members making cocoa and cookies. There was only isolation and pain.
Before she could retreat to her room again, Romeo looked up and smiled at her. “Hey Destiny, what do you think?”
She coughed to clear the emotion from her throat before she murmured, “Looks nice.”
“Yeah, it sure does. I’m sure it will look better once it’s decorated though.” Romeo turned to Vin. “Have you seen D around? I figured he’d want to be part of this.”
Vin shrugged. “Lacy said he told her he had something to do in the barn first. I’m not sure he’s ready for this… Hell, I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” Vin rubbed his hand over his scalp, and fidgeted awkwardly.
Romeo clapped him on the back. “I get it man, but we can’t stop having Christmas forever just because Abe and Sera aren’t around anymore. We’ve got more family now, and Michael and Todd deserve to have a good Christmas.”
Vin nodded, and glanced toward the kitchen. “Come on Hawke, let’s get a cookie before they’re gone.”
The other two disappeared, leaving Romeo and Destiny alone in the living room. Romeo watched her thoughtfully for a moment, and she had the urge to flee again when he asked, “Will you join us in decorating the tree tonight, Destiny?”
“Probably not. I, uh, don’t want to intrude. It’s a family time, and—”
“And you’re family,” Romeo interrupted. “Don’t ever think you’re not. Come on, it will be fun. All of us help, and it gets done quickly.”
Just as she was about to accept, the front door swung open, and they both turned to watch as Sheriff Brandon Bowers entered the house, stomping snow from his boots in the foyer before he said hello.
“Wow, that’s a big tree. Let me guess, Lauren picked it out?” Bran said with a lifted eyebrow. He had the most beautiful thick, black eyebrows above silvery gray eyes that saw way too much for her comfort.
“Actually it was Hawke and Jeanette, but I’m sure Lauren gave them guidelines. We’re getting ready to start decorating it soon. We just need it to dry out a little bit more before we put lights on it. Marilyn has cookies and cocoa ready in the kitchen. Destiny and I were just about to go in there.” Romeo held his hand out to her even though they were a dozen feet apart.
She stared at his hand for a brief moment, but her eyes unwillingly went to Bran’s a moment later, and she couldn’t tear them away from him. The sheriff had been the one who found her after her captors had left her beaten and dying. He’d saved her life, yet she could barely bring herself to have a civil conversation with him. Each time he got close, she fought back feelings of desire that she had no business having after her ordeal.
“Des?” Romeo called out, “You coming?”
“No,” she whispered, realizing she was trembling as she backed up two steps up the stairs. “I don’t feel much like celebrating right now, so I think I’ll just stay in my room. I don’t want to ruin the party.”
Bran studied her face, and she flushed before turning away and racing up the stairs. She wasn’t ready for him, or what he represented. She just needed more time. Time to heal, and time to learn how to protect herself. She’d learned the hard way that she was a naïve, ignorant woman who trusted way too easily, and she would never let herself slip again.
Chapter Seven
“ L ean it to the right just a bit,” Lauren directed Romeo and Vin who were trying to perfect the trees position in the tree stand.
“If you lean it to the right, it won’t be centered between the window panes,” Lacy complained.
Lauren cocked her head in thought for a moment and then said, “But if we don’t, the ornaments on the left side won’t stay on. It will just have to be a bit off center.”
“If it’s off center it will drive me nuts.” Lacy pouted.
“Short trip,” Hawke mumbled.
“I heard that!”
Jeanette watched in wonder as the Crawley Creek family blended together in a
Before she could retreat to her room again, Romeo looked up and smiled at her. “Hey Destiny, what do you think?”
She coughed to clear the emotion from her throat before she murmured, “Looks nice.”
“Yeah, it sure does. I’m sure it will look better once it’s decorated though.” Romeo turned to Vin. “Have you seen D around? I figured he’d want to be part of this.”
Vin shrugged. “Lacy said he told her he had something to do in the barn first. I’m not sure he’s ready for this… Hell, I’m not sure I’m ready for this.” Vin rubbed his hand over his scalp, and fidgeted awkwardly.
Romeo clapped him on the back. “I get it man, but we can’t stop having Christmas forever just because Abe and Sera aren’t around anymore. We’ve got more family now, and Michael and Todd deserve to have a good Christmas.”
Vin nodded, and glanced toward the kitchen. “Come on Hawke, let’s get a cookie before they’re gone.”
The other two disappeared, leaving Romeo and Destiny alone in the living room. Romeo watched her thoughtfully for a moment, and she had the urge to flee again when he asked, “Will you join us in decorating the tree tonight, Destiny?”
“Probably not. I, uh, don’t want to intrude. It’s a family time, and—”
“And you’re family,” Romeo interrupted. “Don’t ever think you’re not. Come on, it will be fun. All of us help, and it gets done quickly.”
Just as she was about to accept, the front door swung open, and they both turned to watch as Sheriff Brandon Bowers entered the house, stomping snow from his boots in the foyer before he said hello.
“Wow, that’s a big tree. Let me guess, Lauren picked it out?” Bran said with a lifted eyebrow. He had the most beautiful thick, black eyebrows above silvery gray eyes that saw way too much for her comfort.
“Actually it was Hawke and Jeanette, but I’m sure Lauren gave them guidelines. We’re getting ready to start decorating it soon. We just need it to dry out a little bit more before we put lights on it. Marilyn has cookies and cocoa ready in the kitchen. Destiny and I were just about to go in there.” Romeo held his hand out to her even though they were a dozen feet apart.
She stared at his hand for a brief moment, but her eyes unwillingly went to Bran’s a moment later, and she couldn’t tear them away from him. The sheriff had been the one who found her after her captors had left her beaten and dying. He’d saved her life, yet she could barely bring herself to have a civil conversation with him. Each time he got close, she fought back feelings of desire that she had no business having after her ordeal.
“Des?” Romeo called out, “You coming?”
“No,” she whispered, realizing she was trembling as she backed up two steps up the stairs. “I don’t feel much like celebrating right now, so I think I’ll just stay in my room. I don’t want to ruin the party.”
Bran studied her face, and she flushed before turning away and racing up the stairs. She wasn’t ready for him, or what he represented. She just needed more time. Time to heal, and time to learn how to protect herself. She’d learned the hard way that she was a naïve, ignorant woman who trusted way too easily, and she would never let herself slip again.
Chapter Seven
“ L ean it to the right just a bit,” Lauren directed Romeo and Vin who were trying to perfect the trees position in the tree stand.
“If you lean it to the right, it won’t be centered between the window panes,” Lacy complained.
Lauren cocked her head in thought for a moment and then said, “But if we don’t, the ornaments on the left side won’t stay on. It will just have to be a bit off center.”
“If it’s off center it will drive me nuts.” Lacy pouted.
“Short trip,” Hawke mumbled.
“I heard that!”
Jeanette watched in wonder as the Crawley Creek family blended together in a
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