A Family for Christmas (Contemporary Romance Novella) Read Online Free
Author: Helen Scott Taylor
Tags: Romance
have someone to talk to, someone she could be honest with about how she really felt. Then the moment passed and she pasted on a smile. "Yes, of course. That casserole smells good."
Tom's house was nothing like her parents' home, but the atmosphere was the same, warm and loving. It reminded her of all she had lost since they died. Tears pricked Eve's eyes and she blinked them away. Now was not the time to fall apart. Not here in front of strangers. She must push the feelings down and regain her composure. Once they had finished dinner, she would lose herself in some work so she didn't have to think. That always worked.
***
"I want Eve to read me a story." Polly pouted as Tom sat on the bed beside her with a book of fairy tales on his lap.
"No, pumpkin, Eve's in her room working. I don't want to disturb her." And it worried Tom how friendly his daughter seemed to be with Eve already. He'd made a decision not to date as he couldn't bear the thought of Polly getting attached to a woman who might then walk out of their life like his ex-wife had. This emotional bond Polly had formed with Eve in a matter of hours confirmed he was right. His daughter was only going to be hurt when she left.
"You know Eve's only staying with us because her car got stuck in the snow, don't you? She's not going to be here long."
"I know, Daddy," she said with a little huff of frustration. "That's why I want her to read to me now ."
He had to admit, there was a twisted sort of logic to her argument. But he wasn't about to give in. He couldn't stop Polly getting to know Eve, but he wasn't going to encourage it.
"Either I read to you or you don't have a story tonight." Tom raised his eyebrows. "Which is it to be?"
Polly flopped back against her pillow with a long-suffering sigh. "Okay, Daddy. Can I have Rapunzel?"
Tom flipped over the pages to her favorite story and started reading. Polly's eyelids fluttered and she hugged her pink teddy bear. When he finished, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Night-night, sweetheart. Sleep tight."
"Are we going to put up the Christmas tree tomorrow, Daddy? You promised."
"I've got to pull Eve's car out of the snow first."
Polly's eyes flew open. He immediately realized his mistake in reminding her of their visitor.
"I want Eve to say good night to me."
Tom braced himself to refuse.
"Please, Daddy. Pretty please."
Oh, heck. How could he refuse without sounding like a spoilsport? "Okay, pumpkin. I'll ask her."
Tom went down the hall and knocked on Eve's door.
"Come in," she shouted.
He entered to find her cross-legged on her bed with a laptop across her knees. She was wearing a silky pink-striped thing like a long T-shirt with her hair loose, a fall of gleaming ebony waves down her back. He stared, his mind going blank.
She gave him a questioning look. "Did you want something, Tom?"
"Yes." To touch her hair. No! Lord, get it together, man. "Polly wants you to say good night to her."
"Oh, of course. I'd love to." She smiled, a genuine smile of pleasure with no artifice or hidden agenda behind the expression. She seemed to be a truly nice person. Perhaps Karen had made him too cynical about women. Maybe there were some good ones out there after all.
Eve stood and quickly zipped a sweatshirt on over her nightgown to make herself decent. His daughter smiled as Eve entered her bedroom.
"You look snug as a bug in a rug." Eve leaned over Polly and kissed her forehead. The silky nightdress draped tantalizingly across her bottom as she bent forward. Tom halted in the doorway, staring. A pulse of awareness shot through him. Perhaps there was a flaw in his decision to cut women out of his life. He'd been so focused on doing what was best for Polly, he hadn't properly thought through this "no women" plan.
"Daddy said you have pretty hair," Polly said, stroking her fingers through Eve's draping locks.
The little monkey was putting words in his mouth. Tom bit back a denial, realizing in the nick of
Tom's house was nothing like her parents' home, but the atmosphere was the same, warm and loving. It reminded her of all she had lost since they died. Tears pricked Eve's eyes and she blinked them away. Now was not the time to fall apart. Not here in front of strangers. She must push the feelings down and regain her composure. Once they had finished dinner, she would lose herself in some work so she didn't have to think. That always worked.
***
"I want Eve to read me a story." Polly pouted as Tom sat on the bed beside her with a book of fairy tales on his lap.
"No, pumpkin, Eve's in her room working. I don't want to disturb her." And it worried Tom how friendly his daughter seemed to be with Eve already. He'd made a decision not to date as he couldn't bear the thought of Polly getting attached to a woman who might then walk out of their life like his ex-wife had. This emotional bond Polly had formed with Eve in a matter of hours confirmed he was right. His daughter was only going to be hurt when she left.
"You know Eve's only staying with us because her car got stuck in the snow, don't you? She's not going to be here long."
"I know, Daddy," she said with a little huff of frustration. "That's why I want her to read to me now ."
He had to admit, there was a twisted sort of logic to her argument. But he wasn't about to give in. He couldn't stop Polly getting to know Eve, but he wasn't going to encourage it.
"Either I read to you or you don't have a story tonight." Tom raised his eyebrows. "Which is it to be?"
Polly flopped back against her pillow with a long-suffering sigh. "Okay, Daddy. Can I have Rapunzel?"
Tom flipped over the pages to her favorite story and started reading. Polly's eyelids fluttered and she hugged her pink teddy bear. When he finished, he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Night-night, sweetheart. Sleep tight."
"Are we going to put up the Christmas tree tomorrow, Daddy? You promised."
"I've got to pull Eve's car out of the snow first."
Polly's eyes flew open. He immediately realized his mistake in reminding her of their visitor.
"I want Eve to say good night to me."
Tom braced himself to refuse.
"Please, Daddy. Pretty please."
Oh, heck. How could he refuse without sounding like a spoilsport? "Okay, pumpkin. I'll ask her."
Tom went down the hall and knocked on Eve's door.
"Come in," she shouted.
He entered to find her cross-legged on her bed with a laptop across her knees. She was wearing a silky pink-striped thing like a long T-shirt with her hair loose, a fall of gleaming ebony waves down her back. He stared, his mind going blank.
She gave him a questioning look. "Did you want something, Tom?"
"Yes." To touch her hair. No! Lord, get it together, man. "Polly wants you to say good night to her."
"Oh, of course. I'd love to." She smiled, a genuine smile of pleasure with no artifice or hidden agenda behind the expression. She seemed to be a truly nice person. Perhaps Karen had made him too cynical about women. Maybe there were some good ones out there after all.
Eve stood and quickly zipped a sweatshirt on over her nightgown to make herself decent. His daughter smiled as Eve entered her bedroom.
"You look snug as a bug in a rug." Eve leaned over Polly and kissed her forehead. The silky nightdress draped tantalizingly across her bottom as she bent forward. Tom halted in the doorway, staring. A pulse of awareness shot through him. Perhaps there was a flaw in his decision to cut women out of his life. He'd been so focused on doing what was best for Polly, he hadn't properly thought through this "no women" plan.
"Daddy said you have pretty hair," Polly said, stroking her fingers through Eve's draping locks.
The little monkey was putting words in his mouth. Tom bit back a denial, realizing in the nick of
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