Yuletide Redemption by Jill Kemerer

Author:Jill Kemerer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-02-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“What am I going to do with all this?” Sam leaned against the kitchen counter and shook his head in amazement at the plastic containers full of sugar cookies, bowls of frosting in pastel colors and every type of sprinkle imaginable. He and Celeste had just returned from his Monday therapy session. For two days he hadn’t stopped thinking about their kiss. In fact, he couldn’t get Celeste off his mind. And he needed to. Soon.

“Um, wow.” Celeste crossed her arms over her chest and bit her lower lip, but her eyes danced with laughter. Parker played with a toy car on the floor.

“Aunt Sally’s finally lost it.”

“Did she mention anything about this to you?”

“Nope. No, she did not.” He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “Aunt Sally texted me she was dropping something off, but what was she thinking? There’s enough sugar here to give someone diabetes.”

“Is that a note?” Celeste pointed to a sheet of paper wedged under a package of plastic pastry bags. He scanned the note.

I made too many cookies and thought that darling baby might enjoy decorating them with his pretty mama and you. Love, Aunt Sally.

Uneasiness prickled over his skin. As much as he wanted to spend the day decorating cookies with Celeste and Parker, he knew it wasn’t wise. He had to stop thinking about himself and start thinking about what was best for her. Which wasn’t him.

She plucked the paper from his hand. “Isn’t that sweet? Thinking of Parker.”

Thinking of setting him up with Celeste was more like it. His aunt had a history of matchmaking. Didn’t his aunt realize Celeste was special? That she needed a guy who could be there for her in ways he couldn’t? Her slender arms carried too much every day as it was. He would not be another burden on her.

“Why don’t you change, and I’ll get everything ready?” Her clear brown eyes held no questions or concerns. Just anticipation.

What was he supposed to do now? Tell her to hit the road? That she couldn’t stay because his heart was getting in way too deep? Yeah, that would go over well.

“Okay.”

When he’d changed, he paused a moment in the doorway. Celeste had laid the cookies out on wax paper at the dining table. Parker was strapped into his portable booster seat. He nibbled on one cookie and banged another against the table. She was spooning the icing into the pastry bags. The Christmas tree twinkled beside them.

What had been an empty cottage had become a warm, inviting home.

What would it hurt if he simply enjoyed being with them today?

He took a seat next to Parker and pretended to take a bite from his cookie. Parker squealed, snatching the cookie back. Then he thrust it back to Sam, and Sam laughed, pretending to take another bite. The boy laughed harder. Sam made gobbling noises, egging him on.

Celeste set the bags of frosting on the table, and he almost caught his breath. She looked happy. Beautiful.

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