another pair of faded jeans. Plain clothes, but he looked good in them. Amazing, actually, and Claire tried not to let her gaze linger on his taut belly or powerful thighs. This was a very inconvenient time to indulge her attraction.
“Molly…” Noah took a step towards his daughter, looking as if he wanted to grab her in a hug, or maybe shake her until her teeth rattled. Probably both. “Where were you?”
“I just went for a walk.”
“You could have told me—”
Molly just sniffed, her chin jutted out, and shouldered past Noah into the house.
Noah watched her walk past before turning to Claire with a smile that would have seemed wry if there hadn’t been so much sadness in his eyes. “You found her?”
“She was sitting on the wall outside Holly Cottage.”
“I went out to check on the animals, and when I came back in she was gone. I was just about to go looking for her with Jake.” He glanced down at the collie that was thrusting his head between Noah’s knees, tongue lolling out.
Claire smiled at the sight even as her heart twisted in sympathy. “Things going okay?” she asked and he shrugged, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“Not really. She’s taken it into her head that I don’t want her here and nothing I do or say seems like it’s going to prove her otherwise.”
“That’s tough.”
“Yeah.” Noah squinted, his gaze on the snow-shrouded fields. “We haven’t had an easy relationship,” he said after a moment. “From the beginning.”
Claire knew she shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t want to know, but the words bubbled up anyway. “Were you together with her mother for long?”
Noah’s face darkened and he pressed his lips together. “It’s complicated.”
She definitely shouldn’t have asked. Claire took a step back. “Well, I should go get my car.”
“Your car! I completely forgot about it.” Noah shook his head. “With Molly coming, it slipped my mind—”
“It’s not your responsibility, Noah—”
“I said I’d help—”
She shrugged. “I can manage.”
“I’m sure you can, but it will take you an age, doing it by yourself. Anyway, Molly and I could use a distraction.” He turned back into the house. “Molly! Fancy an adventure?”
Claire didn’t hear the girl’s reply but moments later Molly came slinking out, arms folded across her chest. “What kind of adventure?”
“Claire’s car is stuck in a snow bank. How about we dig it out, and then go find our Christmas tree?”
Molly’s glance slid from Noah to Claire, and Claire could tell she was wondering just what was between her and Noah. Did she see Claire as some kind of threat?
“I arrived from the States yesterday,” she said to Molly lightly. “I’m only staying for a week, but I managed to put my car right in a snow bank on the very first day.”
She felt Noah give her a look, although what it signified she had no idea. Had she been too obvious, stating how temporary her situation was? Not just for Molly’s sake, but for Noah’s, and most importantly, for hers.
Nothing about this will last.
“I suppose so,” Molly said, and went inside to get her coat.
Ten minutes later, Noah had driven them to the road where Claire’s poor Civic was buried under a mini-mountain of snow.
“Time to dig, I think,” he said, and the four of them, Jake included, started chucking snow off the car.
Claire was focused on simply uncovering her car, when somehow an armful of snow hit her back. She turned around, but both Molly and Noah were still digging. Maybe it was an accident, she decided, and turned around again.
Wham . Another armful of snow hit her in the back, and when she whirled around this time Noah was looking all too innocent and Molly’s gaze was darting between Claire and her dad, her expression one of cautious excitement.
Claire put her hands on her hips. “Are you trying to start a fight?”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
She
“Molly…” Noah took a step towards his daughter, looking as if he wanted to grab her in a hug, or maybe shake her until her teeth rattled. Probably both. “Where were you?”
“I just went for a walk.”
“You could have told me—”
Molly just sniffed, her chin jutted out, and shouldered past Noah into the house.
Noah watched her walk past before turning to Claire with a smile that would have seemed wry if there hadn’t been so much sadness in his eyes. “You found her?”
“She was sitting on the wall outside Holly Cottage.”
“I went out to check on the animals, and when I came back in she was gone. I was just about to go looking for her with Jake.” He glanced down at the collie that was thrusting his head between Noah’s knees, tongue lolling out.
Claire smiled at the sight even as her heart twisted in sympathy. “Things going okay?” she asked and he shrugged, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“Not really. She’s taken it into her head that I don’t want her here and nothing I do or say seems like it’s going to prove her otherwise.”
“That’s tough.”
“Yeah.” Noah squinted, his gaze on the snow-shrouded fields. “We haven’t had an easy relationship,” he said after a moment. “From the beginning.”
Claire knew she shouldn’t ask, shouldn’t want to know, but the words bubbled up anyway. “Were you together with her mother for long?”
Noah’s face darkened and he pressed his lips together. “It’s complicated.”
She definitely shouldn’t have asked. Claire took a step back. “Well, I should go get my car.”
“Your car! I completely forgot about it.” Noah shook his head. “With Molly coming, it slipped my mind—”
“It’s not your responsibility, Noah—”
“I said I’d help—”
She shrugged. “I can manage.”
“I’m sure you can, but it will take you an age, doing it by yourself. Anyway, Molly and I could use a distraction.” He turned back into the house. “Molly! Fancy an adventure?”
Claire didn’t hear the girl’s reply but moments later Molly came slinking out, arms folded across her chest. “What kind of adventure?”
“Claire’s car is stuck in a snow bank. How about we dig it out, and then go find our Christmas tree?”
Molly’s glance slid from Noah to Claire, and Claire could tell she was wondering just what was between her and Noah. Did she see Claire as some kind of threat?
“I arrived from the States yesterday,” she said to Molly lightly. “I’m only staying for a week, but I managed to put my car right in a snow bank on the very first day.”
She felt Noah give her a look, although what it signified she had no idea. Had she been too obvious, stating how temporary her situation was? Not just for Molly’s sake, but for Noah’s, and most importantly, for hers.
Nothing about this will last.
“I suppose so,” Molly said, and went inside to get her coat.
Ten minutes later, Noah had driven them to the road where Claire’s poor Civic was buried under a mini-mountain of snow.
“Time to dig, I think,” he said, and the four of them, Jake included, started chucking snow off the car.
Claire was focused on simply uncovering her car, when somehow an armful of snow hit her back. She turned around, but both Molly and Noah were still digging. Maybe it was an accident, she decided, and turned around again.
Wham . Another armful of snow hit her in the back, and when she whirled around this time Noah was looking all too innocent and Molly’s gaze was darting between Claire and her dad, her expression one of cautious excitement.
Claire put her hands on her hips. “Are you trying to start a fight?”
Noah raised his eyebrows. “What are you talking about?”
She
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