A Family for Christmas (Contemporary Romance Novella) Read Online Free Page A

time that although Polly was embarrassing him, denying he'd said it would be even worse.
    Eve turned and lifted her eyebrows. Tom simply shrugged sheepishly.
    "Can I comb your hair tomorrow?" Polly said, thankfully distracting Eve.
    "Of course you can. I'll give you and Barbie French plaits. My mum used to do my hair that way when I was your age."
    "Can we do it now?" Polly started to sit up and reach for her Barbie.
    "No! Time to go to sleep." Tom strode into the room and headed for the bedside light.
    Eve straightened and smoothed back her hair. The long silky nightdress draped over her softly curved hips and Tom tried not to notice.
    "Good night, Polly," she said heading for the door. "I'll see you in the morning." Then she was gone.
    Tom switched off the light and gave his daughter one last kiss, then headed downstairs to tidy up. He halted in the kitchen doorway at the sight of Eve's delicate heeled shoes in front of the stove drying. He pictured them on her feet at the end of long, nylon-clad legs, and realized his heart was thumping so hard he could hear the drumming in his ears.
    Whatever the weather in the morning, he would move heaven and earth to tow Eve's car out and send her on her way. Having her here was disturbing both him and Polly. They were happy together, just the way they were. He didn't want any complications.

Chapter Three

    Eve scrambled out of bed and threw the curtains open. The sun gleamed off a pristine white wonderland under a perfect blue sky. What a relief that the snow had stopped falling. She dressed in the sweatpants and top she always packed for jogging, and donned a pair of socks and her running shoes before heading down to the kitchen.
    The smell of toast and coffee greeted her as she entered the room. Polly was seated at the table, trying to feed her Barbie tiny pieces of toast while Tom fried bacon. He turned to greet her and her breath caught. Faded jeans hung low on his hips. Forearms corded with muscles were visible below the upturned cuffs of his checked shirt, and his dark hair curled against his neck, still damp from a shower.
    She pressed a hand over her heart. What was a man like Tom doing stuck out here in the middle of nowhere without a wife? It was a crime against womankind. There must have been a woman in his life once or he wouldn't have Polly, so where was she now?
    "Good morning," he said, with a grin. He pointed his spatula at the window. "Looks promising out there. The snow has drifted a bit, but it's nothing the tractor can't cope with. I should be able to tow your car to the main road."
    "Wonderful!" Oddly, Eve couldn't summon the enthusiasm she expected. Leaving Tom and Polly's homey farmhouse to stay in a hotel didn't appeal quite as much as it had last night. Although she had no right to be here. It was simply an accident of fate that Tom had rescued her yesterday. No doubt he would be pleased to have his privacy back when she left.
    After breakfast, Eve put a French plait in Barbie's hair while Polly stood at her side, watching closely. "I want to try." Polly dashed away and returned a few minutes later with two other dolls with different colored hair. "These are Barbie's sisters." Setting them on the table, she carefully practiced putting in the braids.
    "Twenty minutes and we're off, you two," Tom said, striding in from the mudroom, already wearing his coat.
    "If you want me to plait your hair, I'd better do it now." Eve checked her watch. "I need five minutes upstairs before I leave."
    "Yes. Yes." Polly bounced on her toes as Eve grabbed the glittery pink comb.
    "Stand still, or you'll get a crooked hair job."
    Polly froze, almost trembling with excitement as Eve ran the comb through her fine blonde hair and plaited it. When she finished, she turned Polly around and examined her handiwork. "Oh, very pretty. The style suits you."
    Polly held up her small pink hand mirror and looked at herself. "Show Daddy how to do it."
    Eve hadn't noticed that Tom was still