Orphan Under the Christmas Tree by Meredith Webber

Author:Meredith Webber [Webber, Meredith]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781460377550
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVEN

I REALLY have to stop crying all over Tom!

Lauren shook her head as the random thought echoed in her brain. Of all the things to be thinking!

It was obviously a symptom of her shattered state and her state was shattered, her insides like mush for all she was pretending everything was okay.

Perhaps thinking about crying against Tom’s chest was her brain’s way of avoiding what she should be thinking about—although thinking about the past and in particular her past with Nat was hardly going to achieve anything right now.

She shivered in the summer sunshine as she hurried down the road, glad she had a job ahead of her—shopping with Bobby—knowing later she’d have to sit down and have a proper think—about the past, about professionalism and Alyssa Williams, and probably about what poor Tom must be thinking of his houseguest right now.

He was right, of course, about her rushing into words when she was anxious or confused, but to have rushed all those words out to him—to Tom of all people.

Her mind balked and she knew it was because of the way she’d been feeling about Tom lately—about the stupid coils of heat—and now he knew about her past, about Nat Williams, well, the heat-coiling stuff should stop right now because Tom was probably…

Probably what?

As if she had a clue how anyone would react to revelations of past abuse, let alone how Tom might react! If anything, given his experience with the refuge, he’d probably be more understanding than most, but when she’d tried, that one time, to explain to a then boyfriend why the idea of sex terrified her—

She blanked that memory out and turned her mind to Bobby. His welfare was far more important than her attraction to her host.

She’d concentrate on Bobby.

‘You’ve been a long time.’ Bobby’s accusatory glare was rather spoiled by the fact that the words were spoken around a double ice-cream cone. ‘We’ve been waiting for ages!’

‘At least three minutes,’ Jo added, though Lauren sensed relief in the words.

‘Trouble?’ she queried quietly, while Bobby chased a pigeon off a park bench.

‘Not really,’ Jo assured her, ‘but he’s certainly a full-attention job.’

She paused, peering closely at her friend.

‘Bad news? Had Tom heard from Children’s Services?’

Lauren shook her head.

‘I’m the bad news,’ she muttered, shaking her head as she remembered her total meltdown. ‘But I’m okay now or I will be soon and one day I promise I’ll explain, just not today.’

Jo knew her well enough not to push, contenting herself with a kiss on Lauren’s cheek and a quick shoulder squeeze before chasing Bobby around the park bench, threatening to kiss him.

‘No sloppy kisses!’ he said, standing at bay, then, to Lauren’s delight, he added in a very embarrassed mutter, ‘Except for Lauren.’

The past didn’t exactly vanish but the day grew brighter and she bent to hug the little boy, thanking Jo for minding him and promising to get together soon.

‘Now we can buy the cowboy hat?’ Bobby asked, and she had to laugh at his persistence.

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