Read Online Starry Night by Debbie Macomber - Free Book Online Page A

about coffee?”
    He nodded.
    Finn had dealt the first hand by the time she returned. Carrie looked at her cards, discarded two, and so they started. Luck was with her and she narrowly won the first game. Finn regarded her skeptically. “I thought you said you weren’t much good at this?”
    “Did I?”
    Sipping his coffee, Finn tried to hide his smile, but Carrie saw it and smiled back. “I believe it’s my turn to deal.”
    Keeping his eyes on her, he slid the deck of cards across the table.
    Shuffling the cards, Carrie glanced up and smiled ever so sweetly. “Women aren’t stupid, you know.”
    “I never said they were. Heartless, yes, but a few I’ve happened upon showed meager signs of intelligence.”
    Carrie suspected he was purposely attempting to bait her. “I’ll add chauvinist to the long list of words that best describe you, Finn Dalton.”
    “Better word would be realist .”
    “Oh, puh-leese.” She drawled out the word and laughed despite herself.
    Finn did, too, and the surprise of hearing his amusement caused her to fumble and lose control of the cards, which scattered across the tabletop.
    “You should laugh more often,” she said, gathering together the deck.
    “Really?”
    “Yes, really.”
    His eyes shone, and despite his grizzled appearance, she found him strongly appealing. If he were clean shaven and his hair groomed, he might even be considered handsome. She must have been staring at him because he frowned and barked, “What?”
    “Oh, sorry.” Carrie quickly looked away and dealt the cards.
    “You’re staring at me.”
    “I know.”
    “Why?”
    This question was harder to answer. She couldn’t very well admit she found him intriguing, and so she said the first thing that came to mind. “I want to remember what you look like, and I doubt you’d let me take your photo.”
    He immediately frowned. “For that article you intend to write?”
    Instead of answering, she kept dealing the cards and then waited while he cut the deck.
    The second game proved they were well matched. Finn won, but not by much.
    “Tie-breaker?” he asked.
    “Of course,” she responded. It surprised her how much she enjoyed this mini–battle of the sexes with him.
    After shuffling the cards, he dealt.
    “Do you do anything special around the cabin for Christmas?” she asked.
    Frowning, he glanced at her above his hand. “It isn’t even Thanksgiving yet. Why are you asking about Christmas?”
    “I guess it’s on my mind. A lot of the stores already have their decorations up.”
    “You’ve got to be joking.”
    “I’m not.”
    He grumbled some. “I suppose you’re the sort of woman who goes all out for Christmas.”
    “Of course,” she said, as she counted out her score. “Although I live alone, I put up a tree, hang garlands, and decorate with holly. What about you?”
    He finished counting out his hand. “What about me? If you’re digging for more information for that article, you can stop right now.”
    “I wasn’t,” she said, groaning. It seemed everything she asked was suspect. “You don’t have a Christmas tree?”
    “No. Why would I?”
    Knowing him, he probably didn’t like Christmas at all. “Is it just another day for you and Hennessey?”
    “For the most part, yes. I’ll sometimes join Sawyer and his family or fly to Fairbanks and spend Christmas Day with friends.”
    It made Carrie feel better to know he wouldn’t be alone unless that was what he chose. “Good.”
    “Good?” he repeated.
    “Yes. I would hate the thought of you spending Christmas alone.”
    He grinned, as if her comment amused him. “Despite what you think, I enjoy my own company, but I have a real life, too. I live a good part of the time here, but I have a condo … elsewhere.”
    “You do? But how do you support yourself? I mean, before the book.”
    “I have all the work I want with the state, checking on the pipeline.” He grimaced, as if he’d said far more than he meant for her