Something inside him shifted, too. Fighting the urge to wrap his arms around her and kiss her senseless, he grabbed the twine handles of the sack. Deep breath, man. Keep this light. “Since you thought I was breaking in, I won’t press charges.”
“Since I was protecting your property, that’s very generous of you.”
Her teasing smile would’ve been worth getting decked by that elf. “Consider it a Christmas gift.” He hefted the bag. “This feels heavier than it looks. What is it, your arsenal of backup weapons?”
She laughed. “No, that’s just the canned soup I offered you.”
“Who needs soup when you’ve got leftovers?”
“No one. So don’t let my mom or sisters hear about it. I wasn’t feeling well earlier, so I stopped at the store for a few things. Just in case I’m not up to either Christmas dinner or party leftovers tomorrow.”
“Do you need to see a doctor?”
She shook her head. “No, I’m fine now, I think. Anyway, I’m also sorry about leaving the sack there. Once I got here, all I could think about was putting on my robe to get warm.”
He could think of other ways to accomplish that. But the suggestion would probably get his face slapped. “You’re welcome to stay tonight, too. But if your symptoms hit again, you’ll be in big trouble. A can opener I can handle. I’d have to pass when it comes to taking care of a baby.”
Because I’m never doing that again.
He also wasn’t going to give in to his desire to kiss Amber, which increased with every minute he spent in her company.
For both their sakes, she had to go. Tomorrow, he’d see if she could find somewhere else to camp out. Meanwhile, he’d make the best of a bad situation, doubled. A sick mom and a screeching baby. The two things in this world he felt least ready to handle.
“Penny and I are having dinner with my family tomorrow,” Amber said. “You’re welcome to come along.”
Make that three things.
“As my dad always says,” she went on, “‘the more the merrier—especially on Christmas Day.’ And you won’t want to be here all by yourself.”
If she only knew. He shrugged. “No big deal. Just another day. Same as New Year’s.”
“You’re staying till then?”
“I have an early flight on the second.” Her eyes widened. Not in pleased surprise, as he might have suspected—and maybe welcomed. No, the expression in those blue eyes radiated dismay. What the heck did the woman have planned for this lodge?
“An entire week,” she said faintly. “What about your business?”
Yeah, the business. The electronics company he had built from the ground up. The same one his lack of enthusiasm threatened to run right into that ground again. Not a subject he wanted to discuss. “It’s closed until the new year. My office staff can reach me if needed.” He stayed in touch by way of texts and emails, using all the technology he never traveled without. “But I don’t expect them to have the need.”
He glanced from Amber to Penny and back again. He hadn’t expected them, either. After the disaster at his dad’s house, he’d driven right to the lodge, planning to close and lock the door behind him. He hadn’t intended to see or speak to anyone until the beginning of next year. If then.
As if she’d read his thoughts again, she said, “I’m sorry something happened to spoil your family holiday.”
He laughed shortly. “Family holiday. An oxymoron, isn’t that what they call it when two halves of a phrase contradict each other? Definitely a load of contradictions in that house.”
“With only three of you there? It’s just you and your dad and your stepmom, isn’t it?”
“And a whole gang of half-brothers and stepbrothers. Believe me, spending time with my stepmother and her kids is no kind of holiday. I suffer through it for my dad’s sake.”
At least, he tried. Today’s final straw had driven him from the house. His inability to handle the situation only stirred up memories of years ago, when he’d had even less control over the bad times in his life.
When his own mom had gotten sick, his dad and Mama DeFranco had taken care of her. He’d wanted to help but had been too young to do much of anything. To this day the thought of his helplessness ate at him.
A few years after his mom was gone, his dad had remarried. Once Carmen moved in along with her kids, he’d had plenty of time around babies. Too much time. He’d been in grade school, still a kid himself, still missing his own mom. But his stepmother hadn’t tried to mother him at all. Instead, almost from day one, she had put him in charge of his stepbrothers and later his half-brothers.
