Harlequin Holiday Collection - Four Classic Seasonal Novellas

neighbor a good turn.”
    Her frustration probably didn’t make sense, but she felt it anyway. “But I wasn’t even here then. And after the way my parents let the place deteriorate, I’d think you’d be glad to see it fall down.”
    “I knew you’d want the cottage someday.”
    “How?” She wanted to shout at him. “How did you know?”
    He shrugged. “I knew. People don’t change all that much. You always loved this place, even though your folks didn’t. I knew you could never sell it.”
    Now was clearly the moment to tell him that she was doing just that. Unfortunately the words seemed lodged in her throat, unwilling to come out.
    As little as she wanted to acknowledge it, she knew why.
    She didn’t want to lose what they had. It could never be anything but friendship, but she didn’t want to risk it.
    Kristie appeared in the doorway, still in her pajamas.
    “Kristie, what are you doing? I said to get dressed.”
    “I don’t want to go. I want to stay with David.”
    “You can’t.” She glanced at her watch. This had taken more time than it should, and she was already late.
    “She can stay with me.” David smiled. “No problem.”
    No problem for him. For her, it was just one more reason to feel grateful to him. And one more reason to feel guilty.

Chapter Fourteen
    “The wise man built his house upon the rock,” Kristie sang as she patted sand onto her sandcastle.
    David grinned. “We just have sand to build on here.”
    Kristie glanced toward the cottage. “Do the houses fall down, then?” Her small face was serious.
    “Not your house,” he assured her. He patted the sandcastle. “The tide will take this away, but your house is structurally sound. That means it’s strong inside, even if we did need to do a little painting to make it look nice.”
    His thoughts slipped to Ally, as they had a tendency to do too often. When he’d seen her dressed in her power suit instead of her jeans and sweatshirt, every hair in place, she’d been a different person—smart, ambitious, determined.
    But that brittle sophistication was on the surface, wasn’t it? Underneath, where it counted, Ally was sound.
    Kristie scraped at the sand with a shell. “I wish we didn’t ever have to go away from here.”
    I wish that, too, sugar , David thought. But he couldn’t say it.
    “Your momma told me you don’t want to have your operation,” he said carefully. “But it sure would be nice if next time you come, we could play sandpiper tag.”
    Kristie looked up, intrigued. “What’s sandpiper tag?”
    “Your momma and I used to play that.” He saw Ally running, laughing, happy. He pointed to a row of sandpipers strutting along the wet sand. “It’s like tag, but you can’t tap someone without running between the sandpipers first.”
    “I can’t do that.” She frowned at her brace.
    “After you have your operation, you will.” Please, God.
    “But if I’m well—” She paused, digging her fingers into the sand. “If I’m better, Mommy will go to work all the time.”
    He hesitated, aware that Ally probably wouldn’t appreciate his interference. But the child deserved someone to listen.
    “I guess maybe she’ll have to, so she can earn money to take care of you. She’ll still spend a lot of time with you.”
    Kristie shook her head, her silky blond hair obscuring her expression. “She’ll work all the time, like Daddy. I heard her one time. She told him he was doing it to stay away from me.”
    “Oh, honey.” His heart hurt for them. “That’s not true for your momma. She loves you more than anything.”
    Her lower lip came out. “Maybe that’s why Mommy wants me to have the operation. So she can go to work every day instead of staying with me.”
    He took her sandy hand in a firm grip. “Now, that’s just plain silly. Your momma wants you to have that operation so you can be better. So you can run and play and have fun. I know that as well as I know that the tide’s gonna come in.”
    Kristie looked up at him, fear and hope battling in her blue eyes. “You sure?”
    “Positive.” He made it just as strong as he could, relieved when hope won out in her expression.
    He’d talk to Ally. He’d help her understand Kristie’s fears. They’d find a solution to make both of them happy.
    To make all three of them happy.

Chapter Fifteen
    If Allison’s mind whirled any faster, she wouldn’t be able to drive. She crossed the bridge onto the island, trying to think this