The Christmas Children Read Online Free PDF Page A

assaulted the minute I step into the house, and then I get my face washed with snow.”
    Laughing, Carissa said, “I’ll make it up to you. While you take a nap, I’ll fix a meal for you.”
    â€œSounds good to me, just as long as I find a bed before I fall asleep on my feet.”
    Â 
    While Paul slept in the downstairs bedroom adjacent to the great room, as silently as she could, Carissa unloaded the SUV and carried her luggage upstairs. Periodically, she’d crack open the bedroom door, and each time, Paul’s even breathing assured her that he was resting comfortably.
    She would have to wake Paul before too long because the doctor wanted to look him over again. She organized her belongings in the master bedroom, then sat on a padded window seat looking over the frozen landscape. Her thoughts were on Paul Spencer.
    He seemed like a friendly, easygoing guy, possessing a spontaneous cheerfulness that answered a need in Carissa’s heart. She’d never considered herself a joyful person, but when Paul’s mouth spreadinto a toothy smile that lightened the darkness of his face, Carissa felt lighthearted, and laughter bubbled from her lips.
    Having a man in the house was a strange experience for Carissa. She’d never known who her father was, and her grandmother had been widowed before Carissa was born. She’d lived alone for more than twenty years, and it seemed odd to have a man sleeping in her house. She had grown accustomed to solitude, but already she knew she’d miss Paul a little when he moved into his apartment.
    Carissa had come to Yuletide to discover the faith she’d known as a child, and she was determined to achieve that goal. It had taken a long time, but Carissa finally believed that she could do whatever she set out to do.
    Yet she’d never reacted to anyone as she was reacting to Paul Spencer. Her attraction to him confused her.
    She found his nearness disturbing and at the same time exciting.

Chapter Three
    C arissa retrieved the Christmas pageant key from her luggage and carried it downstairs. She placed it on the coffee table. Confronted by Paul’s presence, she needed a constant reminder of why she was in Yuletide.
    Paul was still sleeping at one o’clock, so Carissa tapped on the bedroom door. He didn’t respond, so she knocked more loudly.
    â€œUh-uh,” he said sleepily. “What is it?”
    â€œYou have to see the doctor at three o’clock. It’s time to get up.”
    Silence greeted her. Had he gone back to sleep? She knocked once more.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Paul said. “It’s taken me a few minutes to realize where I am. You’re the lady who’s taken over sis’s home, huh?”
    â€œYes, the one who attacked you with a poker last night.”
    â€œDo you have the poker now?”
    She imagined his white teeth showing in a slight smile. With laughter in her voice, she said, “Not yet, but I may have to get it if you don’t hurry.”
    He yawned noisily, and she heard his feet land on the floor.
    â€œBe out in a minute.”
    Carissa was standing at the back door appreciating the landscape, when the bedroom door opened behind her.
    She turned, stifled a gasp and experienced a giddy sensation as if her heart had flipped over. Paul had the broad-shouldered body of an athlete, but his waist and hips were narrow. Wearing a T-shirt and jeans, he leaned against the door, looking as vulnerable as a child. His eyes were still heavy with sleep and his hair was tousled. He yawned again.
    Had she been wrong when she’d made up her mind that she could live a happy, fulfilled life without a husband? Was she old enough now that the pitfalls she’d avoided in her youth would no longer tempt her? Was it possible to disprove the opinions of her childhood neighbors, who’d often said “Like mother, like daughter”?
    Deep in her own thoughts and conflicting emotions,