Page 114 of The Holiday Gift

“Heisnice,” Maya declared. “He licks my nose. It tickles.”

“We have a dog named Tri,” Jack announced.

“My dog’s name is Grunt,” Gabi said. “Trace says he’s ugly but I think he’s the most beautiful dog in the world.”

“Lucky’s beautiful too,” Alex said. “He has superlong ears.”

“Tri only has three legs,” Jack said, as if that little fact trumped everything else.

“Cool!” Gabi said. “How does he get around?”

“He hops,” Ava, who usually only barely tolerated the dog, piped in. “It’s really kind of cute. He walks on his front two and then hops on the one back leg he’s got. It takesforeverto go on a walk with him, but I don’t mind. Maya, you drank all your root beer. Do you want some more?”

Maya nodded and Ben smiled at his daughter as she poured a small amount of soda for the girl. All the children treated Maya with sweet consideration and it touched him, especially coming from Ava. Though she could be self-absorbed sometimes, like most children, she had these moments of kindness that heartened him.

“Here’s pizza number two!” Caidy sang out to cheers from the children. While they had been talking about dogs, he had missed her pulling his pepperoni-and-olive creation out of the oven. Now she set it on the middle of the table and expertly sliced it. As before, the children each grabbed a slice. He nabbed a small one but noticed Caidy didn’t take one.

“Want me to save you a piece? You’d better move fast.”

She sat down on the one remaining chair at the table, which happened to be on his other side. “I’m saving my appetite for the barbecue chicken.”

“It’s all delicious. Especially this one, if I do say so myself.” He gave a modest shrug.

“You’re a pro.” She smiled and he felt that connection between them tug a little harder.

“I love pizza. It’s my favorite,” Maya declared.

“Me too!” Alex said. “I could eat pizza every single day.”

“It’s my triple favorite,” Jack, not to be outdone, announced. “I could eat it every day and every night.”

Ava rolled her eyes. “You’re such a dork.”

The kids appeared to be done after finishing most of the second pizza.

“Can we go finish the show now?” Destry asked.

Caidy glanced at him. “As long as Dr. Caldwell doesn’t mind sticking around a little longer.”

He should leave. This kitchen—and the soft, beautiful woman in it—were just too appealing. A little fuel had helped push away some of the exhaustion, but he still worried his defenses were slipping around Caidy.

However, that barbecue chicken pizza currently baking was filling the kitchen with delicious, smoky smells. She had gone to all the effort to make it. He might as well stay to taste it.

“How much time is left on the show?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Not that much, I’m sure,” Destry said, rather artfully, he thought.

Caidy looked doubtful but she didn’t argue with her niece.

“We can stay awhile more,” he finally said. “If it goes on too much longer, we might have to leave before the show ends.”

Despite the warning, his ruling was met with cheers from all the children.

“Thanks, Dad,” Ava said, gifting him with one of her rare smiles. “We’re having too much fun to go yet.”

“I love this show,” Jack said. “It’shilarious.”

A new word in kindergarten apparently. He smiled, feeling rather heroic to give his children something they wanted. As soon as all the kids hurried out to start the show again, he realized his mistake. He was alone again with Caidy, surrounded by delicious smells and this dangerous connection shivering between them.

---