“Living with that bunch was no picnic, either,” he said. “I couldn’t wait for the day I headed off to college and left them behind.”
“You didn’t visit them at all?” She sounded shocked.
“When I could force myself to go. It was always the same waste of time. Or worse. Today’s shouting match over lunch was a perfect example.” He shrugged. “But those visits all have a positive spin. They remind me why I don’t want a family of my own.”
Amber stood staring at him. In the middle of that silence, her daughter let out the most ear-piercing shriek he’d heard from her yet. He started, darned near dropping the sack of soup cans he’d been carrying to the counter.
How could such a small baby make such a racket? He had plenty of memories of crying kids, but none of the boys had reached that decibel level. “You just fed her. She can’t be hungry again.”
“That’s not a hunger cry.” Amber hurried over to the playpen. “She has colic.”
“Does she have it often?”
“Too often, I’m sad to say. But it’s chronic, not constant. And she’s improving every day. Aren’t you, sweetie?” She lifted the baby and settled her against her shoulder. “She’ll feel better again. Soon.”
The line between Amber’s eyebrows told him not to start counting the minutes.
Chapter Two
Before the sun poked its head above the mountain peak the next morning, Amber tiptoed down to the living room. Step one of her easy-peasy plan. Keep Penny amused and quiet. Keep Michael happy.
She kissed Penny’s forehead before kneeling to settle her in the playpen. “There you go, sweetie-pie.” She stroked Penny’s downy-soft cheek. She loved her daughter, heart and soul. Tears still stung her eyes every time she remembered how Penny’s daddy hadn’t wanted her.
When she had announced the news of her pregnancy to her husband, she hadn’t expected to celebrate on her own. But they had argued, and he had stormed out. Hours later, his missing cell phone charger gave her the first clue he had left for good. She hadn’t let that break her. She was on her own, but not alone. She’d had her baby on the way and her stubborn pride to hold onto.
“I don’t know what I’d have done if I hadn’t heard Michael was hiring,” she told Penny. Suddenly single again and pregnant, she had been desperate to find a better-paying job to support them both. Hearing Michael was about to head back to California, she had grabbed the narrow window of opportunity just before it could slam shut. And the rest, she felt certain, was a Snowflake Valley miracle.
“No one needs to look out for me anymore, Penny,” she said. “Not that man who left us. Not your Aunt Callie and Aunt Lyssa. I’m your mommy, and I’m here to take care of you.” She smiled. “And you remember that house I told you about?” That someday-some-way-gonna-buy-it house… “Soon, I’ll save up enough money so we can live in our own home instead of that tiny apartment. Enough money to keep from ever missing a bill payment again.”
She sighed. “Of course, that never would have happened if your mommy wasn’t such a pushover.” If she hadn’t emptied her bank account for a friend’s emergency.
But she would recoup her losses with her next paycheck, which was one of the biggest reasons she had wanted to become the caretaker-slash-housekeeper of Michael DeFranco’s private ski lodge. Job openings in Snowflake Valley came few and far between. Ones that paid
as much as he had offered for the easy part-time hours were practically unheard-of. That generous pay would make her dream house a reality someday.
As for her other dreams…
“I confess, that morning we met, I went tumbling head-over-heels.”
It wasn’t surprising she had fallen so quickly—and it had nothing to do with being on the rebound. “The last thing I wanted was another man on my mind. But then”—she lowered her voice to a murmur—“I met that man.”
Michael’s hot looks aside, she had a second, secret list of what had drawn her to him like a downhill racer to the finish line.
But even that didn’t come close to the rest of the items on her very long list. She loved that he found his way to her whenever she stayed at the lodge, even though he had guests to entertain. She loved how he listened to what she had to say, how he laughed when she shared one of her brothers’ not-so-funny jokes. And she loved the way he made her feel, all butterflies-cartwheeling-in-her-stomach and as breathless as a teen on her first date.
