Harlequin Special Edition November 2014 - Box Set 2 of 2: The Maverick's Thanksgiving BabyA Celebration ChristmasDr. Daddy's Perfect Christmas

by Brenda Harlen

  Hannah got down off her stool again and came over and hugged Lily. “I like you, too,” the little girl said, looking up at her with heartbreaking blue eyes.

  Emotion caught in Lily’s throat and she had to swallow hard to contain it. She smoothed a wayward dark curl off Hannah’s forehead.

  “We need to stick together, don’t we?” Lily said.

  Bridget and Hannah nodded. Megan stared at her, but now there was something softer in her expression. Lily knew not to push it, but all the signs were an indication that the girl would come around soon enough.

  “Megan, do you know how to knead bread?” Lily asked.

  The girl shook her head.

  “That’s what you have to do to bread dough to make it good,” Lily said. “Would you like to learn? I’ll bet you’d be a good baker.”

  The girl’s slight smile warmed Lily’s heart. After she got Bridget and Hannah set up to roll out the sugar cookies, she helped Megan mix the ingredients for the stollen.

  “Don’t you think we need to have a Christmas tree if we’re going to have a Stollenfest?” Megan asked. “Do you think Uncle Cullen will get one?”

  “I don’t know,” Lily said. “I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t, but we can ask him.”

  After the words escaped, she wanted to take them back. Cullen wasn’t a traditional man. He could very well have no plans to get a tree. Sure, it was early in the month, but there was no evidence that he even intended to put up any Christmas decorations.

  Decorating for the holidays had been a beloved tradition in Lily’s family. They’d always gotten their tree the Saturday after Thanksgiving and had it brimming with tinsel, ornaments and garland before they ushered in the month of December. Now here they were, well into the first week of the month, and they had some work to do if they were going to get this house in Christmas shape.

  George sauntered into the room. Lily was happy when he seemed to take an interest in the dough that she and the girls were shaping into oblong loaves. When he started to poke at the dough, she had him wash his hands, which he did without any back talk.

  He was coming around easier than Lily had expected. Her heart warmed and she thought it must be because of the basketball camp.

  Score one for me. But George would be the real winner in the end, and that was all that mattered.

  After he dried his hands, he went back to his place beside his older sister, where Lily had set out some bread dough for him.

  “Lily, will you come over here and sit next to me and show me how to do this?” he asked.

  “Of course, George. I’d love to.”

  He really could be a sweet boy. She couldn’t believe that she had gotten through to him so easily. Then again, kids were resilient. Probably more so than adults.

  As she pulled out the bar stool to sit down, Megan shrieked.

  “Don’t sit there!”

  Lily flinched, taken aback by the girl’s abrupt demand. She took in a deep breath and mentally counted to ten to steady herself. They would have to set some guidelines on what was appropriate and what wasn’t, but she didn’t want to overreact. Maybe she’d talk to Cullen and get him to help her out so the kids understood that she and Cullen were united when it came to expectations.

  The image of Cullen with a bare muscled chest and strong arms that closed around her scurried to the forefront of her mind before she could preempt it. She blinked the image away.

  “George, do not prank Lily,” Megan demanded. “He wanted you to sit on the whoopee cushion and then he was going to make fun of you for...” Megan made a face. “You know....” She reached over and put her hand down hard on the whoopee cushion so that it made its characteristic sound.

  The little girls shot scathing looks at George.

  “That’s not funny, George,” said Bridget. “Don’t mess with Lily. We like her. She’s nice.”

  “Yes, we do,” said Hannah.

  All right, so George had had ulterior motives. It was just a prank. It wouldn’t hurt anyone and Lily would’ve laughed right along with George if she had fallen into his snare. But she couldn’t help being touched by the way the girls had stood up for her. Apparently pranking was serious business and only executed on those who deserved to suffer—physically or emotionally.

  The boy’s face turned bright red.

  “Say you’re sorry,” said Megan, in full big-sister mode.

  George puffed up, as if his sisters taking Lily’s side was the ultimate betrayal.

  “Say it!” Megan stood up. Even though George was taller than his older sister, the girl still seemed to hold the authority.

  “I’m sorry.” George’s words were barely audible, but Lily was amazed that he complied.

  “No harm done,” Lily said, smiling at the boy. “Why don’t we put the first batch of sugar cookies in the oven? It won’t take them very long to bake. I think we all need a cookie and milk break.”

  The boy lifted his head and looked Lily in the eye, and for the first time she saw past his petulance and bravado and glimpsed the scared little boy. It dawned on her that his pranks were a way of driving away people before they could leave him. She wanted to reach out and hug him, but she knew better. That would only embarrass him.

  The best thing she could do would be to show him that he had a steadfast friend in her. She wasn’t going anywhere. Though she might not have control over where the kids ended up, she certainly could make sure they felt safe and wanted while they were in her care.

  Chapter Four

  Cullen got home shortly after seven, early by his standards. When he walked through the front door, he was welcomed by the sweet aroma of heaven. Something smelled delicious. His stomach growled its appreciation.

