Finding a Christmas Home

by Lee Tobin McClain

  She did, and they crunched in silence for a minute. Then she set hers down. “The book’s for your dad,” she said, and held up her hand. “I know, he’s not a churchgoer. But sometimes, when you’re bored and scared, a little support from Scripture can help.”

  “Battlefield conversion?”

  “Something like that.” She smiled. “Who knows, maybe you’ll be bored and want to read it, too.”

  “Right.” He didn’t feel like talking about faith with Hannah, even though he was truly grateful to God for bringing Dad through the surgery okay. “I saw you at Cleo’s Friday, but you left before I could say hello.”

  She shrugged, her face reddening. “You seemed busy.”

  “I did?” He cast his mind back. He’d just stopped in, truth to tell, to put off going home to his grouchy father. To assuage his guilt about that, he’d gotten Dad one of Cleo’s good coffees.

  “That woman behind the counter,” she said.

  He thought again. “Oh, Bridget.” He nodded. “We went to high school together. Way before you were anything but a kid.” He was teasing her about how young she was, but she didn’t seem to like it, the way some women would have. Instead, she flushed redder and looked down.

  He nudged her arm. “What did I say wrong?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just so awkward. With a man who’s, you know, attractive.” She didn’t look at him.

  He had to think a minute before he realized what she was saying. “You mean, you’re awkward with me?”

  She nodded miserably.

  Happiness surged through him. Sweet, pure Hannah was thinking of him as a man. Not just a friend or a coworker, but the kind of man she found attractive. Wasn’t that what she’d said?

  With an effort, he tamped down his feelings, because he didn’t want to embarrass her more. “Is this what we talked about before?” he asked gently. “How you’re uncomfortable with the opposite sex, in a dating way?”

  She nodded and then lifted both hands like stop signs. “Not that we’re dating or anything! I didn’t mean to imply that.” She rolled her eyes a little, as if annoyed with herself.

  “No, but...if you feel that way, do you want to talk about it? Maybe I can help.” It wasn’t a line. He really wanted to help this struggling woman toward happiness. He wasn’t quite sure why he wanted that so badly, but he did.

  She tilted her head to one side, reminding him of a curious sparrow who might fly off if he moved too quickly. “How could you help?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe...just try talking to me normally. The same way you’d talk to a man on a date. With practice, it’ll get easier.”

  She narrowed her eyes, studying him. “Like you were with Bridget?” she asked.

  “Like I... How was I with Bridget?”

  She waved a hand. “Just...flirty. Sophisticated, in a way I’ll never be.”

  There was so much to say here, so much to think about, and yet he had to tread lightly. Something had changed in how Hannah looked at him, and he was pretty sure he liked it. A lot. He didn’t want to stop it before it began.

  He caught her hand in his, squeezed it lightly. “Touch, like that? It’s part of flirting,” he said. It was just a demonstration, but he found he had to force himself to let go.

  Especially when he noticed that her breathing had quickened. Another surge flashed through him. His touch affected her. Which was a heady thing, even if ultimately, a woman like Hannah would never go for a Hutchenson.

  She pushed her hair behind one ear.

  “That’s good!” he said. “That’s something women do when they’re flirting. They play with their hair.”

  “I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s unconscious. But it lets the guy know, on some level, that you’re interested.”

  She looked at him, her eyes full of vulnerable emotion. “I feel silly,” she said. “I feel like a silly girl. And...” Her forehead wrinkled. “I don’t mean to promise something I’m never going to deliver.”

  “We’re just talking,” he assured her. “Nothing you said would make me expect anything from you.”

  “Some men do,” she said, her voice low and bleak.

  He clasped her hand in both of his, studying her unhappy face, anger starting to simmer in him. “Did something happen?”

  She looked away, pulled away. “Kind of.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  A rapid shake of the head.

  “I’m a good listener.”

  She stared at the floor. “It’s just... I showed interest in someone and he thought that meant he could do whatever he wanted. Called me a tease when I backed away. So I... I guess I’m scared to give somebody the wrong idea.”

