Home in Time for Christmas by Heather Graham Read Free Book Online

them.
    â€œAren’t you going to say remarkable, marvelous, fantastic —or something of the like?” she asked.
    â€œThey’ll do. Come on.” He stretched out a hand to her.
    â€œYou go. I’ll sit for a minute. Please.”
    He watched her for a moment, then went out on the ice. At first, he moved slowly, testing the skates and then the ice. He picked up speed.
    She watched him, feeling blank.
    Keith picked up strange creatures. She picked up crazy ones.
    A moment’s panic set in. What if he was really hurt? If his head had been badly bruised? Was she doing the wrong thing, keeping him away from the hospital?
    She thanked God that Mark wasn’t due until Friday.
    He’d have given Jake the third degree by now, and the police might have even been called in. Mark wouldn’t have gone against her parents’ wishes; he’d have done it on the sly, certain that he knew what was best for everyone else.
    So, great. What was she going to do? This wasn’t like Keith, bringing in strays when he was younger. Can we keep him, Mom, can we keep him?
    She was going to have to figure something out.
    A spray of ice brought her back to the moment. Jake was stretching a hand out to her again. “Will you join me?”
    â€œI’ll make you fall.”
    â€œNo, you won’t.”
    She was unsteady as she teetered out to him. “Look, I’m usually all right if I’m just going forward,” she said.
    â€œYou will be fine, no matter what we do,” he assured her.
    And they were. If she hesitated, he was sure. He was so comfortable on the ice that his balance and support leant her a steady hand. He didn’t try to do anything outrageous; he just kept moving, picking up a decent speed, one hand supportive on her back, as they glided along.
    Gliding. She was gliding!
    The icy coolness of the air rushed at her face, and felt delicious. The world danced by them. She could hear the sound of their skates upon the ice, and it was exhilarating.
    â€œBackward?” he suggested.
    â€œNo!” she protested in panic.
    â€œYou were born here, and you grew up here?” he asked curiously.
    â€œYes, I actually did.”
    â€œIt’s all right, you don’t even have to move your feet,” he said. “But—”
    â€œTrust me.”
    â€œI do trust you—on the ice,” she said.
    And he did prove to be trustworthy.
    She didn’t have to move her feet.
    He twisted and turned, they skated backward, forward and backward again.
    â€œWant to try a spin?”
    â€œNo!”
    He laughed. “All right. We’re good for the day, I imagine.”
    He slid effortlessly to a halt. She was looking into the green-and-gold sparkle of his eyes and didn’t realize at first that they had come back to the bench. He was still supporting her.
    â€œOh, yeah, well, yeah, you know, next time, maybe,” she said. She tried to draw away, certain she could at least make the steps to the bench on her own.
    Her legs started to split. She was about to go facedown—or butt-side down, if she overcompensated—on the ice.
    But he caught her. Without making any kind of big deal out of it. She smiled. “I told you—no coordination on skates!”
    â€œIt will come. It’s all in learning to trust your instincts.”
    She cleared her throat, made her way to the benchand took off her skates. As she did so, she saw the bar across the pond. “Time for a drink.”
    â€œReally?”
    â€œOh, yeah.”
    â€œYou drink?”
    â€œRight now? You bet. Anything wrong with that?”
    â€œNo. Pop culture, I assume.”
    She stood, shaking her head. “And look, keep your story straight. I know a lot of people around here.”
    â€œAs you wish.”
    â€œDon’t keep telling me that.”
    â€œAs you—all right.”
    â€œWhen we’re out, and you don’t know, just let me