Read Online Once Upon a Christmas by Lauraine Snelling, Lenora Worth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lauraine Snelling, Lenora Worth
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don’t own a camera.”
“We could go back so I could get it, but you could never stage it to work again.”
“You’re not funny.”
“Come on, Thane. This is one of those ‘if you don’t laugh, you’re going to have to cry’ times. It’ll get better.”
“Wait until you see my house.”
He was right. Blythe stood in the doorway of what must have been a well-decorated bachelor pad, once. Black leather furniture and glass tables—strictly modern and utilitarian. Not a trace of family or color. Other than the painting over the fireplace. What might be three tulips against a background of layered oil paints that looked sculpted with a trowel, hung in solitary splendor. If one liked that kind of art.
Stuffed bears, dolls and a giraffe spilled out of boxes, a pink Big Wheel-style trike, jammies, pink overalls, shirts and a robe trailed from other boxes, hair bows and barrettes littered the smoked glass coffee table, a pink fleece blanket on the leather recliner, a juice glass on the counter.
“I put her bed up in my office. Now I have to move all the office equipment into my bedroom. We need a chest of drawers, all this put away and the closet is full of my business suits. I have nothing in the cupboards for a little girl to eat, and not much for me since I rarely eat at home. You begin to get a small piece of this puzzle?”
Amie ran for her blankie and, tucking it under her chin, climbed up on the sleek sofa.
Thane picked her up. “Let’s get you dry before you sit there.”
The wet spot made the leather look even darker.
Blythe headed for the kitchen, wet a paper towel and wiped down the leather. Surely the little girl hadn’t sat there long enough to make the leather smell. What did one clean leather with? She found the trash in the pantry, tossed the towel and stared around. Where to start?
Thane walked back into the room, Amie walking beside him, hanging on to one of his fingers. Her blankie trailed behind.
“Perhaps we should go shopping. First a chest of drawers and a toy box, then a house.” He shrugged at her shocked look. “Perhaps tomorrow for the house.”
What kind of man is this? Blythe ignored his smile, hard as that was, and surveyed the mess. “We could stack these boxes against a wall for now.”
“They were stacked, until I needed to find clothes for her and she insisted on a bear to sleep with. The blanket wasn’t sufficient.” He leaned over to pat his dog. “Oh, and did I tell you? I hate clutter.”
“Far as I know, clutter comes with kids, part of the package. Let’s move this stuff to the other room, the bike could go out on your deck. We’ll go buy the furniture and then begin the shuffle.”
“Who’ll watch Amie while we shop?”
“We take her with us.”
The look of shock made him appear more like other earthly men.
Amie dug in one box and pulled out a well-loved doll, missing one arm. She started toward the sofa. Matty trotted over and grabbed a corner of the blanket hanging off the sofa. Tail wagging, she headed for her bed in the corner, the pink square dragging behind.
Amie let out a shriek, threw the doll down and ran for her blankie. Matty charged under the dining table, hanging on to her prize, tail up, declaring this a wonderful new game.
“Drop it, Matty.” Thane’s order might as well have been smoke.
Amie dove under the table, Matty charged down the hall, blankie in full flight.
“You get the kid, I’ll get the dog.”
“Not on your life. You get the child, I’ll get the dog.” Blythe charged down the hall after Matty, into a bedroom the size of her living room with a bed big enough for four. No dog. “Matty, where are you?” The walk-in closet was the size of most bathrooms, with everything hanging or folded neatly in its place, but had no dog. He has more clothes than Imelda Marcos has shoes. She backed out and shut the door. No dog in the royal bathroom, either. “Matty, where are you?”
Blythe got down on her knees and
“We could go back so I could get it, but you could never stage it to work again.”
“You’re not funny.”
“Come on, Thane. This is one of those ‘if you don’t laugh, you’re going to have to cry’ times. It’ll get better.”
“Wait until you see my house.”
He was right. Blythe stood in the doorway of what must have been a well-decorated bachelor pad, once. Black leather furniture and glass tables—strictly modern and utilitarian. Not a trace of family or color. Other than the painting over the fireplace. What might be three tulips against a background of layered oil paints that looked sculpted with a trowel, hung in solitary splendor. If one liked that kind of art.
Stuffed bears, dolls and a giraffe spilled out of boxes, a pink Big Wheel-style trike, jammies, pink overalls, shirts and a robe trailed from other boxes, hair bows and barrettes littered the smoked glass coffee table, a pink fleece blanket on the leather recliner, a juice glass on the counter.
“I put her bed up in my office. Now I have to move all the office equipment into my bedroom. We need a chest of drawers, all this put away and the closet is full of my business suits. I have nothing in the cupboards for a little girl to eat, and not much for me since I rarely eat at home. You begin to get a small piece of this puzzle?”
Amie ran for her blankie and, tucking it under her chin, climbed up on the sleek sofa.
Thane picked her up. “Let’s get you dry before you sit there.”
The wet spot made the leather look even darker.
Blythe headed for the kitchen, wet a paper towel and wiped down the leather. Surely the little girl hadn’t sat there long enough to make the leather smell. What did one clean leather with? She found the trash in the pantry, tossed the towel and stared around. Where to start?
Thane walked back into the room, Amie walking beside him, hanging on to one of his fingers. Her blankie trailed behind.
“Perhaps we should go shopping. First a chest of drawers and a toy box, then a house.” He shrugged at her shocked look. “Perhaps tomorrow for the house.”
What kind of man is this? Blythe ignored his smile, hard as that was, and surveyed the mess. “We could stack these boxes against a wall for now.”
“They were stacked, until I needed to find clothes for her and she insisted on a bear to sleep with. The blanket wasn’t sufficient.” He leaned over to pat his dog. “Oh, and did I tell you? I hate clutter.”
“Far as I know, clutter comes with kids, part of the package. Let’s move this stuff to the other room, the bike could go out on your deck. We’ll go buy the furniture and then begin the shuffle.”
“Who’ll watch Amie while we shop?”
“We take her with us.”
The look of shock made him appear more like other earthly men.
Amie dug in one box and pulled out a well-loved doll, missing one arm. She started toward the sofa. Matty trotted over and grabbed a corner of the blanket hanging off the sofa. Tail wagging, she headed for her bed in the corner, the pink square dragging behind.
Amie let out a shriek, threw the doll down and ran for her blankie. Matty charged under the dining table, hanging on to her prize, tail up, declaring this a wonderful new game.
“Drop it, Matty.” Thane’s order might as well have been smoke.
Amie dove under the table, Matty charged down the hall, blankie in full flight.
“You get the kid, I’ll get the dog.”
“Not on your life. You get the child, I’ll get the dog.” Blythe charged down the hall after Matty, into a bedroom the size of her living room with a bed big enough for four. No dog. “Matty, where are you?” The walk-in closet was the size of most bathrooms, with everything hanging or folded neatly in its place, but had no dog. He has more clothes than Imelda Marcos has shoes. She backed out and shut the door. No dog in the royal bathroom, either. “Matty, where are you?”
Blythe got down on her knees and
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