A Merry Little Christmas Read Online Free Page B

Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering is working as a janitor?” Jeremiah found it hard to imagine. “And supporting a family of five?”
    “The Murayas will do whatever it takes to succeed,” she said. “It would be helpful, Mr. Maddox, if you could keep the rent low.”
    “But I haven’t agreed to this. I need to think it over.” The baby in his arms began to wriggle. He looked down in time to see the bright brown eyes fill with tears as the little mouth scrunched into an unhappy frown. Jeremiah knew from experience that an ear-piercing scream was about to be loosed. He held Tobias toward Lara.
    “Here, you take him. He’s not happy.”
    “Jiggle him,” she shot back. “I need to make sure the cottage is suitable.”
    She stepped through the guesthouse door just as Tobias Muraya began to howl. Great, Jeremiah thought. A board meeting. Two teenagers. A wet, crying baby. An unexpected family. And a puppy.
    This was not going to happen.
     
    While checking the miniblinds for safety features, Lara peeked through the window at Jeremiah Maddox. He was holding Tobias at an awkward angle while the baby waved his tiny arms and bawled, volume increasing by the second.
    She watched with amusement. Such a smart, sophisticated, handsome man. And so superior in his views. I can’t have a dog on the property. My landscaping was just redone this summer. Well, la-di-dah. Welcome to the real world, Mr. Jeremiah Maddox.
    Tabitha Muraya had scampered out the front door the moment she heard her baby’s cries. Now she was lifting Tobias into her arms, balancing him over her shoulder, patting his back, rearranging the blue blanket. She spoke briefly to Jeremiah before hurrying back into the cottage. He stood in silence, then hung his head and rubbed the back of his neck.
    Lara had to give the man credit for raising two fine young men. Daniel and Benjamin clearly had a heart for helping others, and they were getting a huge kick out of playing tag with Wisdom and Justice. This cottage would be perfect for the Murayas. It was clean, dry and roomy enough for the family to manage beautifully. Peter could continue his studies in a much better atmosphere, and his older sons wouldn’t even have to change schools.
    Outside, Jeremiah let out a deep breath and looked up into the sky. She wondered if he was praying and hoped so. It would be a shame if a man who had so much going for him kept it all to himself. Lara had learned the hard way that following Christ meant taking on a servant attitude, and she wondered why that was so hard for some people to understand.
    God had given Jeremiah a great opportunity to help the Muraya family, she thought as she watched him start toward the cottage. As he stepped through the door, she let the blind fall back into place and gave the couch a pat. Solid. Top-quality furniture, a fully equipped kitchen, two large bedrooms and a bath with a jetted tub. This was considerably better than her own cramped little bungalow.
    Jeremiah crossed the room, took Lara’s arm and began to lead her away from the hubbub of the running kids and the fussy baby. As he moved, he lowered his head so it was near her ear and spoke in a muted voice. “Listen, I can’t do this. It’s a worthy cause, and I’ll contribute financially to your program. But I just can’t have a family of five living in my backyard.”
    Lara halted and looked into his face. Seeking privacy, Jeremiah had propelled her into an alcove with a bay window that faced the yard and the pool. He stood less than a foot away from her, his presence dominating the small space. It was appropriate and quiet for them to speak there, and yet for some reason, Lara felt totally thrown off balance. Suddenly she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so close to a man. For what felt like ten years, it was all she could think about. This man in his starched white shirt. His dark hair and blue eyes. A trace of cologne mixed with perspiration from playing basketball