  It had been a long day at the hospital. The egg sandwich he’d grabbed in the cafeteria on his way to his office held him for a while, but he hadn’t had time to stop for lunch.

  He was ravenous. Whatever Lily was cooking smelled exactly like what he needed.

  The sound of running water, clanking dishes and Christmas music emanated from the kitchen. As he took off his coat and turned in that direction, something white and sparkly in the living room window caught his eye.

  Apparently the kids had made paper snowflakes. Upon closer inspection, he discovered they’d covered them with silver and white glitter before stringing them on a piece of twine and placing them in the window that overlooked the backyard.

  He remembered the fleck of glitter that he’d brushed off Lily’s cheek last night and the softness of her skin.

  He wanted to touch her again.

  He gave himself a mental shake and forced the thought from his mind.

  Instead, he focused on how they’d swagged the same window that housed the snowflakes with a cranberry and popcorn garland. There was a small wreath on the wall above the couch, made from dozens of kid-sized hands traced and cut out of green construction paper and attached to something round so that it resembled a holly wreath.

  The homemade decorations were a sharp contrast to the room’s modern furnishings, but they added a homey touch that was...nice. At least they added warmth and festivity to the room. It took him back to when he was growing up. His mom had worked two jobs to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads. There was no extra money for trees and fancy decorations. One year his mom had gotten creative and they’d done little projects like this. But in subsequent years, she’d been too busy working to make decorations again. Even though that one Christmas had been nice, memories of it made him realize what he was missing out on; it made him think that sometimes it was better to go without than to have a little taste of something you could never have.

  Now Cullen never bothered to decorate for Christmas. What was the point when it was just him and he spent most of his waking hours at the hospital? The nurses a
nd staff always put up a tree and hung small stockings with everyone’s names on them. That was enough.

  But it was different for kids.

  He ran his hand over the green paper wreath one more time. But sounds from the kitchen pulled him back to the present, reminding him that was where he’d been headed originally. His stomach growled again, seconding the motion.

  As he approached the kitchen, the music changed to “Jingle Bell Rock.” He’d opened his mouth to say hello, but Lily, who was washing dishes, started singing along and moving in time to the music in a little dance that made his pulse kick up as he paused in the doorway to watch her.

  The corners of his mouth quirked.

  The way she moved wasn’t suggestive or blatantly sexy, and because it wasn’t, it was all the sexier. It was the way she moved with such unselfconscious abandon that made his heart ache. And for a moment he lost himself in her grace.

  As if she sensed him there, Lily’s head snapped in his direction. She froze and her cheeks flushed a pretty shade of pink.

  Her hand fluttered to her throat. “Oh! I didn’t realize you were home. I thought you had a date tonight.”

  The side of Cullen’s mouth twisted up. “What? And miss tonight’s performance? Never.”

  She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. “Just pretend you didn’t see that.”

  “I’d pay to see that.” He walked into the kitchen and propped his hip against the counter next to the sink. “You have a nice voice. Don’t stop on my account. Please.”

  “You weren’t even supposed to be home. What happened to Giselle? It sounded like she had a fun night in store for you.”

  His smile faded. “Yeah, about that. I’m sorry you had to see the text. It was inappropriate and I wanted you to know I would never have purposely subjected you to it.”

  Her cheeks flushed again and she waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. It just sounded like Giselle had big plans for you. What happened?”

  “Giselle tends to make a lot of big plans,” he said.

  “And that’s a problem?”

  He opened his mouth to explain that when any woman started to get too close it did become a problem, but as he looked into her large green eyes, he wisely thought better of it.

  “I think while the kids are here, Giselle and I are going to take a break.”

  “I see,” she said.

  He could see the wheels turning. So before she had a chance to ask any more questions, he changed the subject. “Speaking of... Where are the kids?”

  “They’re upstairs watching a movie. Are you hungry?”

  “Famished. What smells so good?”

  “It’s just a simple beef stew. If I’d known you’d be home for dinner, I would’ve made something nicer.”

  “Are you kidding? Beef stew sounds perfect on a night like this. The temperature has really dropped. In fact, the weather forecasters are saying it’s going to freeze tonight.”

  “Sit down.” Lily motioned to the island. “I’ll dish you up a bowl of stew and warm you up.”

  Cullen lowered his body onto a stool. “How was your day? Did you and the kids get along okay?”

  “We had a great day,” Lily said.

  “How was George? He didn’t give you any trouble, did he? No more snakes in chocolate boxes?”

  “He’s a good kid,” she said as she took a bowl down from the cabinet. “Has a will of iron, but still, I know he doesn’t mean any harm.”

  Cullen narrowed his eyes. “Sounds like something happened today?”

  Lily set the bowl of steaming stew and a plate containing several pieces of bread in front of him, and then she produced a spoon and napkin, which she set alongside the bowl.

  “No, not really,” Lily said. “Nothing I can’t handle. He didn’t want to bake with his sisters and me. He informed me that baking was for girls.”

  Cullen grimaced.

