Page 7 of Enduring Christmas

She gave a sharp inhale. Had she heard him right? Luke had dreamed of kissing her?

"You want me to fall all over you? Tell you I can't live without you."

"For starters." He crossed big arms over his chest, the move pulling that shirt tight, revealing defined adds. Dear Santa, thank you for the gift of a perfect body.

"Not going to happen."

Speaking of knots, Xenobia touched her forehead and winced.

Luke's expression softened with concern. "You hit the ice like a downed Ponderosa pine."

No wonder, her right eye kept watering. It felt like a bowling ball had taken up residence on her forehead. She guessed Luke was a good guy if he wanted to flirt with a woman who could stunt double for a Lord of The Rings ore.

"Thank you for saving me," she offered, cutting him some slack. She threw off the quilt covering her legs. Thank goodness her pedicure did her toes justice. "I'm leaving now." She tried to stand, but her legs buckled.

"No, you're not." His tone was firm without an ounce of leniency. "Until Callie gives you the okay. You stay put, X."

He crossed thick-cut arms over his chest, a roughed and beard angel standing watch. All pretense of her having a choice vanished.

CHAPTER THREE

Needingto get supper started, Luke joined his daughter and her purring companion in the family room. His home was a standard bread loaf style cabin on three acres of land. In the middle of the great room, a river rock fireplace flowed into an airy kitchen-dinette floor plan, with lots of natural lighting during the day. Once Shiloh had been born, the spacious rooms and bare minimal interior walls made it easy for young parents, still learning to care for a tiny bundle of helplessness, to see and hear everything in their new home.

"Daddy, why doesn't Miss X-n-o-bia like us?"

Luke grinned at his daughter. "Her name is Miss Xenobia, he corrected, "and she likes you."

"Everybody likes me, but why is she so mean to you?"

"Sometimes girls can be weird around boys, but still like them."

"Am I gonna be weird like Miss Xenobia when I grow up?"

"Dear God," he choked, "I hope not."

"If she helps us make the Christmas cake, then she'll like you."