  He so wanted to pull her into his arms. He did go so far as to put an arm along the back of her chair, just in a brotherly way.

  But when she looked over at him, awareness flashed in her eyes.

  Luke wasn’t one of those guys who thought every glance from a woman meant she was interested in him. He’d always been a little cautious; he’d wanted to be sure before he made a move, because the idea of pushing himself on a woman made him feel sick.

  There was no doubt about it, though, with Hannah. She was interested on some level.

  He didn’t want her to feel bad about that, or wrong. Even though it couldn’t go anywhere between them.

  He leaned closer and let his hand skim through a lock of her hair. Soft and fine and such a light blond; she’d stayed a towhead.

  She met his eyes again, for a little longer, and then looked away. A voice over the hospital speaker announced a code blue. A doctor stuck her head in, looked around and then left.

  And Luke remembered where he was, and what he was doing. He was in a hospital waiting to see his father, who’d gotten himself here largely due to his own issues with drinking.

  Hannah was a fantastic person, smart and hardworking and really, really pretty, but she was naive about love. She’d gotten a little bit attracted to Luke, but it didn’t mean anything. Didn’t mean he was right for her or that it would work.

  It was up to him to keep things cool between them.

  He pulled away his hand, took his arm from around her shoulders. “And that’s flirting,” he said, hoping he was convincingly playing the role of a benevolent teacher. “Actually, you’re not bad at it.”

  Which came out more flirtatious than fatherly.

  He needed to find another topic. “I think I’m going to take Dad to see Bobby, at the prison. Once he recovers enough to go.”

  Hannah’s eyes widened and she scooted away in her chair. “Really? Oh...wow.”

  So much for flirting, being drawn to him. All of a sudden, she seemed repulsed.

  And why wouldn’t she be? She didn’t have family members in jail. She wasn’t a Hutchenson, or anything like a Hutchenson.

  He needed to remember that, and forget about how soft her hair felt, how pretty her flushed face looked. He needed to think of her as a colleague and nothing else. “Did you bring work for me to do?” he asked. “I’ll be spending some time in the waiting room today and for the next few days. If there’s planning to be done, maybe I can work from here.”

  “Right. Of course.” She reached for her laptop bag.

  There. Back to business. He hoped.

  * * *

  Hannah pulled out her laptop, trying to pretend Luke hadn’t just rocked her world.

  When she’d gotten his text, she’d rushed over here on the pretext of checking in on him and bringing him cookies, but really, because she was so eager to see him. She’d acted like a fool at Cleo’s, running off, and she’d wanted to get back to normal.

  She’d been pushing aside the fact that she thought he was incredibly handsome and that she was getting more and more drawn to him. But when he’d explained his behavior
with the clerk at Cleo’s as just flirting, when he’d taken it upon himself to show her how to do it...she’d been floored. Stunned. Silenced.

  He’d put his arm around her and he’d touched her hair, and it had felt wonderful.

  Being single and not dating, Hannah never—but never—got that kind of tender touch. And from a man like Luke, a man she admired and felt for, it had been the most special and amazing moment.

  She’d even thought, ever so briefly, that he was going to kiss her.

  Would she have let him? Right there in the surgery waiting room at the hospital?

  Well...yes. Yes, she probably would have let him, she had to admit to herself.

  And then he’d brought up his brother. He was going to take his dad to visit his brother in prison.

  Which was great, of course. Bobby surely needed visitors and to reconnect with his family.

  But Hannah wasn’t sure how much Bobby knew about Marnie and the twins. Marnie had said she hadn’t told him, but what if he’d somehow found out? If someone mentioned that Hannah was raising Marnie’s twins, couldn’t he do the math?

  The whole thing left her sick with dread, unsure of whether she was doing the right thing. She’d impulsively agreed to Marnie’s condition, and she’d started down the road of keeping the twins’ parentage a secret, but was that viable? Was it right?

