Drake Sisters 02 - The Twilight Before Christmas

the first of the seven stockings hung in a row along the mantelpiece. It al owed her to keep her expression hidden from her sisters. “I know he’s been in relationships.”
    “That’s just it, Kate. He doesn’t have relationships. At best he has one-night stands. Women find him charming and mysterious, and he finds them annoying. Seriously, Kate, don’t really fal for him. He looks great on the outside, but he has a caveman attitude. He was in the military so long, doing al the secret Special Forces kind of stuff, and he just expects everyone to fal in line with his orders. It’s probably why he isn’t impressed with your world travels. Please don’t fal for him,” Hannah pleaded. “I couldn’t bear it if he hurt you, Kate.”
    “You’re so certain he wouldn’t fal for me? A few minutes ago you were saying you thought he might be sweet on me.” Kate tried to guard her voice, to keep her tone strictly neutral when there was a peculiar ache inside. “I real y don’t need the warning. Men like Matthew don’t look at women like me.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I need solitude, I always have. And I don’t have a tremendous amount of time to give to a relationship.”
    “What do you mean, Matthew wouldn’t look at a woman like you?” Abbey was outraged. “What are you talking about, Kate?”
    Kate took another sip of tea and smiled at her sisters over the rim of her teacup. “Don’t worry, I’m not feeling sorry for myself. I know I’m different. I was born the way I am. Al of you stand out. Your looks, your personalities, even you, Hannah, with being so painful y shy, you embrace life. You al live it.
    You don’t let your weaknesses or failings stand in your way. I’m an observer. I read about life. I research life. I find a corner in a room and melt into it. I can become invisible. It’s an art, and I am a wonderful practitioner.”
    “You travel al over the world, Kate,” Hannah pointed out.
    “Yes, and my agent and my publisher smooth the way for me. I don’t have to ask for a thing, it’s al done for me. Matthew is like al of you. He throws himself into life and lives every moment. He’s a born hero, riding to the rescue, carrying out the wounded on his back. He needs someone wil ing to do the same. I’m a born observer. Maybe that’s why I was given the ability to see into the shadows at times. A part of me is already there.”
    Hannah’s blue eyes fil ed with tears. “Don’t say that, Kate. Don’t ever say that.” She wrapped her arms around Kate and hugged her close, uncaring that a smal amount of tea splashed on her. “I didn’t know you felt that way. How could I not have known?”
    Kate hugged her hard. “Honey, don’t be upset for me. You don’t understand. I’m not distressed about it. My world is books. It always has been. I love words. I love living in my imagination. I don’t want to go climb a mountain. I love to study how it’s done. I love to talk to people who do it, but I don’t want the experience of it, the reality of it. My imagination provides a wonderful adventure without the risk or the discomfort.”
    “Katie,” Abbey protested.
    “It’s the truth. I’ve always been attracted to Matthew Granite, but I’m far too practical to make the mistake of believing anything could ever work between us. He runs wild. I remember him being right in the middle of every rough play in footbal both in high school and in col ege. He’s done so many crazy things, from serving as a Ranger to skydiving for the fun of it.” She shuddered. “I don’t even scuba dive. He goes whitewater rafting and rock climbing for relaxation. I read a good book. We aren’t in the least compatible, but I can stil think he’s hot.”
    “Are you certain you want to spend time with him?” Abbey asked.
    Kate shrugged. “What I want to do is to take a look at the mosaic and see if I can make out the shadows in the earth the way Hannah did.”
    “Maybe al three of us can figure out what is going on,” Hannah agreed. She fol owed Kate to the entryway, glancing over her shoulder at Abigail.
    “Doesn’t Joley sound beautiful? She sent us her Christmas CD. She said she might be able to make it home for Christmas.”
    “I hope so,” Abbey said. “Did El e or Libby cal ?”
    “Libby is in South America,” Hannah said.
    “I thought you said she was in the Congo,” Kate interrupted.
    Hannah laughed. “She was in the Congo, but they cal ed her to South