Dallas. She was a great
secretary, as well as pure trouble. Their kisses were dynamite and the last
kiss—when she wanted to prove their kisses couldn’t be called casual—had ignited
fires
Thanksgiving with Will and his family? Instead, he would sit in isolation at
home on the ranch—a sad choice.
She sat by the box to read a letter, finally concentrating on
her work.
When Zach returned, her pulse jumped. He was off-limits, a
danger to her peace of mind because her volatile reactions to him had not
dwindled even a degree.
“I enjoyed meeting your family. They’re great and that’s
fantastic news they shared.”
“My brother amazes me. He’d been as opposed to marriage as any
of us, yet he is so in love with Ava, it’s ridiculous. And he’s great with
Caroline. None of us have ever been around children and to become her guardian
was really tough for him.”
“Well, from what little I saw, Caroline is a very happy little
girl.”
“Ava and Will have been terrific for her. Ava was the one who
suggested Muffy, a little puff of a dog that brought Caroline out of her grief
from losing her father more than anything or anybody else.”
“Did I hear her call him ‘Daddy Two’?”
He nodded. “We’ve gotten used to that. Will is her second dad
since her blood father died and I think she wanted a mom and dad. You noticed
she calls Ava Mom?”
“Yes, I did. They seem incredibly happy. How could you not want
to be with them for Thanksgiving?”
“I’m my own company. I get along fine.”
She shook her head. “Amazing,” she said, reaching for another
letter. “Do all of you get together for Christmas?”
He gave her a lazy smile and she guessed his answer. As shocked
as she was over Thanksgiving, her surprise was greater this time. “You’re
spending Christmas here alone? You can’t do that.”
“Of course I can,” he replied with laughter in his voice.
“I’d think all of you would gather here since this is the
family ranch. Isn’t this where you had Christmas celebrations when you were
growing up?”
“Maybe twice when Granddad lived here. Never, after he was
gone. My mother hated the ranch. Any ranch. If we celebrated together, it was in
Dallas. After Mom walked, we didn’t even come home for Christmas.”
“Zach—”
His jaw firmed and an eyebrow arched. She realized she should
stop talking about his personal life. She shrugged and turned away, going back
to work without saying anything else. He did the same and she fought the urge to
stare at him. How could he spend Christmas all alone? She couldn’t imagine
anyone doing that through choice.
They worked for the next hour and Zach stood, stretching
again.
“Enough of this,” he said. “Let’s break. I’ll go lift weights
and do what I can do without involving my foot. We have treadmills or the track.
Or an exercise bicycle. Nigel will be there because if any of us lift weights,
he appears. He doesn’t want us alone if we’re working out with weights. That’s a
long-standing rule and he walks around the track, which is probably good for
him. If you prefer, you can sit in the family room and have a lemonade or a cup
of hot tea or anything else you want.”
“Enough choices,” she said, putting down a letter. “I’ll change
quickly and get on a treadmill. I’d rather sit on the terrace after work.”
“Good enough. See you in the gym.”
She left him, hurrying upstairs to change.
If only Zach felt about holidays the way Nigel felt about
working out. That one shouldn’t go it alone.
* * *
With Nigel walking on the indoor track, Zach hoisted a
bar, lifting it high and lowering it slowly when he saw Emma enter the gym. He
set the bar in place and wiped his forehead with a towel while watching her. She
wore blue shorts and a blue T-shirt that revealed lush curves, a tiny waist and
heart-stopping long legs.
She smiled and waved, going to a treadmill to start it.
He should have let her go back to Dallas. She was a great
secretary, as well as pure trouble. Their kisses were dynamite and the last
kiss—when she wanted to prove their kisses couldn’t be called casual—had ignited
fires
Similar Books