  And what would happen if Luke and his father learned that the twins were a part of their family, and that Hannah had been keeping the connection a secret?

  They weren’t going to be happy.

  She needed to minimize her connection to Luke and stick to business if she was going to have a chance of keeping her promise to Marnie.

  Chapter Eight

  On Wednesday after work, Hannah drove toward home, the twins in the back seat, and tried not to be nervous that Luke was in the front seat beside her.

  “I really appreciate this,” he said. His car hadn’t started this morning, and he’d walked the three miles to Rescue Haven.

  Of course, Hannah had insisted on driving him home. What else could she do? It was cold outside, spitting snow, and he was her next-door neighbor.

  “I hate to ask another favor,” he said, “but could you stop by Pasquale’s Pizza on the way?”

  “No problem.” She took a left and drove the two blocks to the only non-chain pizza place in Bethlehem Springs.

  He jumped out, and she turned back to check on the twins, trying not to watch Luke as he headed into the shop. He was good-looking, of course. Kind, and appreciative, and strong. And he had the slightest swagger in his walk that was masculine and appealing.

  But because he intended to visit his brother, she needed to keep her distance. The fewer chances she had to spill the beans about Bobby being the twins’ father, the better.

  He came out of the pizza shop quickly—he must have called ahead—carrying a big flat box and a white bag. What would it be like if this was a family scenario, if they were Mom and Dad and kids, stopping for takeout on the way home from work?

  She couldn’t help it. Her chest filled with longing.

  He climbed into her small car, juggling the large flat box to make it fit without encroaching on the gearshift.

  She had to laugh at the size of his meal. “Hungry?”

  “Are you?” He opened the box a little, and the rich, garlicky fragrance of Pasquale’s special sauce filled the car.

  Her stomach growled, loudly.

  “Pee-zah!” Addie shouted from the back seat.

  “Peez!” Emmy added, almost as loud.

  “That’s just cruel,” she said as she pulled the car back onto the road and steered toward Luke’s place. “You’re tempting us. I may have to order some when I get these girls home.”

  “No, you won’t,” he said. “This is for all of us. The least I can do is feed you, after you drove me around.”

  Her stomach gave a little leap, and not just about the prospect of pizza. Why was he inviting her to have dinner with him? Was there an ulterior motive? And if there was, would she mind? “We shouldn’t,” she said, and then cleared her throat to get the breathless sound out of her voice. “Mom’s expecting us.”

  “Invite your mom over,” he urged, which made it sound like just a friendly invitation. That was mostly a relief.

  “She would probably welcome the chance not to cook for us,” Hannah said. “Especially since she said she has a bunch of paperwork, and she usually spreads it out all over the kitchen table.”

  “Good, we’ll eat here. Although Dad definitely doesn’t have high chairs lying around.” He frowned, then snapped his fingers. “I know. We’ll put a blanket on the kitchen floor and have a picnic. And Goldie will clean up the floor afterward.”

  She swallowed. That sounded sweet, a dream come true. She forced her thoughts away from romance, forced herself to think about his dad’s house and to remember what a mess it had been. They’d definitely want to put down a blanket, and watch the girls carefully, too. But she couldn’t make herself decline the invitation. “Okay, then, we’ll come,” she said.

  “Good.” He proceeded to turn around and entertain the babies with tickling and silly faces and talk of pizza until she pulled in to his gravel driveway.

  She sent a quick text to her mother and then got out of the car to find that Luke was already unfastening Emmy. He swung her comfortably into the crook of his arm and then grabbed the pizza box and bag. He waited while she unfastened Addie, and when she went to pick up the heavy diaper bag, he took it from her and shrugged it onto his shoulder.

  Yeah, it would definitely be nice to have a partner when raising twins.

