A California Christmas (Silver Springs #7) - Brenda Novak Page 0,95
he bring?”
“Mostly gift cards to places that sell a wide variety of items. We can’t afford more than fifteen to twenty-five dollars per student, but a gift card allows them to pick out something, and then I can rest assured that they each received at least one gift.”
“I see you provide the treats, too.”
“Not entirely. Each of the teachers brings in a couple dozen cookies. I just provide the hot chocolate, the candy canes and half the Rice Krispies Treats. Gavin and Savanna, and Eli and Cora, provide the rest. The kids get a gift and a cookie or treat or two, and they play some games and make an art project. We always end with carols. It’s quite a party. They look forward to it all year.”
He slid the trays he’d finished onto the table, out of the way. “Sounds like you do, too.”
“I love the joy it brings.” She stopped cutting the Rice Krispies Treats and looked up at him. She’d hoped she could cajole him out of his dark mood, or that he’d tell her what was wrong without her having to ask. But she wasn’t making any headway. He only wanted to talk about her and the school. “So what’s going on with you today?”
He kept his face averted when he answered. “What do you mean?”
She put down the knife and leaned against the counter, watching him as he carried over another tray. “Something’s bugging you. Does it have to do with your father?”
She held her breath as she awaited his answer. She really didn’t want what she’d done to blow up in her face and ruin her wedding and the holidays. They were so close to getting through them. Dallas was far more important to her than any ceremony or holiday, but she had Cal and the rest of her children to think of. Seth and the twins would be coming in tonight. If she could put off the detonation of the “Robert” bomb until January, it would be much easier for them all to survive the shrapnel. Especially because Dallas might be gone by the time Robert returned. And Robert didn’t have Dallas’s address in Vegas. It would be a lot harder to find him there than in Silver Springs. That might take care of the problem right there. Without the resources to launch an extended search, he might settle in wherever he could survive and forget about his misguided attempt to apologize to his son.
They just needed to get through the next ten days or so without incident. Dallas hadn’t indicated exactly when he’d be leaving, but she doubted he’d stay very long after Christmas—likely only a day or two. He never did. He had to keep moving, to feel as though he was free to go at will, or he became claustrophobic.
“No, I haven’t heard anything. I’m fine. Like I said, I just wanted to help you out with the school today, so I set my alarm.”
He would’ve set an alarm so he could help her if she’d asked him to. But she hadn’t.
That told her right there that something more was going on than he cared to admit.
* * *
Emery waited to come out of her room until everyone was gone and she had the house to herself. She guessed Dallas was at the school along with Aiyana and the others because she’d heard him calling up to Liam and Bentley to come help load Aiyana’s car.
After quietly descending the stairs, she checked out the front window to be sure, and saw that his van was gone.
Relieved that she wouldn’t have to worry about running into him, she went into the kitchen to have some breakfast. With any luck, she’d get out of the house before he returned. As much as she cared about him, she knew the less contact they had the easier it would be to go their separate ways come January.
Now that she’d put a stop to the physical side of their relationship, she was kind of shocked she’d ever let herself get sucked in so deeply, especially while she was in her current position.
Or was it her current position that had left her vulnerable?
She’d been so hurt, and he was so attractive and good at supporting and defending her.
She couldn’t decide exactly how she’d fallen into his bed—and still wanted to return there—but at least she was back on track.
After breakfast, she hurried upstairs to shower, but while she was getting ready, she couldn’t help checking her