Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense December 2016, Box Set 2 of 2 by Lynette Eason

Author:Lynette Eason
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488027192
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINE

Cheyenne stood next to Luke and watched Maggie put the last ornament on the Christmas tree. Her lips trembled, but she cleared her throat and tried to ignore the roiling in her stomach. She remembered as a little girl putting the final touch to her family’s tree, and now she was in someone else’s home watching it being done by their child.

Next to her, Luke seemed to sense her moment of nostalgia, and he slipped his fingers around hers. She turned her head to stare at him, and suddenly she didn’t feel quite so sad anymore. His smile lit his blue eyes, and she studied his face for a moment before she returned the gesture.

The feeling she’d had a few minutes ago seemed to dissipate as she laced her fingers with his and grasped them tighter just as she heard Maggie laugh and clap her hands. Cheyenne turned her head to see what was so funny and saw that Dean had plugged in the twinkling lights. The tree was now ablaze, and Maggie’s eyes were filled with wonder.

The little girl looked over her shoulder, and her shrill voice echoed in the room. “Cheyenne, isn’t this the most beautiful tree you’ve ever seen?”

All Cheyenne could do was nod because her heart had filled with a new sensation she hadn’t felt in several years. She looked around at Luke, Dean, Gwen and Maggie, and knew she wasn’t really alone in the world. They’d all invited her into their lives and made her feel welcome. She hadn’t expected to ever find that again.

She smiled at Maggie and finally found her voice. “I think you’re right. It is the most beautiful tree I’ve ever seen.” She glanced at Luke. “What do you think?”

He smiled, but his gaze wasn’t on the tree. It remained on her. “Beautiful,” he whispered, and Cheyenne felt her heart race.

She didn’t know what to say, so she was relieved when Gwen spoke up. “Okay, it’s time for hot cocoa, and then it’s off to bed for Maggie.” She glanced at Dean and her daughter. “I need you two to help me in the kitchen.”

“Anything you say,” Dean said as he grinned and followed his wife from the room.

Luke glanced at Cheyenne and shook his head. “Do you get the feeling that we’ve just been set up?”

Cheyenne pursed her lips and nodded. “I think you’re right.” She tilted her head and looked up at him. “So what do you think we should do?”

“I think we should sit down on the couch and take in the beauty of that Christmas tree,” he said.

Still holding his hand, Cheyenne turned and led him to the sofa. When they were settled, she glanced around the room. The fire that Gwen had lit, along with candles that burned on several tables and the twinkling Christmas tree, produced a peaceful atmosphere, and she sighed in pleasure. “This is nice,” she said.

“It is,” Luke agreed. “I’d forgotten how special something like putting lights on a tree can be.

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.