Be Mine at Christmas by Brenda Novak Read Free Book Online Page A

Kayla thought she wanted a father, Angela wasn’t sure the sudden upheaval and total change of situation would be good for her.
    And yet…she felt guilty for keeping the secret. How could she deny Kayla the chance to know the man who’d fathered her? Especially when Angela had discovered it was Kayla’s deepest desire?
    Smothering a sigh, Angela sat next to Kayla on the bed. What would be best for this girl? She’d promised Betty she’d never tell. But Betty had only been trying to right Stephanie’s wrong, to make sure others wouldn’t be hurt by it. When Betty had asked Angela for that promise, she’d been assuming Matt wouldn’t want to know he had a daughter.
    Now, Angela wasn’t so sure. “What do you think of him?” she asked and tried to listen beyond the actual words.
    “I think he’s great,” Kayla said. “Perfect.”
    “In what ways?” she prodded.
    “He listens when we talk. He’s patient and funny.”
    “We’ve only known him a couple of days,” Angela said.
    “That doesn’t matter. He won’t change.”
    Angela pulled Kayla into an embrace. She thought the same thing. But she had to be positive. And, as she stroked the girl’s hair, she couldn’t help wondering—was Matt ready for the shock of his life?
     
    C HRISTMAS WAS IN FOUR DAYS and Matt hadn’t bought a single present. He was reminded of that when his mother called him at work the following morning.
    “You’re coming to the gift exchange, right?” she said.
    He rolled away from his desk and locked his hands behind his head, stretching his aching back. He’d been doing paperwork since he’d arrived at seven, and it was nearly noon. “Why aren’t we having the party on Christmas Eve?” he asked.
    “Because your uncle Jim’s leaving for New York. He and Don have wanted to see the city for years, and that’s their Christmas present to each other.”
    “I see. So…” Matt rummaged through the stacks of papers on his desk to unearth his calendar. “When is it again?”
    “Tomorrow night. At seven.”
    “Okay. I’ll be there.” He jotted it down and started to hang up, but his mother was still talking.
    “And do not have that friend of yours make Grandma any more eggnog,” she said.
    He lifted the phone back to his ear. “Why not? She likes it.”
    “It gives her gas.”
    “Then why does she ask me for it?”
    “The taste. Haven’t you ever liked something that wasn’t good for you?”
    He was beginning to wonder if Angela fit into that category.
    “You know how stubborn she is,” his mom added.
    “What else should I get her?”
    “What about one of those firemen calendars you and the other guys posed for?” It had been a local effort to raise money for burn victims.
    “You’re joking, right? What would an eighty-year-old woman want with pictures of me and a bunch of other half-naked firemen?”
    “She likes Lewis.”
    “ Lewis? ”
    “She says you’re never too old to pretend.”
    He kneaded his forehead. “Mom, that’s not creating an appealing mental picture.”
    “You’re not the only one who likes sex in this family,” she said. “Your father and I—”
    “Mom! Stop!”
    “Have always been crazy for each other,” she finished. “Oh, and bring some calendars for your aunt. She wants to give a few of them away.”
    “I’ve got to go,” he said.
    “When are you planning to do your shopping?”
    He scowled. “How do you know I haven’t done it already?”
    “Because you always wait till the last minute. You need a wife, Matthew.”
    “You’ve been saying that for years.”
    “And you’ve been ignoring me for just as long. You think I want to die without grandkids?”
    He rolled his eyes. “You’re barely fifty-five.”
    “And I feel every year of it. Your brother and his wife say they don’t want children. Can you imagine that? You’re my one hope, and you haven’t had a steady girlfriend in years.” She hung up, sounding thoroughly disgusted but, after a few