Most of all, when she looked at Michael, she loved seeing the perfect daddy for Penny. And the perfect man for her.
Of course, when Michael looked at her, what did he see? A housekeeper.
She needed to remember that.
In the dim light from the table lamp, the baby closed her eyes. Amber slowly rose and backed away from the playpen. She curled up on the couch and covered herself with the afghan she had left there the night before.
Overhead, the sound of footsteps hit the landing, then Michael descended the open, soaring staircase. Her heart soared, too, proving she shouldn’t stay here at the lodge another night. But shouldn’t and wouldn’t were such different things.
“Morning,” he said easily.
She put a finger to her lips. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered.
Michael came closer. “Why are we whispering?” he asked. Mesmerizing brown eyes stared into hers.
“Uh-h-h…” What? She shook her head. “Penny’s asleep. She hasn’t made it through a night without waking up in forever.”
“And so neither has her mom?”
His insight made her eyes fill with tears. Blinking, she forced a laugh. “Well, let’s just say, fingers crossed and this being Christmas, maybe tonight Santa will bring us both the gift of sleep.”
“I doubt even Santa can work a miracle like that one. But we can hope.” He’d kept his voice low, and the husky murmur seemed to vibrate through her. “Want me to light the fire?”
“That’s my job.”
“Not today, it isn’t.”
This wasn’t at all the way she had expected to spend her Christmas morning. But what could be better than being with Michael again.
She hadn’t seen him since he had brought some friends for a ski vacation at Thanksgiving. As on his previous visits, he had asked her to stay at the lodge, filling in as both housekeeper and cook. Once Penny was born, she had always left her with her parents. Today was the first time she had brought the baby with her.
And Michael didn’t want either of them here.
Done with the fire, he said, “Did I smell coffee on my way downstairs?”
“Yes. It’s brewed by now. I’ll get it.”
When she began to push the afghan away, he reached out to stop her. His touch made her hand tingle. She wanted to turn her palm up and twine her fingers through his, to tug him down onto the couch beside her. Which made no sense. Hadn’t she spent half the night reminding herself to keep her distance?
Abruptly, he pulled his hand away and headed toward the kitchen.
Her cheeks burned, and not from the fire. Considering her thoughts, longing had to have been written all over her face. A longing for him she would never get to satisfy. What if he’d read it in her expression or seen it in her eyes? What if she’d just ruined her and her daughter’s future for a six-second fantasy fueled by her stupid crush?
Shivering, she pulled the afghan up to her chin. Sap from the logs exploded with crackles and pops, filling the silence in the room. Too bad it couldn’t drown out the thoughts now filling her head, the ones she had spent the other half of the night trying to forget. As if.
How could she not remember what Michael had said about his visits home?
They remind me why I don’t want a family of my own.
With those words, she had sworn she’d heard her heart break.
All her life, she had dreamed of settling down and raising a family. A family she had already begun with Penny. And if all went as planned, her daughter would have many brothers and sisters.
She needed to focus on that dream—and forget her crazy feelings for Michael.
…
When Michael returned to the living room carrying a tray, Amber pushed the afghan aside. She would sit up and act naturally. Well, as naturally as she could with her pulse beating so loudly she was sure he could hear it. “You don’t have to wait on me.”
“The first one to pour coffee in the morning also gets to serve it. One of Mama’s rules.”
“Your mom?”
“Grandmother. My dad’s mom. Everybody called her Mama DeFranco.” He took a seat on the leather armchair opposite her. “She lived with us until she passed away, when I was about nine. And Mama didn’t take flak from any of us when it came to her kitchen rules. Neither will I. So drink your coffee, no complaining.”
He smiled, maybe to soften his statement. It definitely made her feel all soft and gooey inside. “If you’re turning on your charm, you’re wasting your time,” she lied. “I’m immune to it.”
“I doubt that. I’ve heard it’s so potent, they’ve made a vaccine especially to protect women against it.”
