Yuletide Hearts by Ruth Logan Herne Read Free Book Online Page B

only would she not be scrubbing clapboard that morning, but she’d be lucky if she got lunches made before the bus pulled up for Jake. And what on earth was that noise?
    Her father sent her an amused smirk as she ran down the stairs in her robe. “Tired?”
    Grr.
    Hank held up Jake’s lunch bag. “We’re good to go.”
    â€œThank you.” She gave him a half hug as she kissed his cheek on her way to the coffeepot. “I have no memory of turning the radio off or hitting the snooze bar. I must have zonked. And what is going on out there?” She jerked a thumb toward the subdivision.
    Hank shook his head. “Not there.” He pointed toward the street side of the house. “Here.”
    Here?
    Callie followed the direction of his finger, pulled back the curtain and stared.
    Matt Cavanaugh had brought over a small power washer. Using care, he splayed the jet of water against the siding in a slow and steady back-and-forth sweep, his attention locked on the task at hand.
    â€œPretty nice of him.” Hank’s words drew her gaze around.
    â€œVery.”
    â€œMust have seen you working out there.”
    Callie was pretty sure the flush started somewhere around her toes and worked its way up. “Probably just wants to make sure we can use daylight hours on the subdivision.”
    â€œMost likely.”
    â€œDad, I—”
    She stopped as Jake clamored down the stairs, his expression a mix of surprise and delight. “Matt’s washing the front of the house!”
    â€œHe is, yes.”
    â€œThen we can put up the Christmas lights this weekend!” He raced for the door and barreled across the porch, then down the steps and around the front. Callie watched from inside, pretty sure Matt couldn’t hear a word Jake was saying.
    It didn’t matter. Matt’s grin said he understood a little boy’s excitement. He nodded and sent Jake a quick thumbs-up as he guided the spray around the windows. He spotted Callie watching and for a quick beat he forgot to move the water wand.
    Oops. His look of chagrin said he’d peeled a bit of paint.
    He swept her one more quick look, barely noticeable except for the wink. And the smile, just crooked enough to be endearing.
    Callie rolled her eyes, shook a finger at him and tried not to smile. She couldn’t feed this flirtation and she had plenty on her plate dealing with Jake and Dad, but…
    She let the curtain fall into place as Jake raced back in to grab a bagel and his lunch. “It looks great out there, Mom.” He switched his look to Hank and raised both brows. “So we can decorate this weekend? Right?”
    â€œWhen we’re not working,” Hank promised.
    â€œPerfect.” Jake gave Callie a quick hug and pointed toward the clock. “Matt says you’ve got fifteen minutes before you have to be at work and that you might want to get your coffee to go.”
    â€œOh, he did, did he?”
    Jake grinned and headed outside. “He’s funny.”
    Funny. Right. She shooed Jake on. “Have a good day.”
    â€œI will.” She heard him hail Matt as he headed for the road, The General at his heels, his voice upbeat. “See you later, Matt!”
    She refused to check out Matt’s reply, to see if he heard the boy’s call.
    She never overslept. Ever.
    Her father poured a fresh cup of coffee into a thermal cup and swept her and the clock a look. “Twelve minutes and counting.”
    Laughter bubbled up from somewhere far away, a different kind of laughter. Sweet. Girlish. Kind of silly, actually.
    But nice.
    She hustled up the stairs, donned her layers and refused to think about the nice thing Matt was doing, saving her work, saving her time, precious commodities these days. And the joy in Jake’s step…
    That thought nipped the gladness. She didn’t want Jake hurt. He’d taken a shine to Matt, but Matt was only temporary. If Jake grew