Her Favorite Holiday Gift by Lynda Sandoval

Author:Lynda Sandoval
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2008-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Fuming and humiliated by the spectacle of his family, Eric didn’t speak until they got into the car and snapped their seat belts on. He kicked the engine over, cranked up the heat, and blew out a breath on the tail of a particularly ripe swearword. “At least that works every time.” He tossed her a sidelong glance.

“What? Swearing?”

“No. The handy dandy fake urgent text message.”

Colleen uttered her shock on a laugh, then grinned at him, shaking her head. “You mean, you don’t have to get back to the city for a case?”

“No, I had to get out of there before I became a basket case.”

“Sneaky move, Counselor.”

“I never should have subjected you to them,” he muttered, teeth clenched. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be silly. I liked them.”

He scoffed.

“No, really.” She glanced at the warm glow emanating from the windows of the Nelson’s house. “At least your parents’ house is lively.”

An innocuous opening, one he wasn’t going to miss. “What’s it like at home with your mom?”

“Well, first of all, it’s my house, not hers. So it’s different.”

“True.”

“It’s…quiet. We keep to ourselves mostly.”

“Why’s that?”

“We’re just so different, Eric.” She sighed. “It’s a really long story for another time.” Colleen bit her bottom lip. “I’m worried about her. She doesn’t go out.”

“Ever?”

“Not lately. Not since the knee surgery.”

“Well, maybe she just needs time to recuperate.”

“It’s been over a year. Clean bill of health from the docs and even they’re urging her to get out and use the new knee. I think she’s depressed, maybe.”

“Why?”

Colleen pursed her lips, measuring. “Just a theory, but I think the knee replacement has made her feel old. She needs some incentive to get out and about, but I haven’t found it yet.”

Eric felt the tension emanating from the passenger side of his car. He stayed quiet. As suspected, Colleen changed the subject.

“Anyway…I can’t believe I didn’t even get to see the infamous scrapbooking room.”

“It’s impressive. I’d say there’s always next time, but I don’t want to throw you back to the wolves.”

“The only remotely wolfish fact is that Melody runs CaughtInYourBriefs.com.” Colleen shook her head. “I mean, I remember you mentioning she ran some idiotic gossip site during lunch, but I can’t believe it’s that particular one. Why didn’t you tell me?”

He tensed at the mere thought. “At that point in our renewed acquaintance? Please. You would’ve run screaming.”

“Okay, you have a point.”

“Plus, I try to block it from my conscious mind most of the time anyway, believe me. Melody’s site isn’t something I’m particularly proud of.”

“You must read it, though.”

“Sure. What attorney in Chicago doesn’t gobble the thing up? Doesn’t mean I want to admit my sister-in-law runs it. I want no connection to that site whatsoever.” He laid an arm across the headrest of her seat and twisted around to maneuver backward out of the winding driveway. “I swear, Coll, if I’d had any idea Melody would pull that camera-phone stunt—”

Colleen held up her palms. “No harm, no foul. And I deleted the photo, so there’s no harm.

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