Santa Under Cover
Page 7
Connor gave a solemn nod.
Nick lay Connor down, tucking the sheets and blankets around his shoulders. Leaning over, Gwyn kissed the top of the little boy’s head then she and Nick tiptoed out, pausing to wave before they closed the curtain behind them.
“How is he?” Glory asked, leaning against the wall, waiting.
“Good,” Gwyn replied.
“Think he’ll be okay, or did this scar him for life?” Nick asked.
“For life? No. But they’ll all get some counseling,” Glory said.
“Good,” Nick said. “Let me know if there is anything I can do.”
Glory gave a polite nod. “I will. Thanks.” She pushed away from the wall. “Now, why don’t you take my sister home? It’s been a long night and we all need some rest.”
“How about you?” Gwyn asked, her eyes watering as she yawned again.
“I’m staying here,” Glory said.
“I should stay, too,” Gwyn said, torn between wanting to stay with her sister and not wanting her time with Nick to end.
Glory smiled at her—the first real smile of the night. “Thanks, but this is my place. Not yours. Go home. We’ll talk later. After Christmas.”
Gwyn knew what that conversation would entail and dreaded it, but that was a day away, and she’d take the break.
Once again, the three traversed the corridor. Glory paused at the door long enough to kiss Nick on the cheek and hug Gwyn. “Merry Christmas,” she whispered as they pair stepped back into the night, and she closed the door behind them.
“She’s still angry,” Nick said as they walked down the hill, trying to remain upright.
“Yep,” Gwyn replied, watching her feet. “But it’s at me. Not you.”
“Good.”
She couldn’t blame him for being pleased with his reprieve. Glory was petite but her temper was six foot tall. “So what next?” Gwyn asked.
“This,” Nick said. “Look up.”
Gwyn raised her face to the sky.
Above them, green lights rippled across the blackness and flickers of violet swirled. “Wow! The Northern Lights.”
“I’ve heard about them but never thought we’d see them here,” Nick said in hushed reverence.
She understood. Watching the lights felt like being in a church or being allowed to take part in an occasion that mere mortals weren’t supposed to witness. Either way, it felt like a sign.
A confirmation that despite the day’s events there was still good in the world. “It’s like a miracle,” Gwyn said, slipping her hand into Nick’s. “A Christmas miracle.”
Nick chuckled, and she lowered her gaze to meet his eyes. “You disagree?”
He shook his head. “Not at all, but I don’t think that’s the true miracle. Not tonight.”
“Then what is?” she asked,
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. The warmth where his fingers touched her skin spread outward, heating her like a fleece blanket never could.
He leaned in and his mouth grazed hers in a whisper of a kiss that she felt all the way to her toes and tugged her heart.
With a sigh, Gwyn kissed him back and knew the unspoken answer to her question.
They were the miracle.
ISBN: 978-1-4268-4312-9
BLACKOUT AT CHRISTMAS
Copyright © 2009 by Harlequin Books S.A.
The publisher acknowledges the copyright holders of the individual works as follows:
SANTA UNDER COVER
Copyright © 2009 by Sharron McClellan
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.
Visit Silhouette Books at www.eHarlequin.com