A Christmas to Remember Read Online Free PDF Page A

say something to draw attention to her different background.
    “Shall we jump right in?” he said, forcing her to make eye contact.
    “Yes,” she smiled nervously. To her dismay, she could feel the heat rising up her neck, and she knew she must be a splotchy mess. She was perfectly aware of how to sit, how to hold her shoulders, and how to smile to look confident, but her redness always gave her away. Her book didn’t have an answer for that. His expression was softer all of a sudden, as if he were taking her in. It only made her feel more nervous. He saw the red spots, she knew it.
    “Oh, I’m so sorry,” he said. “I haven’t even given you a moment to get settled. Would you like something to drink?”
    Glass of wine? she thought with amusement. She needed something to settle her nerves. If he gave her a glass to hold, she’d probably spill it all over her lap. “I’m fine, thank you,” she said, keeping her hands on her thighs.
    “Okay then. Well…” He leaned on his desk with his forearms. It reminded her of something she’d read about how waiters should squat down by tables to take people’s orders in restaurants. Their proximity was supposed to put the patrons at ease. Was Adam trying to put her at ease? Could he sense her nervousness?
    “I have a cleaning lady who comes once a week, first thing in the morning. Name’s Rose. So, you won’t have to clean while you’re here. Your entire focus should be the children. You’ll be moving into Natalie’s bedroom upstairs,” he said. “It’s closest to the kids’ rooms. I had her change the sheets today and clean up after herself, so it’s ready for you. Do you have your bags with you today?”
    “Yes. I left them in the car.”
    “No problem, I’ll help you get them in. It’s snowing quite a bit outside. We’d better do that soon.”
    “Okay.” Okay? Carrie wanted to look like she knew what she was doing, because she did! But she was coming off like a complete fool. She could hardly string two sentences together around Adam Fletcher. For the first time in her adult life, she became conscious of her own expressions, wondering how she seemed to him. What did she look like to him? She had never contemplated the idea before; she’d always just acted naturally, but with Adam, she wanted to look confident and attractive. She didn’t know what to do with the fear that swept through her at the thought that she didn’t look anything like the person she wanted to be for Adam.
    “Basically, the house is yours—whatever you need, feel free to use it. You’re in charge of the children the entire time they’re here. I have them until January, when they’ll return to their mother after Christmas break. You come highly recommended, so I trust you to use whatever techniques you feel appropriate, and I’ll let you know if I disagree with any of your strategies.”
    “Do the children have any special requirements, any allergies or anything that I should be made aware of?” she asked, trying to get her mind back on the job. She was glad to be talking about the children. It was easing her anxiety a bit. Children, she knew.
    “Nope. None that I know of.”
    “Excellent. How about naptimes and bedtimes?”
    Adam had looked so assertive, so strong, but with that question, she thought she saw uncertainty on his face—it was subtle, but she’d caught it. She wasn’t able to put her finger on it completely yet, but she sensed a stark difference about Adam and his children than she’d experienced with her other families.
    He jotted something onto a pad of paper. “I’ll make a note to ask Natalie to leave you a list of specifics regarding times, food preferences, and the like.” He continued to write, and she was glad for the break in eye contact. “Let’s talk about Christmas,” he said.
    Christmas! She was so happy he’d mentioned it. “Do you celebrate it?” she asked carefully, surprised that he’d brought it up, given that there wasn’t