Page 78 of A Christmas Bargain

“Wait,sheknows?” Stacy asked, just as confused.

Derek sighed and shook his head.

“Are you confused, too, Uncle Nicky?”

He laughed, glancing at Derek. “Um, halfway confused.”

“What are you not telling us?” Naomi asked.

“Um. Well, I, uh…” I laughed once, wondering whatIwas missing. “I wanted to tell you that my job is changing. I’m not going back to my office in Denver in the new year.”

She gasped. “Are you staying here?”

“Would it be okay with you if Claire stays here?” Derek asked her.

“Well, duh!”

“As your daddy’s girlfriend?” I added.

“Yay!” She ran over to hug me.

“Wow.” Stacy smiled. “That’s, um, serious.”

I nodded.

“Sure is,” Derek told her.

“You’ll really stay?” Naomi asked.

“As long as I can,” I promised.

“You can change your jobs like that?” Stacy asked.

“It seems that my dad and sister were waiting for me to admit I wanted a change in that department.” My cheeks would be aching for days with how much I was smiling.

Nicky congratulated me too, but then he held up his hand. “What about the other big news?” He looked from Stacy to Derek.

“Yeah.” I stood with Naomi. “What are you all up to?”

“How about we go for a little walk?” Derek suggested.

Now that I was moving in, I had lots of my own winterwear to rely on. Once I tugged my boots on and joined the others, I realized I would finally be getting a chance to see more of this Scott family’s land.

It didn’t matter anymore. I wouldn’t look at it as a realtor, as a busy careerwoman eager to parcel it up and sell it to the highest-paying developer.

Those kinds of things wouldn’t faze me anymore. From here on out, I could shift my perspectives to considering where a family would feel most at home.

Like them. Here.

I watched as Derek and Stacy led the way. Nicky engaged in an ongoing and mobile snowball fight with Naomi. And I followed in the back, reveling in the fact that I could feel like I was a part of it all.

Our boots crunched through the snow as we walked out into the vast landscape.

I wasn’t sure what Derek—and maybe Stacy and Nicky—were keeping a secret, but it seemed like they were heading to what looked like an old barn that wasn’t used any longer.

“I want to put up a woodshop over there,” Derek said when he came to my side and draped his arm around my shoulders. He pointed near the huge house we’d just walked out of.

“Ooh. Nice.”

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