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.” Her frown deepened.“I’m afraid I’ll do it wrong.”For a second he wondered if she was joking.Then he saw the flicker of fear in her eyes.They’d told Mickie to share her feelings.Now that she had, Derek was determined to be respectful and not minimize them.“Are you saying there’s a correct way to decorate a tree?” He kept his tone deliberately conversational.She nodded and chewed on her lip, her gaze focused on her feet.As if picking up on her stress, Fred whined and nudged her hand with his nose.Mickie looped one arm around his neck and he quieted.Derek waited, knowing she’d tell him more, when she was ready.It didn’t take long.“Uncle Wayne used to get angry if I didn’t put the ornaments on the tree the way he wanted.But he wouldn’t tell me what the right way was.” Tears welled in the little girl’s eyes.“I want to do it right.I don’t want you or Rachel to be mad at me.Ever.”Out of the corner of his eye Derek saw Rachel straighten and turn.He rested his hand on Mickie’s shoulder.“In this house there is no right or wrong way.That goes for stringing the lights or hanging the ornaments.But I’m glad you let me know you were concerned.”“I think we should put the ornaments on first.” Rachel placed a box filled with them at his feet.“I’ve always put the lights on first,” Derek said.“What do you say, Mick? Lights or ornaments? Remember, there’s no right or wrong answer.”His last words were drowned out by the raucous tune “Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead” coming from Rachel’s phone.“I’m sorry,” she said quickly, her cheeks reddening.“I should answer this.”Derek had assumed she’d talk there, but instead, she moved to the kitchen and out of earshot.“Do you think something is wrong?” Mickie said.“Rachel looked worried.Don’t you think she looked worried?”“Maybe a little bit,” Derek reluctantly conceded, relieved when Rachel returned to the room.“Everything okay?” he asked.Rachel let her gaze linger on the banister decorated with tiny homemade wreaths made of evergreen tied together with a ribbon garland, not sure what to say.She’d been determined not to bring up Tom tonight.But there was no way around it now.“It was my in-laws’ annual Christmas call.”“You’re still in touch with them.” Derek spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, the words more of a statement than a question.Rachel felt compelled to defend their action, though she didn’t understand it herself.“They are Tom’s parents.”“Hey, I didn’t mean anything.” He lifted his hands, an ornament in each one.“It’s…nice…that they keep in touch.”“I think it’s weird,” Mickie said.Rachel inhaled sharply, too stunned to reply.“Mickie.” A hint of reproach filled Derek’s voice.“You owe Rachel an apology.”Instead, Mickie’s chin lifted in a stubborn tilt.“But why would his mom and dad call her? Why?”Attitude dripped from the last word and out of the corner of Rachel’s eye she saw Derek’s expression darken.“We had some business to discuss,” Rachel said.“Even if you didn’t, you were a part of their family for a good number of years,” Derek said.“I’m sure you had a close relationship during that time.It’s only natural they’d want to keep in touch.”Mickie rolled her eyes.“Honey.” Rachel stepped close and placed a gentle hand on the child’s shoulder.While she didn’t want to ruin the afternoon, she couldn’t let such behavior go unchallenged.“Rolling your eyes is rude.I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that again.”Mickie’s bottom lip trembled.“I’m sorry.”Motherly love rose up inside Rachel.She wrapped her arms around the girl, pulling her close, planting a kiss on the top of Mickie’s curly head.“Forgiven.”Rachel lifted her head and her eyes met Derek’s.His slow smile of approval sent warmth coursing all the way to the tips of her toes.She pulled her gaze away, her heart full, but at the same time, light.“Why are we standing around? We’ve got a tree to decorate.”“It’s bee-u-ti-ful.” Mickie clasped her hands together and stared at the large tree, her eyes as bright as the lights gracing its branches.“We did good,” Derek agreed.Instead of a tedious task, hanging the ornaments and stringing the lights had been a joyous endeavor, thanks mostly to Rachel.She’d made it, well, fun.Before they started, she’d insisted he look through his friend’s vast CD collection for some Christmas music.Surprisingly, they’d found not only traditional holiday classics but some children’s tunes as well.Right now a tune from “A Chipmunk Christmas” blared from the Bose speakers.Rachel stood beside him, gazing at the tree.The glow on her face matched the wonder on the child’s face in front of her.Derek fought an almost-uncontrollable urge to slip his arm around her shoulder.Only the knowledge that such an action could ruin the moment kept his hands at his side.“Look.” Mickie pointed to the large floor-to-ceiling window almost obscured by the large tree.“It’s still snowing.”Rachel’s eyes widened.“Ohmigod.”Derek moved past her to the glass.The thick blanket of white covering the ground had grown significantly since they’d gotten home.The way the flakes were falling, the snow was destined to get even deeper.“I can’t believe I didn’t notice it was getting so bad.” Rachel’s fingers curved around his arm as she leaned close for a better look.Derek inhaled the clean fresh scent of her.The dulcet sounds of Kenny G’s sax had replaced the raucous Chipmunk music and the candles they’d lit earlier added a warm intimacy.For several heartbeats he stood, reveling in the moment which seemed suspended in time.Until Mickie wiggled between them.“Are we snowed in?”The child couldn’t have sounded happier if Santa Claus laden with gifts had dropped from the chimney.“I’m sure we can make it home.” Though the words were confident, Rachel’s voice wavered and concern filled her blue eyes.A blast of wind hit the windows.The house shuddered.Derek shook his head.“It’s not worth the risk.”“We don’t want to get in an accident,” Mickie said.Hiding a smile, Derek glanced at Fred asleep on the floor in front of the fireplace.It was as if the dog had already settled in for the night.“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]