his days with her.
His disheartened look tore at her heart. She didn't understand him. Not at all. But the expression in his gaze begged to be heard. Was he trying to get her alone to explain last night? As far as she was concerned, she'd seen all she needed to put her mind to rest about Cameron Fleming.
Once he'd left the kitchen, Chef turned to her. "You know we're doin' bag lunches today and a light dinner tonight. You could have gone wit' him."
"Chef, he's here with Marissa. I'm not playing those games."
"Somehow, petite, knowin' what I know about Cameron, I can't imagine him being wit Marissa."
"Well, I believe he is, and I'm not getting involved with him." She pulled the biscuits from the oven and placed them in a warmed wrap inside a basket.
"Suit yourself. But he's a good guy, and dere's always more to every story than what you see." He ladled the scrambled eggs into a chafing dish and carried them into the dining room.
Leona went in with the warm biscuits. As she turned the corner, she nearly bumped into Marissa.
With a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face, the actress greeted Leona. "Well, good morning. Did you have a nice walk in the snow last night? Cameron told me all about it."
Great. Cameron had discussed her. Leona tried to ignore the heat rising in her face but felt God prompting her heart to offer kindness instead of what Marissa expected. "It was nice, Marissa. You should have come out."
Marissa paused and looked at Leona with her head cocked to one side. "I wasn't invited."
"You didn't need to be. No one was. It was impromptu. Oh, by the way, I'm baking Christmas cookies later this afternoon and wanted to know if you wanted to help."
Marissa blinked a few times and stared.
Leona braced for assault but felt God prompting her to make the offer.
"No, thank you," Marissa replied.
"OK, maybe next time."
Cameron approached with stocking cap and scarf in hand. "Maybe next time what?"
Marissa linked her arm through his. "Leona is making cookies and wanted to know if I wanted to participate."
"Like in decorating sugar cookies?"
Leona nodded.
Cameron smiled. "I'll help, I love doing those."
That was not what Leona had in mind. Disappointment painted the other woman’s face. "Maybe I will take you up on that offer, after all." The smile she imparted toward Leona did not reach her eyes.
"Good, it'll be fun." Leona smiled.
Bryan walked in behind Cameron. "What'll be fun?"
"We're making sugar cookies this afternoon, woohoo." The sarcasm from Marissa shot through.
"Really? I used to do those with my mom every Christmas when I was a kid. I sure missed that when she passed away." Bryan glanced out the window, but not before Leona got a glimpse of the sadness clouding his eyes.
"You're welcome to join us," Leona offered.
He smiled with dazzling brilliance.
Leona got a glimpse of why woman melted at his feet.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "That would be the best Christmas present ever. I would love to."
"Then it's settled. The four of us will make cookies when y'all get back from your snowmobile rides." Leona turned toward the kitchen.
"Wait," Bryan called after her. "Aren't you coming with us? I need a partner. Won't you join me?"
When she turned back to the group, she was met with hopeful smiles from Bryan and Cameron. Marissa's painted on smile spoke the loudest.
What should she do? Bryan had been the one to invite her, not Cameron. She'd never ridden a snowmobile before and would love to see the countryside. Would this be her only chance while here?
"I don't know."
"C'mon. I'm sure Chef can spare you for the day." Bryan put his hands together. "Please come."
It wasn't everyday a man deemed The Sexiest Man Alive begged you to go snowmobiling with him. She'd surely have to mark this in her journal. His green gaze beckoned.
Cameron donned his stocking cap. "C'mon. Chef already said it was OK."
CG walked in. "Everybody ready? Leona, are you joining us? We'd love to have
His disheartened look tore at her heart. She didn't understand him. Not at all. But the expression in his gaze begged to be heard. Was he trying to get her alone to explain last night? As far as she was concerned, she'd seen all she needed to put her mind to rest about Cameron Fleming.
Once he'd left the kitchen, Chef turned to her. "You know we're doin' bag lunches today and a light dinner tonight. You could have gone wit' him."
"Chef, he's here with Marissa. I'm not playing those games."
"Somehow, petite, knowin' what I know about Cameron, I can't imagine him being wit Marissa."
"Well, I believe he is, and I'm not getting involved with him." She pulled the biscuits from the oven and placed them in a warmed wrap inside a basket.
"Suit yourself. But he's a good guy, and dere's always more to every story than what you see." He ladled the scrambled eggs into a chafing dish and carried them into the dining room.
Leona went in with the warm biscuits. As she turned the corner, she nearly bumped into Marissa.
With a Cheshire cat grin plastered on her face, the actress greeted Leona. "Well, good morning. Did you have a nice walk in the snow last night? Cameron told me all about it."
Great. Cameron had discussed her. Leona tried to ignore the heat rising in her face but felt God prompting her heart to offer kindness instead of what Marissa expected. "It was nice, Marissa. You should have come out."
Marissa paused and looked at Leona with her head cocked to one side. "I wasn't invited."
"You didn't need to be. No one was. It was impromptu. Oh, by the way, I'm baking Christmas cookies later this afternoon and wanted to know if you wanted to help."
Marissa blinked a few times and stared.
Leona braced for assault but felt God prompting her to make the offer.
"No, thank you," Marissa replied.
"OK, maybe next time."
Cameron approached with stocking cap and scarf in hand. "Maybe next time what?"
Marissa linked her arm through his. "Leona is making cookies and wanted to know if I wanted to participate."
"Like in decorating sugar cookies?"
Leona nodded.
Cameron smiled. "I'll help, I love doing those."
That was not what Leona had in mind. Disappointment painted the other woman’s face. "Maybe I will take you up on that offer, after all." The smile she imparted toward Leona did not reach her eyes.
"Good, it'll be fun." Leona smiled.
Bryan walked in behind Cameron. "What'll be fun?"
"We're making sugar cookies this afternoon, woohoo." The sarcasm from Marissa shot through.
"Really? I used to do those with my mom every Christmas when I was a kid. I sure missed that when she passed away." Bryan glanced out the window, but not before Leona got a glimpse of the sadness clouding his eyes.
"You're welcome to join us," Leona offered.
He smiled with dazzling brilliance.
Leona got a glimpse of why woman melted at his feet.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "That would be the best Christmas present ever. I would love to."
"Then it's settled. The four of us will make cookies when y'all get back from your snowmobile rides." Leona turned toward the kitchen.
"Wait," Bryan called after her. "Aren't you coming with us? I need a partner. Won't you join me?"
When she turned back to the group, she was met with hopeful smiles from Bryan and Cameron. Marissa's painted on smile spoke the loudest.
What should she do? Bryan had been the one to invite her, not Cameron. She'd never ridden a snowmobile before and would love to see the countryside. Would this be her only chance while here?
"I don't know."
"C'mon. I'm sure Chef can spare you for the day." Bryan put his hands together. "Please come."
It wasn't everyday a man deemed The Sexiest Man Alive begged you to go snowmobiling with him. She'd surely have to mark this in her journal. His green gaze beckoned.
Cameron donned his stocking cap. "C'mon. Chef already said it was OK."
CG walked in. "Everybody ready? Leona, are you joining us? We'd love to have
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