If I Had You (Christmas In Harper Falls) Read Online Free Page B

warning look. “Hands off.”
    “Your mother, your sisters? Your nieces seem a trifle
    young. Your soon to be wife?”
    “All of the above.”
    Grinning, Jack tucked his niece under one arm, extending his
    other. Sam took the hand, giving it a firm shake.
    “Thanks for having me, Jack. You look like you have a
    full house. Are sure I’m not going to be in the way?”
    “Go back to your mama, Charlotte.” Jack set her
    down, giving her a gentle pat on the bottom. He waited until she was safely
    back in the house before turning back to Sam.
    “I built this place to accommodate my ever-growing
    family. If one sister isn’t giving birth, another is about to.”
    “All girls?”
    “My dad and I are the only men on the Winston side of
    the family. Luckily, my sisters all married good men. Who have proceeded to
    repopulate with girls.”
    “You don’t sound too upset by that.”
    “Are you kidding?” The big man with sparkling blue
    eyes gave Sam a friendly pat on the back. “I wouldn’t have it any other
    way. Now, let me grab your bags and get inside where it’s loud but warm.”
    “About that,” Sam said as Jack reached for the
    back passenger-side door. “I brought an unexpected guest.”
    “So I see.”
    Cooper greeted both men with a sharp bark. That was a first,
    Sam thought. Up until now, the dog was virtually silent.
    “I know that sound.” Jack stood back, his hand
    making a sweeping gesture towards the snow-covered lawn. “Go on, boy. My
    yard is your yard.”
    Cooper leaped from the SUV, running around, rolling in the
    snow, scoping out the area. Finally, finding just the right tree, he lifted his
    leg.
    “If I’d known he needed to relieve himself, I would
    have pulled over before we got here.”
    “Most dogs will hold it until you reach your
    destination. I take it you haven’t had him long.”
    “It’s a long story.”
    “On cold, snowy days, that’s my favorite kind. Looks
    like your friend is done. Let’s go inside. He can meet Edgar; I’ll introduce
    you all around. Then we’ll settle down with a hot drink for story time.”
    Sam took the box that was stamped with a pink Peony logo. He waited for Cooper to shake off his newly acquired coat of snow before
    following Jack inside. What greeted them could only be termed barely controlled
    chaos. Children ran, played. Parents kept a watchful eye, for the most part,
    happy to let them.
    “What do you think?”
    It was so much like the holidays when he was growing up. Sam
    felt a twinge. If he couldn’t be with his own family, this was a nice substitute.
    Sam turned to Jack and grinned.
    “It feels like home.”
     
    LILA PUT AWAY her notes, the regret becoming harder to ignore.
    She wrote something every day. Sometimes pages, sometimes one line. From a
    young age, she recorded her thoughts, wrote stories. The only time she stopped
    was after her parents died. Her mother’s encouragement was gone. The loving
    belief that Lila’s dream of being a writer, wiped out in an instant. The muse
    that used to sit on her shoulder, whispering, was gone.
    For a long time, Lila was sure it would never return. As
    time eased the pain of loss, the spark flickered to life again. Slowly, a bit
    here and there. Writing became a joy again. The dream of doing it full time was
    harder to regain. She was a businesswoman. Running Peony took all her
    time and effort. The yellow legal pads stacked in her desk drawer were filled
    with stories no one would ever see. Now when she wrote, it was no longer with
    ambition. She wrote because she had to, for herself.
    Pushing back from her desk, Lila shut the drawer on her
    wayward thoughts. She had a party to get ready for. She planned to kiss a very
    sexy man. Hopefully, more than once. Looking her best was essential.
    As a rule, Lila didn’t linger in the shower. Tonight, she
    took her time. She washed and conditioned her long, dark hair. The body wash
    filled the room with the scent of vanilla. When she finally