Home for Christmas by Catherine Lanigan

Author:Catherine Lanigan
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-08-13T13:47:27+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

FAT SNOWFLAKES DRIFTED as Joy held the warm dish of candied yams smothered in marshmallows and pecan topping with oven mitts at Mrs. Beabots’s front door, expecting to be greeted by her hostess.

“Hi!” Titus said, reaching for her arm. “I couldn’t wait till you got here.”

Taken aback, she stared at him. “Is that right?”

“Yeah! Dad said now the party can start!” He beamed. “Hurry in. It’s cold out there.”

Joy walked inside as Titus quickly closed the door. “Dad said I have to be careful with this door. It’s really old.”

“You’re not careful with all doors?” she asked, following him down the hallway to the kitchen.

“Not really. I have a tendency to slam doors. Probably because I’m short.”

Joy was glad Titus was in front of her and didn’t see her smile at his response. She didn’t think of Titus as short. She thought of him as a full-grown adult intellect stuck in a kid’s body.

“Here she is!” Titus announced, as if he was the MC at a wrestling match. He even thrust his arm out toward her as she moved into the kitchen.

“Hi,” she said, looking at Mrs. Beabots, who lifted a chef’s knife and, in one smack, chopped off the stalk of a huge broccoli crown.

“Hello, dear,” Mrs. Beabots said and waved the knife at Adam, who was sipping something from a massive mug and who eyed Joy over the rim. “Adam, take her coat, please.”

“Sure.” He placed the mug on the granite counter. He wore black jeans, black cowboy boots, a blue shirt under his navy cable-knit sweater, the sleeves of which were shoved up to his elbows, revealing his muscular forearms.

Arms that reminded her of the hard labor it had taken for him to install the geothermal heating system for Frank’s greenhouses.

His blue eyes flashed and she got the distinct impression he was thinking about their kiss in the greenhouse, as well.

Joy cleared her throat and asked, “Where should I put this?”

“Right there is fine,” Mrs. Beabots replied. “Do we need to put it in the oven?”

“Maybe on low. Two fifty?” Joy placed the casserole on the counter as Titus scrambled up on the stool near her.

“What is it?” Titus asked, trying to lift the aluminum foil.

“Candied yams.”

Titus grimaced and made a contorted face. “Yams?”

Adam chuckled as he stood behind Joy, taking his time holding her coat, leaning his cheek close to hers and whispering in her ear, “Don’t take offense. He’s never had yams.”

Joy couldn’t help the shiver that scampered down her spine as she inhaled Adam’s woodsy soap scent. She opened her mouth but she couldn’t put two thoughts together in her brain. The only thing in her mind was how tender his lips had felt against hers.

He moved away and she felt an odd sense of loss.

Titus was still investigating the yams. “Looks like marshmallows to me.”

“It is,” Joy said, thankful for the opportunity to wrest her attention from Adam. “Pecans, brown sugar and my secret ingredient.”

“Secret?” Titus’s eyes looked enormous behind his glasses.

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