The Christmas Children. Irene Brand

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СКАЧАТЬ but when Paul’s mouth spread into a toothy smile that lightened the darkness of his face, Carissa felt lighthearted, and laughter bubbled from her lips.

      Having a man in the house was a strange experience for Carissa. She’d never known who her father was, and her grandmother had been widowed before Carissa was born. She’d lived alone for more than twenty years, and it seemed odd to have a man sleeping in her house. She had grown accustomed to solitude, but already she knew she’d miss Paul a little when he moved into his apartment.

      Carissa had come to Yuletide to discover the faith she’d known as a child, and she was determined to achieve that goal. It had taken a long time, but Carissa finally believed that she could do whatever she set out to do.

      Yet she’d never reacted to anyone as she was reacting to Paul Spencer. Her attraction to him confused her.

      She found his nearness disturbing and at the same time exciting.

      Chapter Three

      Carissa retrieved the Christmas pageant key from her luggage and carried it downstairs. She placed it on the coffee table. Confronted by Paul’s presence, she needed a constant reminder of why she was in Yuletide.

      Paul was still sleeping at one o’clock, so Carissa tapped on the bedroom door. He didn’t respond, so she knocked more loudly.

      “Uh-uh,” he said sleepily. “What is it?”

      “You have to see the doctor at three o’clock. It’s time to get up.”

      Silence greeted her. Had he gone back to sleep? She knocked once more.

      “I’m sorry,” Paul said. “It’s taken me a few minutes to realize where I am. You’re the lady who’s taken over sis’s home, huh?”

      “Yes, the one who attacked you with a poker last night.”

      “Do you have the poker now?”

      She imagined his white teeth showing in a slight smile. With laughter in her voice, she said, “Not yet, but I may have to get it if you don’t hurry.”

      He yawned noisily, and she heard his feet land on the floor.

      “Be out in a minute.”

      Carissa was standing at the back door appreciating the landscape, when the bedroom door opened behind her.

      She turned, stifled a gasp and experienced a giddy sensation as if her heart had flipped over. Paul had the broad-shouldered body of an athlete, but his waist and hips were narrow. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, he leaned against the door, looking as vulnerable as a child. His eyes were still heavy with sleep and his hair was tousled. He yawned again.

      Had she been wrong when she’d made up her mind that she could live a happy, fulfilled life without a husband? Was she old enough now that the pitfalls she’d avoided in her youth would no longer tempt her? Was it possible to disprove the opinions of her childhood neighbors, who’d often said “Like mother, like daughter”?

      Deep in her own thoughts and conflicting emotions, Carissa started when Paul said, “It won’t take me long to get ready. I’ll bring in some fresh clothes from the car.”

      She winced when she noticed that the bruise had spread until both eyes and part of his cheek were black.

      Intercepting her glance, he said, “I could pass for a raccoon this morning, don’t you think?”

      Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she covered her face with her hands. “Don’t remind me. Does your head hurt?”

      He lifted his hand to his forehead. “No, but it’s sure sore to the touch. I don’t dare turn my head quickly.”

      Dropping her hands, Carissa said, “I’ll get your luggage.”

      He started to shake his head, thought better of it and said, “Thanks, but I need a jolt of Adirondack air to help me wake up.”

      “I made some lunch so we can eat before we go. There isn’t much food in the refrigerator, but I’ll stop at a grocery store after we’ve been to the clinic.”

      “I’ll need to buy a few groceries, too, though, I’ll probably eat out most of the time. When I’m home for such a short time, I don’t want to store up any food.”

      Carissa was tempted to suggest that they could share their meals, but she hesitated. At her age, this was no time to become involved with a man. After all, she didn’t know anything about Paul Spencer. She wouldn’t become chummy with this stranger.

      Why, then, did her heart insist that Paul wasn’t a stranger?

      Carissa sat in the waiting room, and when Paul came from the doctor’s office with a smile on his face, she felt a great wave of relief.

      “There’s no damage except a sore head for a few days. I can live with that,” he said.

      “I don’t know that I can,” Carissa said. “I’ll probably have nightmares for years about you collapsing at my feet. I thought I’d killed you.”

      “I’m glad you didn’t,” he said. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

      Carissa flinched and moved away, and his hand dropped limply to his side. Paul stared at her, slightly embarrassed, a confused expression on his face. He must be wondering why she would be offended at such an innocent gesture.

      Carissa knew that Paul only meant to be friendly, but she wasn’t used to casual touching. She’d denied any natural tendencies toward overtures of friendship for so long that she had a complex about being touched. Several years into her career, she’d finally conquered her phobia enough to shake hands with her customers, but she apparently hadn’t overcome all of her hang-ups.

      Being friendly and outgoing had contributed to her mother’s undoing. She could do nothing about looking like her mother, but long ago Carissa had determined that she wouldn’t emulate her mother’s personality and lifestyle. Her mother’s vivacious personality had gotten her involved with the wrong people and sent her down the path to prostitution and, ultimately, premature death.

      Embarrassed that she’d allowed a phobia from the past to make her reject Paul’s overture of friendship, Carissa lifted a flushed face to him. Her blue eyes mirrored her anxiety. Her voice was strained when she said, “I’m glad, too, that I didn’t injure you,” and she added in her thoughts, for several reasons.

      Paul wondered at the anxiety revealed in Carissa’s eyes. She was a successful businesswoman…but had he detected a flaw underneath the facade that she presented to the world? At this moment, she seemed like a bewildered little girl unable to understand what had happened to her. For several years, Paul had made it a point to tend to his own business and keep aloof from the problems of others. Now, for some inexplicable reason, he longed to remove that confused, lonely expression from her face. Before the next few weeks passed, he would no doubt learn if it was in his power to do so.

      As Paul moved his belongings into the apartment, he kept thinking of Carissa. When Jennifer had jilted him, he’d made up his mind he was through with women. He’d deliberately chosen a job that would keep him out of the United States. He hadn’t been tempted to seek СКАЧАТЬ