father, sitting on the town council,
volunteering at the church—he couldn’t let the town down in Bob’s absence. “I
can do that. I’ll be there with the girls anyway. Thanks for asking me.” He
added finding the Santa suit to his list of things to do.
“I knew we could
count on you like we count on Bob.” She headed off toward the other customers
with a prance in her step, probably to check if they all heard what had been
said.
“The locals are
curious,” Darcy smiled over her cup at him. “I take it you don’t bring many women
here for lunch.”
“No. Nor dinner.”
He sat his cup down, propped an arm on the table, and refocused on the woman
across from him. “So where were we? How about your mother? What is she like?”
“Mom is like me.
Easy going. She remarried when I was in my freshman year of college, to a nice
guy. They in the South of France.” She drew in a breath. “Jacob doesn’t like
our step-father, but it’s Mom who has to, right?”
“I’d say so.”
“Jacob’s a high
power corporate attorney who is a total dual master.”
“A what?” He’d
never heard the term.
“A dual master.
It’s term my aunt used for someone who multi-tasks. With Jacob, every meal has
an agenda. Every second of his day serves two purposes, one being him.”
It sounded like
Darcy didn’t have much respect for her brother and from her comment last night
her sister-in-law wasn’t high on her list either. “How does your sister-in-law
feel about that? Wait. I’m sorry. That’s prying. It’s none of my business.”
“No.” She shook
her head. Her hair cascading over her shoulders shimmered in the afternoon
sunlight.
He rubbed the
fingers of his empty hand together to rid them of the itch to feel Darcy’s soft
waves.
“It’s okay. Sadly,
Rebecca is not the nurturing type either. She’s in charge of half-a-dozen
social organizations— from saving the wild boars in the back woods of Oconee
County to saving the restrictions on their Atlanta country club. I feel sorry
for the kids, actually.”
“That’s why you
said last night you’re not your sister-in-law by a long shot.”
She nodded,
picking up her coffee cup, taking a sip, and stared out the window.
Dylan knew she
didn’t see the village of Black Moose. The streets were deserted except for an
occasional local resident rushing to a car from one of the businesses
surrounding the common park. The wind picked up the dry snow that had fallen
overnight and swirled it into the air. The flakes glistened in the bright
sunlight. Darcy wasn’t focused on any of the village’s charm. She was hundreds
of miles away, and maybe years in the past.
“I wish I could
give those kids one Christmas to remember,” she said softly. Her long fingers
wound into her red locks and twirled the strand. “One with meaning.”
Her frown pulled
at his heart. He wondered if she was recalling a special holiday, or a lack of
one. That saddened him, thinking the latter might be true. His parents always
made a huge deal out of holidays, just like Bob and Elizabeth. Although his
parents had a zany hodgepodge eye for decorating.
“Making this
Christmas special for Katy and Jillian is exactly what has me worried. I
totally screwed up Thanksgiving and as for Halloween—we won’t talk about that
fiasco.” He took a gulp of his coffee and sat the mug down with a clunk. “I
haven’t had a Christmas tree since I lived with my mom and dad. I have no idea
about decorating, making cookies or fixing a feast.”
Her green eyes
slanted toward him. “Let me help you.”
He smiled and
pushed his empty bowl to the side. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Why the hell
not?” She placed her cup to the side, slid her bowl next to his, and shifted
forward on her captain chair. “I’m a workaholic trying to fend off a serious
boredom bug. I’ll go nuts on this mountain by tomorrow with nothing to do. I
love to decorate. You know I can cook and bake. I don’t
volunteering at the church—he couldn’t let the town down in Bob’s absence. “I
can do that. I’ll be there with the girls anyway. Thanks for asking me.” He
added finding the Santa suit to his list of things to do.
“I knew we could
count on you like we count on Bob.” She headed off toward the other customers
with a prance in her step, probably to check if they all heard what had been
said.
“The locals are
curious,” Darcy smiled over her cup at him. “I take it you don’t bring many women
here for lunch.”
“No. Nor dinner.”
He sat his cup down, propped an arm on the table, and refocused on the woman
across from him. “So where were we? How about your mother? What is she like?”
“Mom is like me.
Easy going. She remarried when I was in my freshman year of college, to a nice
guy. They in the South of France.” She drew in a breath. “Jacob doesn’t like
our step-father, but it’s Mom who has to, right?”
“I’d say so.”
“Jacob’s a high
power corporate attorney who is a total dual master.”
“A what?” He’d
never heard the term.
“A dual master.
It’s term my aunt used for someone who multi-tasks. With Jacob, every meal has
an agenda. Every second of his day serves two purposes, one being him.”
It sounded like
Darcy didn’t have much respect for her brother and from her comment last night
her sister-in-law wasn’t high on her list either. “How does your sister-in-law
feel about that? Wait. I’m sorry. That’s prying. It’s none of my business.”
“No.” She shook
her head. Her hair cascading over her shoulders shimmered in the afternoon
sunlight.
He rubbed the
fingers of his empty hand together to rid them of the itch to feel Darcy’s soft
waves.
“It’s okay. Sadly,
Rebecca is not the nurturing type either. She’s in charge of half-a-dozen
social organizations— from saving the wild boars in the back woods of Oconee
County to saving the restrictions on their Atlanta country club. I feel sorry
for the kids, actually.”
“That’s why you
said last night you’re not your sister-in-law by a long shot.”
She nodded,
picking up her coffee cup, taking a sip, and stared out the window.
Dylan knew she
didn’t see the village of Black Moose. The streets were deserted except for an
occasional local resident rushing to a car from one of the businesses
surrounding the common park. The wind picked up the dry snow that had fallen
overnight and swirled it into the air. The flakes glistened in the bright
sunlight. Darcy wasn’t focused on any of the village’s charm. She was hundreds
of miles away, and maybe years in the past.
“I wish I could
give those kids one Christmas to remember,” she said softly. Her long fingers
wound into her red locks and twirled the strand. “One with meaning.”
Her frown pulled
at his heart. He wondered if she was recalling a special holiday, or a lack of
one. That saddened him, thinking the latter might be true. His parents always
made a huge deal out of holidays, just like Bob and Elizabeth. Although his
parents had a zany hodgepodge eye for decorating.
“Making this
Christmas special for Katy and Jillian is exactly what has me worried. I
totally screwed up Thanksgiving and as for Halloween—we won’t talk about that
fiasco.” He took a gulp of his coffee and sat the mug down with a clunk. “I
haven’t had a Christmas tree since I lived with my mom and dad. I have no idea
about decorating, making cookies or fixing a feast.”
Her green eyes
slanted toward him. “Let me help you.”
He smiled and
pushed his empty bowl to the side. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”
“Why the hell
not?” She placed her cup to the side, slid her bowl next to his, and shifted
forward on her captain chair. “I’m a workaholic trying to fend off a serious
boredom bug. I’ll go nuts on this mountain by tomorrow with nothing to do. I
love to decorate. You know I can cook and bake. I don’t
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