She laughed. “Funny, but I’ve never heard a thing about that. And why haven’t I ever heard any of Mama’s kitchen rules before? Were you afraid I’d set a few of my own?”
“Yep. And trust me, I’m no waiter. You wouldn’t want me trying to serve coffee to a houseful of guests.”
But he’d just served it to her. Her soft-and-gooey insides threatened to melt into a puddle.
This was dangerous, her crazy thinking added to his…flirting? Could Michael possibly be flirting with her? She turned to the playpen and adjusted the blanket she had spread across Penny.
“She still asleep?” he asked.
Was he worried about his peace and quiet? “Yes. And once she’s finally out, not much fazes her.”
“Why should it? She knows all she has to do is wake up. Then one yell, and she’ll get whatever she wants.”
She laughed. Let him pretend irritation all he wanted. She’d seen his smile last night. “You have to admit, I’m training her well.”
“You do everything well.”
Flushing at the compliment, she focused on taking a sip of coffee.
“That’s why I keep you on the payroll,” he added.
Her pleasure dimmed. No pretense now. No flirting smile. His meaning couldn’t have come across any clearer if he’d announced it in an email, the way they usually communicated. He thought of her as the hired help. Which she was, of course. Too bad she couldn’t remember that. But no, despite all her warnings, she kept hoping she was more to him than the woman who cleaned his house. She kept daydreaming about him becoming more than her boss.
New Year’s and that resolution of hers couldn’t come soon enough.
Michael crossed the room to shift a log in the fireplace. The fire reminded her of the disaster-that-wouldn’t-quit, otherwise known as her electric bill. How could she and Penny live in the apartment without heat in this weather?
She couldn’t stay at the lodge with Michael here. But where else could she go?
Run home to her family? No way. She refused to let them know she wasn’t the independent, in-control single mom she wanted them to see.
She trusted all her friends but couldn’t ask for their help. Even if not a single one of them talked, everyone in Snowflake Valley would eventually know what had happened. One person
would see something, another would overhear something else, and before she knew it, she would have no secrets from anyone, including Michael.
He took his seat again and looked at her. “Amber, what are you hiding from your family?”
She clamped her coffee mug in a death grip. “Who said I was hiding anything from them?” she asked cautiously.
“You did. You said not to tell your mom and sisters about the soup.”
“Oh. That.” She forced a laugh. “They would disown me for not making it from scratch. They’re all very into homemade food, homemade clothes…homemade everything. Callie, my oldest sister—you met her, she’s the one who’s a teacher. Anyway, she even has a recipe to make her own Christmas ornaments out of paste and flour.”
He eyed the tree in the corner of the room. Needing some Christmas cheer, she had turned the lights on when she’d come downstairs with Penny.
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I decorated it myself, and I promise you there’s not a handmade ornament in the bunch.”
“Hey, I already told you, I couldn’t care less. It’s your tree, not mine. If it were up to me, there wouldn’t be one in the house.”
“Scrooge,” she teased. Instant conversation stopper. No return smile from him, as she had hoped. No comment, either. Just a silent shrug.
She needed to keep him away from the topic of secrets. “By the way,” she said in a rush, “thank you again for letting me hold the party here. It was a big hit—again.”
Last year, he had loaned the lodge to her for the annual Christmas party she organized for the kids of Snowflake Valley. Since she had only worked for him a couple of months, she had been touched by his generous offer. This year, she’d gotten another go-ahead. The party earlier in the week seemed like a lifetime ago. And like the only thing that had gone right for her in ages. “We had to cut the festivities short to escape the blizzard. Other than that, everyone had a great time.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Including Santa?”
“Now, that’s a different story.” Michael had either conned or coerced the same friend who had played Santa last year into returning for this year’s party. “You should have seen Nick’s face when he discovered who was playing Miss Elf again.” She stared down at her coffee. “I was sorry you had to back out at the last minute. You would have made a great Santa yourself.”
One Week to Win Her Boss (Snowflake Valley) Page 2