  She held the storm door for him, and when they got inside, she looked around in amazement. Gone were the stacks of magazines, the clutter of mail and boxes, the dust and dirt. The couch was covered with a throw, and a recliner looked brand-new. Aside from a couple of small end tables and a TV, the room was bare, with vacuum lines still showing in the old shag carpet. “Oh, Luke, it looks like a different place!”

  “Much needed,” he said, “and since Dad’s staying at the hospital another couple of nights, I’ve had time.”

  She set down Emmy to toddle around and Luke did the same with Addie, and then they both did a quick sweep of the room to lift anything dangerous out of reach. “Where’d you learn to clean?” she asked. “I might invite you over to take a stab at Mom’s place.”

  “Army,” he said, moving a big dog chew just as Addie reached for it. “I think everything’s safe now. I’ll grab a blanket and let Goldie out. She’s staying in the garage,” he clarified. “It’s my compromise with Dad. I think it’s too cold for her outside, but he doesn’t want her in the house.”

  “Got it. But you’ll bring her in after?”

  “Sure.” He grinned. “You love her, don’t you?”

  She nodded. She loved all dogs, but Goldie was special. Maybe because she and Luke had basically saved the young dog’s life.

  While Luke dealt with Goldie, she strolled through the place, marveling at the changes he’d made. Even the windows seemed to have been washed—no easy feat at this time of year. She peeked into the kitchen and noted that every surface shone.

  He came back in, Goldie leashed at his side, and spread a blanket on the floor. He let Goldie sniff the girls and then tied her long leash to a heavy chair. When he ordered her to lie down, she immediately complied.

  “Nice!” Hannah clapped her hands. “You’ve been working with her.”

  “A lot,” he admitted. “It’s my main activity, aside from work and the cleanup. And it’s fun. She learns fast.”

  “You’re doing a great job.” She meant it, too. Luke had a bit of a reputation in town, for drinking and rabble-rousing and generally being irresponsible, but he was proving it to be unfounded. Or maybe he’d changed. Either way, she was impressed with him.
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  He brought out plates while Hannah filled the twins’ sippy cups with water, and they settled on the blanket in front of a small gas heater. Luke opened the pizza box and the white bag. “I got bread sticks, plain ones. I didn’t know if Addie and Emmy liked pizza, although it sounds like they’re familiar.”

  “As long as I cut it up small, it’s okay. Honestly, we have it at least once a week, and Pasquale’s is our favorite, too.”

  Hannah’s phone buzzed. It was Mom, saying she’d finish up some paperwork and come over. Good. That would nix any romantic vibes or notions that might crop up between them.

  With the twins rapturously gobbling tiny pieces of pizza, Hannah and Luke ate at a more leisurely pace, talking about the project at work, his dad and the twins. Halfway through the meal, Luke put on a playlist of quiet, jazzy Christmas carols. Once the twins were finished, Hannah wiped down their hands and Luke found some wooden spoons and pans for them to bang on. Clearly, he’d remembered that drumming was a favorite activity.

  As Luke wrapped the remaining pizza and Hannah washed the plates, she felt him looking at her. She glanced over, raising an eyebrow, but he just smiled and put the pizza into the fridge.

  Heat rose in Hannah’s chest. Why had he looked at her that way? Was it part of the flirting behavior he’d tried to explain to her at the hospital, or was he just being friendly? Was he liking the domesticity of the evening as much as she was?

  Dangerous. “I don’t know where Mom is,” she said, her voice a little squeaky.

  He walked back over to where she was standing. “You okay?” he asked as he wiped the counter.

  He was at a perfectly respectable distance, not touching her, so why did she feel so warm?

  Goldie barked, and there was a knock on the door. Luke gave Hannah a quick, curious glance and then went to open it.

  Mom came bustling in and the moment was over.

  “We saved you some pizza,” he said to Mom.

  “Gamma!” Emmy lifted her arms, while Addie rushed to Mom and hugged her legs.

  Mom kneeled between the two. “You’re getting so heavy! And what’s this? Have you got a drum?” She tapped on one of the pots Luke had found, which led to both girls beating loudly on them.