Yuletide Hearts by Ruth Logan Herne Page B

to take care of Jake and her father.
    She couldn’t afford to tip this job into negative territory, and romance gone bad could do just that.
    Nope, she’d be friendly, work hard and hope Matt kept them on as he proceeded to finish the homes her father had started.
    Matt turned and handed her a coffee. Their eyes met. He stood, holding the coffee, her hand skimming his, their gazes locked, electrifying the moment.
    â€œCream?” He half choked the word, then rolled his eyes, smiled and leaned forward, his voice soft. “I don’t think myvoice has broken like that in nearly twenty years, and I was talking to a pretty girl that time, too.”
    Callie accepted the coffee, slanted him a wry glance and reached for two little creamers. “Twenty years between girls? That’s so not normal. You get that, right?”
    He grinned and added sugar to his coffee before sidling her a look. “Maybe it depends on the girl.”
    â€œMakes men choke.” Callie nodded, stirred her coffee, put the lid back on to help ward off the cold and turned his way. “I’ll put that on my list of attributes if I decide to go on one of those internet dating sites.”
    â€œOr you could spare yourself the trouble and just go out with me.” The look he sent her said he was only half-teasing.
    An offer she’d love under different circumstances. She’d figured that out when she’d found him sitting at their kitchen table, firm but at ease, decisive, but kind when pushed to ask for their help. Matt’s warmth and self-confidence spelled “good guy” in bold letters, but this good guy was also her boss.
    â€œI never date the boss,” she told him, keeping her tone easy but her answer firm. “If things go bad it makes for a rough work environment.”
    His look said he agreed but wished he didn’t. He handed her the open box of doughnuts and indicated them with a glance down. “May I offer you first choice in doughnuts at least?”
    She grinned, wishing she could have said yes to going out, but glad he recognized the dangers, too. “That’s quite chivalrous of you.”
    â€œThe least I can do, ma’am.” He tugged his wool hat slightly, the maneuver endearing, but Callie couldn’t risk endearment.
    Could she?
    Not when he controlled the paycheck.

Chapter Five
    C allie walked into the familiar setting of the Jamison Farmers’ Free Library for the weekly fundraising meeting that evening. In partnership with Walker Electronics, the towns were raising funds to upgrade and expand the tiny library tucked in the vintage village. Callie loved being on hand to help raise money for the good cause because Hannah Moore, the former librarian, had tutored Jake the last two years, inspiring him, laughing with him.
    And now Hannah was engaged to Matt Cavanaugh’s brother, Jeff Brennan, her cochair on the library committee. Which meant Callie couldn’t stop thinking of Matt while seeing Jeff and Hannah.
    But she was having a hard time not thinking of Matt without Jeff and Hannah around, so tonight wasn’t much different than every other night this past week.
    â€œCallie.” Hannah sent her a quick grin of acknowledgment and handed off meeting minutes from the previous week. “Do you mind setting these around for me?”
    â€œGlad to.” Callie laid a copy on each chair while Hannah finished measuring coffee.
    â€œDone.”
    â€œMe, too.” Hannah crossed the room and grasped her hands. “Hey, I wanted to say I’m sorry about your father’s subdivision. It’s got to be hard, watching it being developed right across the street from you.”
    â€œActually…”
    â€œWe all know how hard you worked on it…”
    Callie grasped her friend’s hand to shush her. “Hannah. Pause. Breathe. Dad and I are still working on it.”
    Hannah frowned. “Huh?”
    â€œMatt hired us to