Holiday Wishes by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

humming.
    â€œAre you going to fix that?”
    Startled, she nearly stabbed herself with the needle. Jason stood in the doorway, hands in pockets, watching her. “Yes, that’s what I do. Where’s Clara?”
    â€œShe nearly fell asleep in her book. I put her to bed.”
    She started to rise. “Oh, well I—”
    â€œShe’s asleep, Faith, with some green ball of hair she called Bernardo.”
    Determined to relax, Faith sat down again. “Yes, that’s her favorite. Clara isn’t much on ordinary dolls.”
    â€œNot like her mother?” Interested, he began to prowl the workroom. “I always thought when a toy broke or wore out, it got tossed away.”
    â€œToo often. I’ve always thought that showed a tremendous lack of appreciation for something that’s given you pleasure.”
    He picked up a soft plastic head, bald and smooth, that grinned at him. “Maybe you’re right, but I don’t see what can be done about that pile of rags in your hand.”
    â€œQuite a lot.”
    â€œStill believe in magic, Faith?”
    She glanced up, and for the first time her smile was completely open, her eyes warm. “Yes, of course I do. Especially at Christmastime.”
    Unable to help himself, he reached down to run a hand over her cheek. “I said before that I’d missed you. I don’t think I realized how much.”
    She felt the need shimmer and the longing plead inside her. Denying both, she concentrated on the doll. “I appreciate you helping Clara, Jason. I don’t want to keep you.”
    â€œDoes it bother you to have someone watch you work?”
    â€œNo.” She began to replace stuffing. “Sometimes a concerned mother will stay here while I doctor a patient.”
    He leaned a hip against the counter. “I imagined a lot of things when I was coming back. I never imagined this.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThat I’d be standing here watching you stuff life back into a rag. You may not have noticed, but it doesn’t even have a face.”
    â€œIt will. How did the report go?”
    â€œShe needs to do the final draft.”
    Faith glanced up from her work. Her eyes were wide with the joke. “Clara?”
    â€œShe had the same reaction.” Then he smiled as he leaned back. The room smelled of her. He wondered if she knew. “She’s a bright kid, Faith.”
    â€œSometimes uncomfortably so.”
    â€œYou’re lucky.”
    â€œI know.” With quick, skillful movements, she pushed the stuffing into place.
    â€œKids love you no matter what, don’t they?”
    â€œNo.” She looked at him again. “You have to earn it.” With needle and thread she began to secure the seams.
    â€œYou know, she was out on her feet, but she insisted on stopping at the tree to count the presents. She tells me she had this feeling there’s going to be one more.”
    â€œI’m afraid she’s doomed to disappointment. Her list looked like an army requisition. I had to draw the line.” Putting down the thread, she picked up her paintbrush. “My parents already spoil her.”
    â€œThey still live in town?”
    â€œMmm-hmm.” She’d already gotten a sense of the doll’s personality as she’d worked with it. Now, she began to paint it on. “They mumble about Florida from time to time, but I don’t know if they’ll ever go. It’s Clara. They just adore her. You might go by and see them, Jason. You know my mother was always fond of you.”
    He examined a slinky red dress no bigger than his palm. “Your father wasn’t.”
    She grinned at that. “He just didn’t quite trust you.” She sent him a quick, saucy smile. “What father would have?”
    â€œHe had good reason.” As he walked toward her, he saw the doll she held. “I’ll be damned.” Charmed, he took it, holding it