Read Online Once Upon a Christmas by Lauraine Snelling, Lenora Worth - Free Book Online

breakfast along? “Sorry. Good morning to you, too.” Although there’s not much good in it yet.
    “You dyed your hair.”
    “Yeah, well, I do that sometimes.”
    He turned so she could see the child in the backpack, a little girl by the pink stocking hat. Had he been holding out on her? The child stared at her, one finger in her mouth, her cheek against Thane’s back.
    “I’d like you to meet my niece, Amie. She’s three and not too happy at the moment.”
    She looked like she’d been crying, eyes red, mouth drooping. “I see. Hi, Amie.”
    The little girl sniffed and turned her face the other way.
    Blythe felt like doing the same, but curiosity had a headlock on her now. Where is her mother? He said niece, so this was not his daughter. Relief lightened the weights on her cheeks and eyes. Questions rose like steam from a kettle.
    “Shall we walk?”
    Blythe nodded and fell in step beside him, going back the way she’d come. But before they could take three steps, she bent down to untangle the dog leashes. Taking a moment to gather her fragmented mind, she patted both dogs and sweet-talked them, receiving quick licks and delighted wiggles in return.
    When she straightened back up, she caught him watching her. A smile that started with the right corner of his mouth, slowly spread to include his whole mouth and finally reached his eyes made her catch her breath. What was it shining in his eyes? Sure seemed like the look her father saved especially for her mother. Wasn’t there an old song about the “look of love”?
    She swallowed and took in a shoulder-raising breath. That look had zinged straight to her heart and set it to kettle drumming. I’ve missed you. Why didn’t you call? “The dogs are sure happy.” Now.
    “One of these days I’ll explain what all has happened.”
    She glanced up to see his jaw set again. There must be some awful kind of trouble for him to have his niece. And he must have had her overnight since they were together this early in the morning. Her mind took off on all kinds of possibilities.
    “I’m taking some time off work until things settle down. You have any experience with little girls?”
    “Actually I have two nieces myself.” She knew her tone was guarded but discussions about children had never been her forte. She glanced up at the child in the backpack. She had fallen asleep, thumb and finger still in her mouth, eyelashes feathered on rounded cheeks.
    “Amie is sound asleep.”
    “I shouldn’t have thrown her into her clothes so fast but I wanted to meet you here.”
    “Has she had breakfast?”
    “A cereal bar. I need to go shopping. Will you come?”
    “I’ve never had children.” And I’m not taking a life-threatening chance like that.
    “I know—neither have I—but I thought perhaps together, we could, I mean, oh…” He paused and shook his head. “This poor little kid has been jerked around, her mom is gone and here she’s stuck with me. I haven’t seen her for six months and that’s a long time in a life this short.”
    Amie woke with a jerk, whimpering, “Mommy? I want my Mommy.” Tears threatened again.
    “See what I mean?”
    Blythe heard the misery in the child’s voice and saw it on Thane’s face. A fast rundown of her list of to-do’s for the day made her groan inside. How could she find time to help out and yet make her deadlines? While her nieces adored her and she them, she hadn’t gotten close until they were older. Small children—huh-uh.
    “My house is not set up for this, I have as much of her things as I could fit in my SUV, the bed went on top. We made quite a picture driving up from San Diego.”
    “Unca Fane, I gotta go potty.” She wriggled and sighed.
    “Can you wait a…oh, no.”
    “What’s wrong?” Blythe stepped back. “Oh.” She could see a wet spot spreading on his back. The urge to giggle swept over her. She clapped a hand over her mouth to trap the rising laughter.
    “I see no humor in this. I think