  Lily nudged a plate that was full of colorfully decorated sugar cookies toward him. It was clear that she had given the kids free rein when it came time to decorate them. Some of the cookies were more artfully garnished than others.

  “You must have the patience of a saint.” He smiled up at her as he unfolded his napkin and draped it over his left leg.

  “I don’t know about that.”

  “Aren’t you going to join me?”

  “No, but thank you,” she said. “I ate with the kids, but I’m happy to keep you company. Unless you want some peace and quiet?”

  “Please stay,” Cullen said.

  Lily nodded and slid onto the stool next to Cullen. “How would you feel about George participating in a basketball camp? There’s one at the community center over the holiday break and I think it would be good for him. It would let him burn off some of his excess energy. It would get him out of the house away from his video games. I’ll take him and pick him up.”

  Cullen chewed his bite and swallowed. “This stew is delicious. I think basketball camp is a great idea. Let me know how much it costs and I’ll leave a check so you can get him registered.”

  They sat in companionable silence while Cullen spooned up a few more bites.

  “Did he help with the decorations you put up in the living room? I think they’re a lot of fun. They really make the house festive.”

  “He did,” Lily said. “A little bit, anyway. But speaking of being festive... The kids were asking whether you were going to get a tree. No pressure. I just promised them I’d ask. If you’d rather not go to the trouble, I could bring in a little tabletop tree I have at home.”

  A tree? Of course the kids would want a tree. Why hadn’t he thought about that before now?

  “I think that’s a great idea.” Cullen glanced at his watch. “In fact, it’s only seven-thirty. Why don’t we see if the kids want to go pick out one tonight? Would you come with us?”

  * * *

  Lily hadn’t planned on being included in the tree shopping. Or maybe it was more apt to say she hadn’t planned on Cullen taking an interest in it. In fact, she had been thoroughly surprised to look up and see him home so early, standing there in the doorway, watching her.

  She’d been mortified that he’d caught her singing along to “Jingle Bell Rock” like a fool. But she had to admit that she’d loved the way he’d been looking at her. There was something in his eyes that was like a soft caress...something in the way all his attention seemed to be trained on her. For a glorious second, she reveled in it, but then the embarrassment set in and that had been the end of that.

  Now here they were, piled into the SUV that Cullen had rented for the month that she’d be watching the kids. They probably looked like a family to anyone who didn’t know better. Even if it wasn’t true, it was fun to pretend.

  When they got to the tree lot, the kids tumbled out and took off running into the tens of dozens of Christmas trees.

  “Stay together,” Lily called after them. “And don’t go too far. Stay where you can hear us call for you.”

  The temperature had dropped. Lily turned up her coat collar to fend off the chill breeze.

  “Are you cold?” Cullen asked.

  “I’m fine,” she said as the two of them walked side by side under the golden glow of the small globe lights strung over the forest of firs, pines and spruces.

  For a foolish moment, Lily wondered what it would be like to be nestled in the warm crook of Cullen’s arm or, better yet, safe and warm in his embrace. With arms like his, it was the best place she could imagine on a night like this. But the sound of the children laughing snapped her out of it and landed her firmly in cold reality.

  Those were the same arms that held Giselle, she reminded herself, just in case there was any temptation to continue the ridiculous fantasy.

  Why had he chan
ged his mind about seeing Giselle tonight? She hadn’t expected him to come home so early. She certainly hadn’t planned on him eating dinner at home—especially after he’d told her not to count on him and to go ahead and feed the kids. She was suddenly glad that she’d had the foresight to make extra stew. Granted, she’d planned on asking him if he wanted to take it with him for lunch tomorrow.

  It was even better that he’d been home to enjoy it fresh and hot off the stove...and far away from Giselle, sender of naughty texts and instigator of mental pictures that she hadn’t been able to get out of her head all day.

  Like right now.

  She tried to blink away the image of a bare-chested Cullen before her mind’s eye could meander to places it had no business going. But it was an exercise in futility; telling herself not to think of something simply made her mind zero in on the thought.

  The only solution was to distract herself.

  “This is a pretty tree.” She pointed to an eight-foot blue spruce and then realized that it would be dwarfed under the high ceilings in Cullen’s house. “Maybe something like this, only taller?”

  Then again, maybe a smaller tree would better serve the kids, since they’d be the ones decorating it. At least she suspected they would since Cullen said he’d likely not be home most evenings...yet here he was with them tonight...instead of spending the night naked with Giselle...and just what would he look like naked—?

  Stop it!

  “That one does look good,” Cullen said, considering the tree she’d pointed out. He was holding it up and rotating it slowly.

  She nodded, suddenly at a loss for anything to say.

  When was the last time a man had rendered her tongue-tied?

  But Cullen Dunlevy, with his easy charm and disarming smile, made her as shy as a schoolgirl walking with her crush.

  And that was precisely the problem. She wasn’t a schoolgirl and he wasn’t her crush. He was her boss. She needed the job and the kids needed a nanny. It was so inappropriate to even think about mixing business and pleasure—or what he’d look like naked.

  Stop it!