really neat.” Cory looked up at his mother. “Isn’t it something, that Donovan and I ran into each other in the woods?”
Taylor glanced at her brother over the rim of her glass of milk. “Mama asked Donovan to find you. She was worried.”
“What?” For a moment Cory merely stared at his little sister. Then, as the realization dawned, he pushed away from the table and glared at his mother. “You didn’t trust me?”
“I…was worried, Cory. You’ve never been in those woods before. I was afraid you’d get turned around and—”
“I can’t believe you did that. I told you…” He struggled to get the words out. “I told you I could take care of…Oh, what’s the use?”
He gave her one last furious look before running out of the room and racing up the stairs. While the others watched and listened in silence, they could hear the slamming of his door as he closed himself in his bedroom.
Chapter 5
I n the silence that followed, Taylor turned mournful eyes to her mother. “Why is Cory mad? Did I do something wrong?”
“Hush, darling.” Andi rounded the table to drop a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”
She sighed, and Donovan could see the strained look return to her eyes. “I made coffee, Donovan. Would you like some?”
He was already on his feet, directing her back to her chair. “I’ll get it. You look like you could use some, too.”
When she nodded, he poured two cups of coffee. “Cream or sugar?”
“Just black.” She accepted the cup from him and lifted it to her lips, hoping it would restore her flagging spirits.
Taylor wiped milk from her upper lip. “Did you and Cory see any bears, Donovan?”
“No bears.” Donovan managed a smile. “If we had, you would have seen us home a lot sooner. But we did see deer.”
“Were they reindeer?”
He shook his head. “And not an elf in sight, either. Just a few ordinary deer. But we had a good hike. I think, after the miles we put in today, Cory will sleep tonight.”
At the mention of sleep the little girl yawned, and Andi said softly, “Would you like to go upstairs and get on your pajamas?”
Taylor nodded.
“Go ahead, then, honey.” Her mother managed a smile. “I’ll be up in a little while to tuck you in bed.”
“Okay, Mama. G’night, Donovan.”
He grinned. “Good night, Taylor.”
When they were alone, Andi’s smile faded. She looked across the table at Donovan. “He was so happy when he walked in. It’s been a year since I’ve seen that light in his eyes. And it was wiped out in an instant because of me.”
“Stop beating yourself up, Andi.”
She gave a hard shake of her head. “I let him down. Not once but twice. It’s bad enough that I didn’t trust him. But I made it worse by asking you to pretend your meeting was an accident. That’s the same as lying.”
“You’re a mother. Every mother worries about her children. But you’ve got an added burden, because you’re alone and in a strange place.”
“That’s no excuse for not trusting my son and then lying to him.” She pushed away from the table. “I’d better go upstairs and tuck Taylor in. I know she’ll be fretting about her big brother. I swear they’re connected at the hip. Every time he hurts, she bleeds for him.”
When she left the room, Donovan sat a moment, sipping his coffee, deep in thought. Then he got up and began to clear the table. By the time Andi returned, he had the dishes in the dishwasher and had wiped down the table and stove top.
She looked around in surprise. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to.”
Despite her heavy heart she couldn’t help laughing. “After seeing your place this morning, I wasn’t sure you knew how to clean up.”
He gave her one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles. “I admit I’m a little rusty. But I guess it’s like riding a bike. You never forget.” He held up the coffeepot. “Want a fresh cup?”
“Thanks.” She
Taylor glanced at her brother over the rim of her glass of milk. “Mama asked Donovan to find you. She was worried.”
“What?” For a moment Cory merely stared at his little sister. Then, as the realization dawned, he pushed away from the table and glared at his mother. “You didn’t trust me?”
“I…was worried, Cory. You’ve never been in those woods before. I was afraid you’d get turned around and—”
“I can’t believe you did that. I told you…” He struggled to get the words out. “I told you I could take care of…Oh, what’s the use?”
He gave her one last furious look before running out of the room and racing up the stairs. While the others watched and listened in silence, they could hear the slamming of his door as he closed himself in his bedroom.
Chapter 5
I n the silence that followed, Taylor turned mournful eyes to her mother. “Why is Cory mad? Did I do something wrong?”
“Hush, darling.” Andi rounded the table to drop a kiss on her daughter’s cheek. “It wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”
She sighed, and Donovan could see the strained look return to her eyes. “I made coffee, Donovan. Would you like some?”
He was already on his feet, directing her back to her chair. “I’ll get it. You look like you could use some, too.”
When she nodded, he poured two cups of coffee. “Cream or sugar?”
“Just black.” She accepted the cup from him and lifted it to her lips, hoping it would restore her flagging spirits.
Taylor wiped milk from her upper lip. “Did you and Cory see any bears, Donovan?”
“No bears.” Donovan managed a smile. “If we had, you would have seen us home a lot sooner. But we did see deer.”
“Were they reindeer?”
He shook his head. “And not an elf in sight, either. Just a few ordinary deer. But we had a good hike. I think, after the miles we put in today, Cory will sleep tonight.”
At the mention of sleep the little girl yawned, and Andi said softly, “Would you like to go upstairs and get on your pajamas?”
Taylor nodded.
“Go ahead, then, honey.” Her mother managed a smile. “I’ll be up in a little while to tuck you in bed.”
“Okay, Mama. G’night, Donovan.”
He grinned. “Good night, Taylor.”
When they were alone, Andi’s smile faded. She looked across the table at Donovan. “He was so happy when he walked in. It’s been a year since I’ve seen that light in his eyes. And it was wiped out in an instant because of me.”
“Stop beating yourself up, Andi.”
She gave a hard shake of her head. “I let him down. Not once but twice. It’s bad enough that I didn’t trust him. But I made it worse by asking you to pretend your meeting was an accident. That’s the same as lying.”
“You’re a mother. Every mother worries about her children. But you’ve got an added burden, because you’re alone and in a strange place.”
“That’s no excuse for not trusting my son and then lying to him.” She pushed away from the table. “I’d better go upstairs and tuck Taylor in. I know she’ll be fretting about her big brother. I swear they’re connected at the hip. Every time he hurts, she bleeds for him.”
When she left the room, Donovan sat a moment, sipping his coffee, deep in thought. Then he got up and began to clear the table. By the time Andi returned, he had the dishes in the dishwasher and had wiped down the table and stove top.
She looked around in surprise. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“I wanted to.”
Despite her heavy heart she couldn’t help laughing. “After seeing your place this morning, I wasn’t sure you knew how to clean up.”
He gave her one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles. “I admit I’m a little rusty. But I guess it’s like riding a bike. You never forget.” He held up the coffeepot. “Want a fresh cup?”
“Thanks.” She
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