AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah.” Jace held the lights up in front of his face, so only one eye was visible through the knotted mess. “I think Miss Victoria should buy some new lights and throw these away.”
Merry laughed and mimicked her mother’s tone. “Waste not, want not, my child.”
Jace dropped the lights to his lap, his brow furrowed. “My dad said it isn’t nice to make fun of people.”
It was such a sullen reaction to harmless teasing that Merry fought back a grin. “That’s true, but sometimes kids tease their parents. Don’t you ever give your dad a bad time?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Wait until you’re a teenager and get back to me.”
“Uh-oh,” Clark said, leaning over the porch railing. “What about his teenage years?”
Merry hadn’t noticed Clark approach, surprised once more at his congeniality today. “I was just telling him that sometimes kids gotta tease their parents and get ’em to lighten up. It starts right around the time they turn thirteen. Didn’t you razz your folks?”
“We didn’t have that kind of relationship.”
His curt tone startled Merry, and her mind raced for something to say. Clark gave her one of those closed mouth smiles before she could get her bearings and added, “I didn’t mean that to come out so bluntly.”
“I’m sorry. I guess I take for granted my parents will give me as much guff as I dish out.”
“No need to apologize.” One of the hands called his name and he waved. “Excuse me, I’m being summoned.”
Clark walked away, leaving Merry perplexed. She hadn’t meant to stick her foot in her mouth, especially when he’d finally given her a glimpse of the man her parents raved about.
“Dad doesn’t like to talk about my grandparents,” Jace volunteered.
“Oh yeah?”
“No. I think it makes him sad. He gets the same way when I ask about my mom.”
Merry didn’t know much about Clark’s life and her curious nature urged her to pry, but she bit her tongue. Clark’s complicated relationships weren’t any of her business and she definitely wasn’t going to pump his seven-year-old for information.
She noticed Jace’s melancholy expression and leaned over, whispering, “What do you say we get these untangled and sneak inside for a cup of hot cocoa?”
Jace perked up. “Yes, please.”
“Then less jabbering and more working.” She started singing “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and Jace sang along with her, the tension leaving the boy’s tiny body.
Merry felt eyes on her and looked up, discovering Clark kneeling in the middle of the lawn watching them. He was hovering over a flattened blow-up, his face a mask of intensity.
Why is he looking at me like that?
Warmth licked along her skin until her cheeks flushed.
“Can we sing ‘Jingle Bells’?” Jace asked.
Merry turned her attention away from Clark. “Absolutely. You kick us off.”
Jace launched into the jolly tune, and she involuntarily glanced at Clark, but he was focused on blowing up a ten-foot Santa. She couldn’t get Clark’s facial expression out of her mind. Had he been irritated with her for letting his son help her? Had he overheard his son and thought she was gathering dirt? It wouldn’t surprise her if some of the more manipulative women in town had tried using Jace to get to Clark, but she would never. Besides, based on the rumor mill, Clark wasn’t interested in getting involved with anyone, and she was done with emotionally unavailable men.
Mr. Clark Griffin had nothing to worry about from her.
Chapter 2
Clark
Clark Griffin walked the rows of Douglas Fir trees on his way back to the main house, his arms aching from hanging Christmas lights around the flocking tent. After the first few hours of decorating, Jace had begged to stay with Victoria, who was making cookies, and she’d been happy to take his son, despite it being a Saturday. Although now that he thought about it, Victoria never passed up a chance to spend time with Jace, which left Clark to get his work done without worrying about what Jace was getting into.
