Miss Kane's Christmas Read Online Free PDF

not fine. It’s crooked and I can’t seem to get it right.” She reached her arms up around his neck. “Can you bend forward a little, Mr. Hanson? I can’t reach quite reach the knot.”
    Just to get it over with, Ben did as he was told. He heard the shrill ring of the land line from the table in the hall. He almost asked Carol to answer it but stopped himself. There was no one he wanted to talk to. Not in the mood he was in.
    “I’ve got it loose,” Carol said. “Now just hold still while I re-tie the knot.”
    Hold still? Where was he going to go? He was all but hugging Carol. If he moved an inch to left his nose would be buried in her hair. Against his better judgment, he closed his eyes and inhaled. She smelled of roses with just a hint of pine, he thought.
    “There you are, all set,” Carol stood back and looked up at him. “Winter Rose.”
    “What?”
    “My perfume, it’s called Winter Rose.”
    He searched her face. She looked the picture of pure innocence.
    “Your perfume? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he finally managed to say.
    “Okay, let’s just go with that then.” She stepped back and surveyed the room. “Will you need another blanket, do you think?”
    “I don’t need help getting into bed.” Ben started to cross his arms over his chest but winced when he tried to lift his arm. He frowned at Carol. “You’re fussing and it’s unnecessary and annoying.”
    “If you say so, Mr. Hanson.”
    Ben watched as she pulled back the covers on the left side of his bed. He wanted her out of his bedroom before he grew any more uncomfortable. The sight of her plumping his pillows was almost too much for him. “I sleep on the other side of the bed.”
    “Sorry.” Carol went around to the right side and pulled back the covers, shook out his pillow and stood back. “I want you in bed now.”
    Ben opened his mouth to respond but froze when he heard his daughter’s voice behind him.
    “He’s too busy to talk to you, Grandma.”
    Ben slowly turned. He’d forgotten that the phone rang only moments before. And now Hillary stood in the doorway, her ratty pink tutu over her red thermal pajamas, the cordless phone up against her ear. She smiled at him but ignored his outstretched hand.
    “What’s he doing?” Hillary cocked her head and looked first at Carol and then at him. “I’m not entirely sure but I think the new nanny is trying to get him into bed.”

Chapter Five
    “Daddy looked so mad last night,” Hillary said between bites of her star shaped sugar cookie. “Are you certain that we’re allowed to eat these for breakfast?”
    Cookie half way to her mouth, Carol paused. “Why ever not?”
    The children exchanged startled glances. It was Hillary who answered, “Because children aren’t supposed to eat cookies for breakfast.”
    “Didn’t you know that?” Patrick asked, his brow knit into a frown that was so much like his father’s that it made her smile. Patrick eyed her thoughtfully. “Did your mother really let you eat cookies for breakfast?”
    “Let us? She insisted.” Carol dunked her gingerbread man into her milk and did her best to ignore the wave of homesickness that washed over her. “Now, tell me what you think of the decorations.”
    “I love them!” Hillary beamed. “When I came downstairs this morning I thought I was in the wrong house. I’ve never seen so much sparkle in my life. I love all of the red and green everywhere.”
    High praise from a child who wore a pink tutu all the time.
    “What about you Patrick?” Carol asked. “What do you think of the decorations?”
    “It’s fun. Did you do it all yourself?” he asked.
    Carol nodded. She ignored a pang of guilt for taking all of the credit. It wasn’t as if she could tell the children that she’d had the help of three elves. Rapz had volunteered to bake and he’d happily beatboxed in the kitchen while whipping up trays of cookies, tins of Christmas fudge and a cherry strudel for