Holiday Wishes Read Online Free PDF

weeks.”
    No, he realized with some pleasure, it hadn’t been so very long. “I guess you’ve started on it.”
    “Well, sort of.” Then she turned that quick, beautiful smile on him. “You’ve been to Africa, haven’t you?”
    “A couple of times.”
    “I guess you know all kinds of things about climate and culture and stuff like that.”
    He grinned down at her. “Enough.”
    “Maybe you should stay for dinner tonight.” Without giving him a chance to answer, she took his hand and led him around to the shop.
    When they walked in, Faith was boxing a doll. Her hair was pinned up in the back and she wore a baggy sweatshirt over jeans. She was laughing at something her customer had said. “Lorna, you know you wouldn’t have it any other way.”
    “Bah, humbug.” The woman put a hand on her enormous stomach and sighed. “I really wanted this baby to make an appearance before Christmas.”
    “You still have four days.”
    “Hi, Mom!”
    Faith turned to smile at her daughter. As she spotted Jason, the spool of ribbon in her hand spun in a red stream to the floor. “Clara, you didn’t wipe your feet,” she managed to say, but kept her eyes on Jason.
    “Jason! Jason Law.” The woman rushed over and grabbed him by both arms. “It’s Lorna—Lorna McBee.”
    He looked down into the pretty round face of his longtime neighbor. “Hello, Lorna.” His gaze drifted down, then back up. “Congratulations.”
    With a hand on her stomach, she laughed. “Thanks, but it’s my third.”
    He thought of the scrawny, bad-tempered girl next door. “Three? You work fast.”
    “So does Bill. You remember Bill Easterday, don’t you?”
    “You married Bill?” He remembered a boy who had hung out in the town square looking for trouble. A few times, Jason had helped him find it.
    “I reformed him.” When she smiled, he believed it. “He runs the bank.” His expression had her giggling. “I’m serious, stop in sometime. Well, I’ve got to be moving along. This box has to go into a locked closet before my oldest girl sees it. Thanks, Faith, it’s just lovely.”
    “I hope she likes it.”
    To keep her hands busy, Faith began to rewind the spool of ribbon. A puff of cold air came in, then was cut off as Lorna breezed out.
    “Was that the bride doll?” Clara wanted to know.
    “Yes, it was.”
    “Too fussy. Can I go over to Marcie’s?”
    “What about homework?”
    “I don’t have any except that dumb Africa report. He’s going to help me.” Jason met her smile with a lifted brow. “Aren’t you?”
    Jason would have dared any man within a hundred miles to resist that look. “Yes, I am.”
    “Clara, you can’t—”
    “It’s okay ’cause I asked him to dinner.” She beamed, almost sure her mother would be trapped by the good manners she was always talking about. “There’s no school now for ten whole days, so I can do the report after dinner, can’t I?”
    Jason decided it wouldn’t hurt to apply a little pressure from his side. “I spent six weeks in Africa once. Clara might just get an A.”
    “She could use it,” Faith muttered. They stood together, looking at her. Her heart already belonged to both of them. “I guess I’d better start dinner.”
    Clara was already racing across the yard next door before Faith pulled the door of the Doll House shut and turned the sign around to read Closed.
    “I’m sorry if she was a nuisance, Jason. She has a habit of badgering people with questions.”
    “I like her,” he said simply, and watched Faith fumble with the latch.
    “That’s nice of you, but you don’t have to feel obliged to help her with this report.”
    “I said I would. I keep my word, Faith.” He touched a pin in her hair. “Sooner or later.”
    She had to look at him then. It was impossible not to. “You’re welcome to dinner, of course.” Her fingers worried the buttons of her coat as she spoke. “I was just going to fry chicken.”
    “I’ll give you a hand.”
    “No,