Page 11 of Soldier's Chrismas Hope
We’ll go to the library,she told herself.We’ll get more books, and we’ll come home and read and bake. We do that all the time, but they really like it.
She splashed her face with a little cold water, tucked her phone back into her pocket, and headed out again.
But as she crossed through the living room she saw that the little party had moved itself.
She and the kids had very carefully hung twinkly Christmas lights out on the balcony the other day. And River was out there with them now with one of the bottles of bubbles.
As he held the wand out, John-John blew, and they all watched as the bubbles floated up and up, shimmering in the lights before floating away into the night sky. Pixie was smiling radiantly, and John-John jumped up and down a little as River bent to tell them something.
Just then, Pixie spotted Nora and waved to her.
But before she could join them, River ushered the kids back inside.
“Hope you don’t mind us testing out the bubbles before tomorrow,” he told her. “We figured we couldn’t mess anything up outside.”
“Not at all,” she told him, smiling to make sure he knew it was really okay. “Speaking of tomorrow, we actually have to change our plans a bit for that.”
“No,” Pixie said softly.
Nora’s heart ached, but she forced herself to keep things light.
“Their family had something come up, so we’ll have to get together another day,” Nora said. “I was thinking maybe we could go to the library and then come home and do some baking. What do you think?”
“Okay,” Pixie said politely, nodding.
“Again?”John-John whimpered.
“What do you like best about the park?” River asked.
“Running around,” John-John said immediately.
“Riding bikes with my friends,” Pixie said, shrugging.
“Well, you’re more than welcome to come out to my place for the weekend,” River said. “There’s plenty of space to run around. And I don’t have any bikes, but maybe we could borrow some. And if not, maybe you’d like to ride a horse?”
“You have ahorse?” Pixie asked, looking thunderstruck.
“Well, I have two horses,” he amended. “A little one and a big one.”
“You can’t have a horse in a house,” Pixie said, her forehead scrunching.
“I have a farm,” River said. “I just bought it. And it has a farmhouse with plenty of space for guests to stay whenever they want. But that’s up to your aunt, of course.”
He glanced up at Nora with an apologetic expression, like he had just remembered that it would have been better to talk to her first.
“Honestly, I’d love to have you all out for the weekend,” he told her quietly. “Or anytime.”
And the sincere look in his deep brown eyes was enough to make her stomach flutter a little.
Nora knew that she should say no. It would be too impulsive to just pack the kids up for the weekend and go to the country with her ex-husband’s brother. Wouldn’t it?
But Pixie and John-John were looking up at her with such hopeful, pleading expressions.
“Will it be likeFarmer Bear’s Christmas?” John-John whispered in wonder.
Their whole lives had been upended this year from unexpected circumstances beyond their control. Could a little impulsive fun really be such a bad thing?
If they went, it would just be for the kids to have some fun and let off some steam, and it would have nothing to do with how River had looked at her when he’d asked.
