Her Christmas Hero (Home To Dover 6) Read Online Free

then decided against it. Linc didn’t need to get involved with the new tenants. Still, he found himself looking for her—Gemma. Unusual name but appropriate. With her red-gold hair and clear green eyes, she made him think of sparkling gemstones, like vibrant emeralds and fiery topaz. She was all soft and feminine, which made it all the more intriguing that she’d challenged him. She seemed too delicate to have such a strong backbone.
    As he watched, the front door of the cottage opened and the object of his thoughts stepped onto the porch, settling into one of the rockers. With one leg folded under her, she pushed the rocker with her toe. She looked relaxed, dreamy, and he wondered what she was thinking. Part of him wanted to go talk to her. But a bigger part warned him to steer clear. The last thing he needed right now was any romantic distractions. Especially with a friend of his mother’s. He pivoted and headed for the family room.
    Monday Night Football
was about to start.
    * * *
    The October twilight was pleasantly warm. A gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the ground in front of the cottage as Gemma kept the wooden rocker in motion. The light was fading, but she wasn’t in any hurry to go inside as long as there was a single ray of light left to enjoy. Resting her head against the back of the chair, she closed her eyes, letting her senses appreciate the scents of autumn. She loved the mixture of earth, dry leaves and fading vegetation.
    A sliver of guilt poked into her reverie. She’d come outside to read through the folder that Pete McCorkle, president of the Dover Chamber of Commerce, had given her on the town’s previous celebrations—not to daydream.
    A busy squirrel screeched from a nearby tree, making the hair on the back of her neck tingle. No. It wasn’t the critter that had her senses on alert. She opened her eyes. Someone was watching her. She glanced toward the main house, expecting to find Linc looking at her again. But the porch was empty. She looked at the large window on the side of the house. Was he watching from that room? She fought the urge to retreat inside.
    The sensation faded, and she relaxed. She must be imagining things. Linc’s scrutiny earlier had left her edgy. But she refused to worry about his bad attitude or his effect on her nervous system. In her line of work she’d learned how to deal with all types of people, from the overly friendly to the overly hostile. But Linc triggered emotions that were unfamiliar and disturbing. Until she could put a name to them, she was keeping her guard up and plenty of distance between herself and the eldest Montgomery brother. Linc was exactly the type she wanted to avoid. Overly confident, arrogant and with a need to take charge.
    Opening the folder in her lap, she leafed through the reports Pete had given her. There wasn’t much to look at. They consisted of a small parade, random lights around town, a nativity, a Christmas tree in the square park and a lighted star on the courthouse dome.
    They’d given Gemma to the end of the week to come up with ideas to transform their ho-hum celebration into something spectacular that would be a draw for holiday tourists, and in turn boost their sagging economy. Most of her responsibility would fall on the first two weekends of the celebration. She wouldn’t be involved with the other two events, the community meal for the needy and the toy drive, but she already had ideas for a few additions that would hopefully enhance them.
    Her creative juices were already flowing. She’d come up with a dozen ideas, and with the budget she’d been given she shouldn’t have any trouble seeing them through. She and Evan had made a tour of downtown yesterday and explored some of the neighborhoods. If she could get enough of the business owners on the square motivated, she could make Christmas in Dover an event people flocked to each year. She could see it growing steadily and someday being named in the top ten