Yuletide Hearts by Ruth Logan Herne

Author:Ruth Logan Herne
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459282537
Publisher: Harlequin

“Hey, bud, good job.”

Callie and Hank exchanged a smile as Matt advised Jake the next afternoon, the boy’s rapt attention the best kind of hero worship.

“Like this, Matt?”

“Exactly like that.”

Matt let him read the level and Callie couldn’t miss the delight in the boy’s eye as he bent slightly. “Perfect.”

“I couldn’t have done better,” Matt assured him. “And I’m real particular about installing cabinets. Finishing kitchens.”

“Why?”

Callie suspected he slid a look her way, but pretended oblivion. “Kitchens make women happy. They like their kitchens just so, no matter how much they cook. Or don’t cook, as the case may be.”

Yup. Definitely targeting her. Such a guy thing to do. Teasing by innuendo. Kind of enchanting, actually.

“And a kitchen’s called the heart of the home,” Matt went on, abutting the next cabinet group to the first set they’d installed. “People are drawn to the kitchen. It brings back memories for lots of folks.” Matt snapped his tape shut, and waved a hand around. “Your mom did a great job planning this one.”

“She did.” Hank agreed as he and Callie finished the lower bank of cabinets on the inside wall. “Pantry space, work space, and she picked out appliances that weren’t top end but would last.”

“Top end being ridiculously expensive,” Callie added. “Unless you’re a Food Network chef or planning a humongous family, a nice four-burner stove with a convection oven does everything I need it to do.”

“Because you don’t live to cook,” Matt teased from across the room.

“You’re a quick study, marine.” She slanted him a look of approval as she and Hank marked space for the upper cabinets. “Eating is essential. Cooking isn’t. Hence the impressive frozen food sections in today’s grocery stores. And a fresh apple.” She held up her half-eaten one as an example and grinned. “Lunch on the run.”

“Because I’ve found myself inundated with crew members who tend to elongate their lunch hours rather than shorten them, let me just say I appreciate the difference more than most. The Marek family is amazing.”

“Can’t disagree.” Hank stood, checked his watch and headed for the door. “I’m going across the street to check on the turkey and start the other stuff. No, General, you stay here.” He waved the dog back into the front room. “I’ll get the potatoes peeled and the table set. Then you guys come on over in an hour or so.”

Another hour gave them time to finish those upper cabinets while Jake applied rustic-styled hardware to the lower ones. Callie nodded, balancing with one foot on the ladder, the other on the untopped cabinet unit below to get the best angle for drilling. “Sounds like a plan. Thanks, Dad.”

Hank sent her a fond grin. “You’re welcome.”

“Like this, Matt?” Jake held out a burnished handle and lined it up with the holes Matt had drilled in the honey-toned maple doors.

“Yes.” Matt crouched alongside the boy, looking like a proud father. Strong. Determined. Gentle. Stoic. “Now start the first screw just enough to hold things in place,

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.