Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber Read Free Book Online Page B

a shout of victory. The thick wall Cain had built around himself had cracked. Sure, he’d held the door open for her and given her a smile that looked like it pained him, sort of like he was trying to turn the top of a rusted-shut jar lid.
    This peppermint mocha, however, was solid proof. Kindness was working, and she’d only begun to scratch the surface. She could hardly wait to tell Cammie. And update her blog! Her readers were going to eat it up.
    —
    Following her shift at the department store, instead of returning to her apartment to put her feet up and write Christmas cards, Julia made an impromptu visit to Manor House, the assisted-living complex where the choir had performed the day before.
    The complex was beautifully decorated for the holidays. Because of all the extra holiday hours she’d worked at Macy’s, plus her volunteer efforts, she hadn’t put up her own Christmas tree. Her plan had been to do it that very day, if time allowed.
    The woman at the front desk looked up and smiled as Julia approached. “I’d like to see Bernie Maddox,” she said.
    “Are you a relative?”
    “No. I was here on Saturday with the church group.”
    “Oh yes, that was lovely. The residents talked about it for a long time afterward. Everyone enjoyed the music.” She glanced down at the resident sheet. “Bernie’s in room 316, but I don’t think you’ll find him there.”
    “Oh, is he out for the day?”
    “No, he isn’t listed as having left the building. Bernie tends to spend a lot of time on the fifth floor, in the game room. My guess is that’s where he’ll be.”
    “Thanks,” Julia said appreciatively. Then, fearing she might run into Cain, which in her opinion would be nothing less than disastrous, she asked, “He doesn’t happen to have company, does he?”
    The woman, whose name tag identified her as Sharon, shook her head. “Not that I know of.”
    “Okay, thanks.”
    “Bernie’s one of the kindest residents we have, a real gentleman.”
    That would be a startling contrast to Cain Maddox. They had to be related, seeing that they shared the same surname.
    Julia took the elevator to the fifth floor and wandered down the wide hallway until she found the game room. Sure enough, Bernie Maddox sat at a large table, holding on to a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. After a careful examination, he set it back down and reached for another, studying it with a frowning intensity.
    “Are you Bernie Maddox?” she asked, although she knew he was. He was the man she recognized with Cain from the day before.
    Bernie glanced up. “That’s me.” His eyes narrowed briefly. “Do I know you? You look vaguely familiar.”
    “I was here yesterday with the church group. I played the piano.”
    “Oh yes, now I remember. What can I do for you?”
    Julia pulled out a chair and sat down beside him. “I live in the same apartment building as Cain Maddox. Are the two of you related?”
    “Cain’s my grandson. Is he in any kind of trouble?”
    Interesting that Bernie would ask that particular question. She was half tempted to explain that Cain was trouble, but that wouldn’t have been fair. “No, no, at least not that I know of. Does he get in trouble often?”
    “If he does, he doesn’t tell me about it. You know Cain?”
    Unsure how best to answer, she said, “Sort of. His apartment is across the hall from mine, so we see each other fairly often. Let me put it like this: Cain isn’t exactly the neighborly sort.”
    “Sounds like my grandson. That boy has a bad attitude, especially when it comes to women. Been that way for a good five years.” He paused and studied Julia, his eyes twinkling. “You got the hots for Cain?”
    Julia’s head snapped back in shock. “Ah…not really.” The question flustered and caught her off guard. She could feel color invading her cheeks. “Cain’s an…interesting person.” She was unsure how best to describe him, which left her stumbling over her words.
    “Giving you the cold