The Christmas Proposition. Cindy Kirk

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СКАЧАТЬ thought for a moment. “I know her parents died in a car accident when she was five. After that she was sent to live with an aunt and uncle and four cousins. Several years later they divorced and relinquished Mickie, saying neither of them could afford to keep her.”

      Rachel’s voice quivered. It had been hard losing her own parents when she’d been in college. But at least they’d been there while she was growing up and she had all those wonderful memories. Mickie had confided she barely remembered hers. And then to be turned out by the only family she had left …

      Derek’s eyes remained firmly fixed on her face. “What happened then?”

      “Up until recently she’s been living with a retired couple. Unfortunately their daughter has a chronic health condition that has worsened. They left for Arizona to be with her. According to the social worker they aren’t planning to come back.”

      Rachel placed her glass of soda on the table and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. She’d had men stare at her before, but when Derek gave her his full attention, it was overwhelming.

      “What’s going to happen to her once she leaves your place?” Derek asked, sounding truly concerned.

      “The social worker told me they hope to have another home for her after the first of the year. If that doesn’t pan out, she’ll live in a group setting until one opens up.”

      Most people got a glazed look in their eyes when she talked about her foster kids. Not Derek. “I still don’t understand how you can watch her and work full-time.”

      “I’m not working while she’s with me,” Rachel explained. “I had enough hours built up to take off the rest of the year.”

      His head cocked to one side. “You’re taking vacation time to watch her?”

      He made it sound as if she was making a big sacrifice when nothing could be farther from the truth.

      “I don’t have family here. My friends are understandably busy during the holidays with their husbands and children.” Rachel lifted a shoulder in what she hoped was a casual shrug. “I find this time of year goes better for me if I keep busy. I love children, so having Mickie with me is the best way I can think of to spend my vacation. Trust me, it’s a win-win situation for both of us.”

      Her eyes were clear and blue, her tone sincere. Even more revealing, she acted as if what she’d done was no big deal. Derek found himself not only impressed, but intrigued. Here was a woman he’d like to know better.

      But he’d sworn off dating for the next six months. And no matter how lovely the woman, or how tempted he was to ask her out, there was no way he was breaking that pledge.

       Chapter Three

      Derek pulled the Escalade to the curb in front of a white clapboard house with green awnings. He turned off the engine. Although the sun had already gone down, and the moon wasn’t particularly bright, the streetlight gave him a good view of the place. The home sat on a corner lot with big trees and a wide expanse of grass now covered with a thick blanket of snow. Lace curtains hung in front of the window and he could see people walking around inside, talking and laughing.

      He turned off the engine but made no move to get out of the vehicle. Derek wasn’t sure why he was here other than he was tired of his own company. After Rachel had dropped him off last Saturday night, he’d been mostly hanging out with, well, himself.

      For several days he’d laid low, resting and keeping ice on the bump that had stuck out like a goose egg from his left temple. When she’d said goodbye, Rachel had handed him her phone number and told him to call if he had any questions. He’d reciprocated and given her his number. But she hadn’t called. Neither had he.

      Although he’d kept his phone close all weekend, Derek told himself he was relieved she hadn’t contacted him. Not because he didn’t like her, but because he did. Any other time he’d have asked her out on the spot. But this wasn’t any other time. He’d just gotten out of a relationship that had taken him to the mat emotionally.

      On his way to Jackson Hole he’d decided to take the next six months off from dating. He’d use the time to regroup, assess where he’d gone wrong and come up with a game plan for the future. That needed to be done before he jumped back into the dating pool.

      Derek shoved the truck door open and stepped outside. That was why tonight was so perfect. Travis Fisher, a local he’d met while skiing at Jackson Hole today, had invited him to watch some college football bowl action with a group of his buddies. Travis had warned Derek that most of the guys were family men, so there’d be wives and kids present.

      That didn’t bother Derek. He was ready to get out of the house, but wasn’t interested in hooking up. Football on the big screen, a couple of beers with the guys was all he was looking for this evening.

      “Hey, Rach, could you get the appetizers out of the oven for me?” Mary Karen Vaughn appeared slightly frazzled as she grabbed a bag of chips from the cupboard.

      “Absolutely,” Rachel said in a cheerful tone, eager to be of help, happy she’d accepted Mary Karen’s invitation. She’d been so busy lately that she hadn’t seen much of her friends.

      There had been a few awkward moments initially. Like when Lexi Delacorte had asked if Derek Rossi was really as hot in person as he was on the television screen. The gleam in those amber eyes told Rachel her friend hoped the brief encounter with the sexy former baseball player had made her forget Tom. What Lexi didn’t understand was that Rachel would never, could never, forget her husband.

      The shy geologist she’d married just out of college may have been burly and taciturn on the outside, but he’d been sweet and sensitive inside. Her gentle giant. He’d been a fabulous husband. She had no doubt he’d have made a wonderful father …

      A familiar pain stabbed her heart. No, it would be nearly impossible to find a man as good as Tom, which was why she hadn’t even tried.

      At least this holiday season she wouldn’t need to worry about well-meaning friends trying to set her up. Normally, several times over Christmas there was someone’s friend, cousin, uncle, coworker who was just dying to meet her.

      This year all she had to concern herself with was making this the best Christmas ever for Mickie. Rachel’s lips curved upward as she shut off the oven alarm, put on the bulky mitt and pulled out a baking sheet filled with the tiny almond-bacon cheese crostini she’d whipped up that morning. Reveling in the warmth against her face, Rachel inhaled the delicious aromas now flooding the kitchen.

      “I should have made sure there wasn’t a single college bowl game on television before I set the date for this party,” Mary Karen grumbled and slanted a glance at the men congregated in her living room.

      “I like football.” July Wahl added Fritos to an empty bowl and handed it to Mary Karen’s five-year-old son, Connor. “But I don’t really care who wins the Rotten Apple Bowl or whatever it is that’s on TV tonight.”

      Rachel laughed. Mary Karen had thought her party was safe with a second-tier bowl on the tube. She’d quickly discovered otherwise.

      “It could be called the Prune Bowl and my husband’s eyes would still be glued to the screen.” With dark hair that stopped just short of being black and amber eyes the color of topaz, СКАЧАТЬ