The Christmas Children Read Online Free PDF

Carissa started when Paul said, “It won’t take me long to get ready. I’ll bring in some fresh clothes from the car.”
    She winced when she noticed that the bruise had spread until both eyes and part of his cheek were black.
    Intercepting her glance, he said, “I could pass for a raccoon this morning, don’t you think?”
    Blood rushed to her cheeks, and she covered her face with her hands. “Don’t remind me. Does your head hurt?”
    He lifted his hand to his forehead. “No, but it’s sure sore to the touch. I don’t dare turn my head quickly.”
    Dropping her hands, Carissa said, “I’ll get your luggage.”
    He started to shake his head, thought better of it and said, “Thanks, but I need a jolt of Adirondack air to help me wake up.”
    â€œI made some lunch so we can eat before we go. There isn’t much food in the refrigerator, but I’ll stop at a grocery store after we’ve been to the clinic.”
    â€œI’ll need to buy a few groceries, too, though, I’ll probably eat out most of the time. When I’m home for such a short time, I don’t want to store up any food.”
    Carissa was tempted to suggest that they could share their meals, but she hesitated. At her age, this was no time to become involved with a man. After all, she didn’t know anything about Paul Spencer. She wouldn’t become chummy with this stranger.
    Why, then, did her heart insist that Paul wasn’t a stranger?
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    Carissa sat in the waiting room, and when Paul came from the doctor’s office with a smile on his face, she felt a great wave of relief.
    â€œThere’s no damage except a sore head for a few days. I can live with that,” he said.
    â€œI don’t know that I can,” Carissa said. “I’ll probably have nightmares for years about you collapsing at my feet. I thought I’d killed you.”
    â€œI’m glad you didn’t,” he said. He laid his hand on her shoulder.
    Carissa flinched and moved away, and his hand dropped limply to his side. Paul stared at her, slightly embarrassed, a confused expression on his face. He must be wondering why she would be offended at such an innocent gesture.
    Carissa knew that Paul only meant to be friendly, but she wasn’t used to casual touching. She’d denied any natural tendencies toward overtures of friendship for so long that she had a complex about being touched. Several years into her career, she’d finally conquered her phobia enough to shake hands with her customers, but she apparently hadn’t overcome all of her hang-ups.
    Being friendly and outgoing had contributed to her mother’s undoing. She could do nothing about looking like her mother, but long ago Carissa had determined that she wouldn’t emulate her mother’s personality and lifestyle. Her mother’s vivacious personality had gotten her involved with the wrongpeople and sent her down the path to prostitution and, ultimately, premature death.
    Embarrassed that she’d allowed a phobia from the past to make her reject Paul’s overture of friendship, Carissa lifted a flushed face to him. Her blue eyes mirrored her anxiety. Her voice was strained when she said, “I’m glad, too, that I didn’t injure you,” and she added in her thoughts, for several reasons.
    Paul wondered at the anxiety revealed in Carissa’s eyes. She was a successful businesswoman…but had he detected a flaw underneath the facade that she presented to the world? At this moment, she seemed like a bewildered little girl unable to understand what had happened to her. For several years, Paul had made it a point to tend to his own business and keep aloof from the problems of others. Now, for some inexplicable reason, he longed to remove that confused, lonely expression from her face. Before the next few weeks passed, he would no doubt learn if it was in his power to do