A Holiday Prayer by Deb Kastner

Author:Deb Kastner [Debra Kastner]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459264663
Publisher: Harlequin

With half an eye, Maddie watched her son throwing darts at water balloons. Her mind was whirling in tormented circles.

Why was Rory here? What did he want?

There was only one logical answer to the first question: He had followed her here. As to why he had followed her, Maddie couldn’t begin to guess. The man was as much a mystery to her now as when he had been wearing his Phantom’s mask.

Try as she might, she could not make her impression of Rory into Neil March. It just couldn’t be done. One of those men was an illusion, and Maddie was simply too gun-shy to make the discovery on her own. If she risked her heart and bet on Rory, and it turned out there was no Rory…

It had already happened—once with Rory and once with Peter. Why were all the men in her life deceitful? Could she not be attracted to anything but lies?

No, it was better to keep her guard up. Trust no one and she wouldn’t get hurt.

“Mommy!” Nicky exclaimed, waving a piece of paper in the air. “Look at what I just won!”

It was a certificate for a free throw at the dunking booth. “You won this playing darts?”

“No. A boy came up to me and gave it to me just now. He said I won it.”

Maddie shrugged and smiled at her son. “Must be some sort of door prize. C’mon, kiddo. Let’s go dunk somebody.”

Nicky saw Rory at the exact same moment that Maddie did. She wanted to turn and run, but knew it was too late for that. Her gaze met Rory’s, and her heart flamed to life even as she realized that this must be some sort of setup.

“Excuse me,” she said to the wet-haired woman behind the counter, “but could you please tell me how many of these door prizes you’ve handed out today?”

“There are no door prizes,” the woman said, but firmly plucked the certificate from Maddie’s hand nevertheless. “Give the boy a round of balls,” she called to the operator.

Maddie had been conned again, and the familiar flush of anger replaced the warmth pervading her heart.

The sign stuck to the side of the booth confirmed it: Dunk Neil March, owner of March’s Department Store.

Boy, would she like to dunk him.

“It’s the Fireman!” Nicky exclaimed, waving at Rory.

Rory smiled and waved back to the boy. He looked genuinely happy, dangling his stocking feet off the edge of a makeshift diving board and calling friendly taunts to Nicky. Maddie felt her throat constrict, then quickly repressed the emotion with another surge of anger.

Anger, she found, was stronger than her less predictable emotions, and right now she needed all the bolstering she could get.

His white-blond hair falling loosely over his forehead, Nicky took the first of three balls, aimed carefully, and let loose.

It dropped just short of the target.

“You missed me, sport. But I’ll bet I take a dive next time around!” Rory called cheerfully. “C’mon, big guy. Throw me that ball!”

Nicky, his brow furrowed in concentration, threw the second ball high and to the left.

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