Christmas at Holiday House - RaeAnne Thayne Page 0,57
and green lights of the tubing hill, and especially the joy he had felt sharing this with Abby and her son.
“I never had so much fun,” Christopher said happily as he settled into the back seat. “Will we have snow in Texas, Mommy?”
“Um, not much, I’m afraid. But we can always visit a place with snow again.”
“Can we come back here and go tubing again?”
“Maybe,” she answered in that noncommittal way parents had.
Christopher seemed content enough with that. He looked out the window at the falling snow and the Christmas lights they passed as Ethan drove back to Holiday House.
“That kid has no fear. You should have seen him on that final run. He wasn’t nervous for a minute.”
“I wish I were five again and had no concept about all the scary things in the world.”
“He’s a terrific kid. You’re doing a great job with him.”
“Thanks,” she said with a startled look.
“It can’t be easy, on your own.”
“It’s not. Being a single mom is much harder than I ever imagined. I wish I could tell my own mom thank you for all the sacrifices she made on my behalf.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that Christopher’s eyes were closed, his face nestled against the leather upholstery.
“Looks like he’s asleep,” Ethan said in a low voice. “That was fast.”
She turned around to look at her son, her features soft with a tenderness that made something ache inside him.
“He’s always been a kid who plays hard and sleeps hard.”
Maybe that was Ethan’s problem, why his sleep was often troubled. Maybe he wasn’t playing hard enough these days.
“I don’t mean to nag, but you really should think about taking Christopher skiing while you’re still in Colorado. The resort has an amazing beginner hill and some stellar instructors. I think he would really love it.”
She sighed. “I know he would. He loves any kind of active adventure things. His father was the same way. My own natural instinct is to curl up with a good book on a snowy day, but since his father isn’t here anymore, I guess part of my job as his mom is to step outside my comfort zone when I have to.”
“Exactly what you did tonight when you took him on the tubing hill. I was impressed by your courage.”
She sent him a quick look and then looked away. He could see color climb her cheeks but wasn’t sure if she was blushing or if it was a reflection of the streetlights.
“Why don’t you let me take him skiing?” Ethan suggested.
As soon as the words were out, he couldn’t quite believe what he had said. He couldn’t find time to take himself skiing these days. Why was he offering to take a five-year-old?
He wasn’t quite sure he knew the answer to that, only that he had enjoyed spending time with Abby and Christopher tonight more than he had anything in a long time.
“You wouldn’t have to go,” he went on. “You could stay in the lodge and watch the whole time.”
“That’s very...kind of you.”
She seemed as confused by Ethan’s offer as he was. Something told him Abby didn’t like accepting help unless she didn’t have any other choice.
That was one more thing they had in common.
“I would enjoy it,” he said truthfully. “Anyway, it never hurts to work on fostering a love of skiing in the younger generation. I’m creating new customers, one by one. Makes all the business sense in the world.”
Her laughter tingled down his spine and made him want to stop the car and pull her into his arms.
“I’ll think about it. I should tell you that I don’t know how much longer we’ll be in town. Once Lucy comes to town next week, Winnie won’t really need my help. But if we are still here and we are able to coordinate something that works with your schedule, I’ll consider it.”
She was leaving before the holidays? He had assumed she and her son would stay through Christmas.
He didn’t want them to go.
Ethan reached Holiday House while he was still processing that information and the tumult of emotions it stirred in him.
He pulled through the gates, trying not to think about it.
“Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule for us. Tell me the truth. Your grandmother conned you into it, didn’t she?”
“I don’t know if I would use the word con. More like strongly persuaded.”
She winced. “I’m sorry. Christopher begged me this morning to take him sledding. He probably would have