The Christmas Kiss by Virginia McCullough

Author:Virginia McCullough
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-09-10T19:33:50+00:00

* * *

SOMEHOW, AFTER INSULTING a woman he liked more than he cared to admit, they ended up sharing takeout sandwiches at her house. He started a small fire in the fireplace and after lunch they sat on the stone hearth to talk.

“I’ll keep the quilt here at my house and bring it over when I know Nicole’s home,” Emma said. “I don’t want to make it a Christmas gift. That could be embarrassing. I’d rather it be a ‘just because’ gift.”

Parker nodded, unsure what to say. “I don’t want to brag or anything, but she’s doing well at school. She’s made some friends, and likes her job.”

“So, can we agree that sometimes a gift is just a gift?” she asked. “No hidden agendas.”

His turn now. It would be easy to agree and write the whole incident off. Or not.

Emma frowned in the silence and gave him a look that sent a clear “what’s with you” message.

“It’s not that simple,” Parker said.

Emma groaned. “I might have known you’d say that.”

“But it’s true,” he said softly. “It’s a beautiful gift. I’m touched that you noticed the blue matched her eyes. Nic will love it. I know she will.”

“I agree.” Cocking her head, she asked, “So what is it?”

“I heard the saleswoman tell you about the quilter. It’s a mighty big gift for a teenager you barely know.”

Emma squirmed a little on the hearth. “I was being spontaneous for a change. I’m not exactly known for my spur-of-the-moment decisions. That’s why it felt good. I didn’t think about the cost of it, frankly. It’s beautiful. And think of it as a housewarming gift.”

Parker was used to counting every dollar and making some tough choices. He and Jackie, a teacher, hadn’t chosen fields that commanded big salaries. The offer in Colorado had come with a salary larger than anything he’d ever heard of for naturalists working in not-for-profits. For all that was worth. “It’s hard for me to think of it any other way but as extravagant,” he said.

“It is extravagant. But that doesn’t make it wrong. Besides, your reaction didn’t fit.”

“So, we get to the chip on my shoulder.”

“Uh-huh. I sensed it when your guard was down when you first met me. You didn’t expect me to be your age, for one thing.” She tapped her chest. “You were imagining the donor as a much older person. And maybe not someone as down to earth. You more or less came right out and said you knew how to handle donors. They’re annoyances you’ve had to put up with to do the work.”

Exactly, Parker thought. That was too close to the truth. That tension between the professionals and the funders was something he picked up at the very first nature center he worked in and the attitude was reinforced by every boss he had. He’d absorbed that tension like nutrients in food. Once in a while a demanding donor came along and reinforced the belief. “Do you sense that attitude from a lot of people?”

She shook her head.

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